Trekking Maweni to Mazumbai

By Peter Carty and Stephanie Kaplan

It was raining when we got off the bus in Soni. The Rough Guide to Tanzania steered us toward Maweni to find Juma Kahema to be our guide into the Usambara Mountains.

We were happy to see the sign in Soni – Maweni Farm 2km. We started walking up the road, the rain obscuring the hills but watering the terraced slopes of the small valley. Ignoring the sign warning Mbwa Mkali (vicious dog) we proceeded. Within minutes we found ourselves seated in the dining area of a beautiful early 20th century retreat surrounded by blooming gardens and a working farm. Warmly greeted by co-owner Verena Knippel, we were treated to freshly brewed coffee and homemade cookies. Unbeknownst to us, we had stumbled on a piece of paradise.

Maweni sunset
By further stroke of luck, Juma Kahema was not only still guiding out of Maweni Farm, but available immediately for trip planning. After discussing the many hiking options, we chose a 4-day trek to Mazumbai Rainforest Preserve – one of the only remaining first-growth rainforests left in the Usambara Mountains.

After a delicious five course dinner and a restful night of sleep, we began our hike from the farm up through cultivated fields of bananas, tomatoes, yams and the occasional coffee tree. As we climbed, Juma shared his seemingly endless knowledge of the local flora and fauna. This included information about agro-forestry, his specialty, and culturally-specific uses of plants as food and medicine.

Day 1. Maweni to Bumbuli
Once reaching the ridge the patchwork of vegetable plots gave way to fields of tea plants. As the clouds parted we could see multiple ridges and valleys like the one we had just ascended. We spent the bulk of the day hiking on tiny paths used by people tending their farms. No map or guidebook could have led us this way. Our destination was Bumbuli, a moderately sized village where we stayed at the Lutheran Church guest house. Many trees were in bloom including the Jacaranda tree, making the view from the guest house colorful and rich. The evening’s food was prepared by a cook from Maweni, Robert, who met us each evening at our destination to prepare dinner and pack us a lunch for the next day.

Day 2. Through the forest
The following morning we began our walk to the forest. After climbing through more fields and villages, and being warmly greeted by scores of children chanting wazungu, we reached the forest. The vegetation became dense and it took a moment for our eyes to adjust to the darkness. This is a place where no people live, but is teaming with life. The calls of birds and monkeys replaced the clamor of the local youth. As rich as this forest was, we would not reach the first-growth forest of Mazumbai until day’s end. We rested our weary feet at a quaint and well-maintained guest house of the Sokoini University Reseach Center, a facility for housing students from all over the world who come to study this protected piece of
forest.

Day 3. Mazumbai
The next day’s hike was into the depths of the 300 hectacre forest preserve. We were greeted by a group of black and white colobus monkeys and the sounds of myriad bird species. Mazumbai forestOur guide for the day took us off the trail to see the larger first growth camphor trees, and Khaya nyasica trees with buttresses taller than any of us, extending like a wall into the undergrowth. The next few hours were spent walking under the lush canopy of this forest that once covered the land for
miles and miles.

The Usambara Mountains may be less visited than other mountain regions of Tanzania, but this is part of their charm. This trip had the diversity of experiences we were looking for including hiking, cultural tourism, and experiencing some of the only first-growth rainforest left in the Tanzania, bracketed by the luxury of the food and company at Maweni farm.