Day Trip to Materuni Waterfalls and Coffee Tour

Overview

What makes this journey special

Walking / HikingCultural VisitsSnorkeling / SwimmingWaterfalls

Around 30 - 40 minutes outside of Moshi town are Materuni waterfalls. As this trip is so close by and ideal for those people with limited time but who would still like to see some of the nature and beauty that this region of Tanzania has to offer. These falls are smaller than the previously described Ndoro, but still pretty impressive at 150 meters high and definitely a sight worth seeing.

From Materuni Village we will walk some 30 minutes to the waterfall. The walk itself is extremely interesting, as you will see some smaller waterfalls and lots of waterways which are part of the irrigation system of the local farmers who grow coffee, bananas and many other fruits and vegetables.

At the waterfall, you can even refresh in the cool and crystal clear water, don’t forget to bring your swimwear! Here you will also break for lunch before doing a short tour of Materuni village to see the typical life of the Chagga tribe. The village, located at a height of around 1300 m (4300 ft) above sea level is set within a dramatic landscape of high rises and deep valleys, all covered by tropical rain forest.

Coffee Tour: Materuni village produces many perishable goods including yam, sugar, maize and beans. However, the main crop that is grown is coffee. In the village you will be able to learn about the process from which coffee is grown, to when it is finally poured, steaming hot into the cup.

You will pick you own coffee, remove the cover and then with coffee that has been previously dried out, crush it into coffee granules. After experiencing the complete coffee production process you will be able to enjoy your very own, satisfying and rewarding cup of fresh coffee. You will also learn how the Chagga tribe lives, such as their home set-up, the types of food they cook and eat and how they rear their animals.

Day by day

Your itinerary

Moshi → Materuni Village – Waterfall Walk

Hotel pick-up 8:30am – 30–40 minutes drive – 30-minute walk to Materuni Waterfall

Your guide picks you up in Moshi and drives up the green lower slopes of Kilimanjaro to Materuni village, at around 1,300 m. From the village you walk for about 30 minutes past small farms and irrigation channels, through banana and coffee groves, to the foot of Materuni Waterfall, which drops from the forest into a cool, clear pool.

Hotel Pick-upKilimanjaro FoothillsVillage WalkMateruni Waterfall

MID

Swim at the Falls & Chagga Lunch

Time at the waterfall – Optional swim – Traditional lunch in the village

Spend time at the falls and take a refreshing swim in the pool if you wish – bring your swimwear. Walk back to the village for a home-cooked Chagga lunch with a local family, and learn how the Chagga people farm the fertile slopes of Kilimanjaro.

Waterfall SwimChagga LunchLocal FamilyMountain Farming

Chagga Coffee Tour → Return to Moshi

Hands-on coffee tour – Pick, roast and grind – Drive back to Moshi late afternoon

Join a hands-on coffee tour with a local farmer: pick ripe cherries, hull and roast the beans over an open fire and grind them by hand to the rhythm of a traditional Chagga song, then enjoy a cup of the coffee you just made. You are back at your Moshi hotel in the late afternoon.

Coffee TourRoast & GrindFresh Kilimanjaro CoffeeReturn to Moshi

Getting there

Arrival & transfers

Pick-up from hotels in Moshi at 8:30am – Materuni village is 30–40 minutes away on the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro. Pick-up from Arusha can be arranged for a supplement.

Inclusions