I’m writing this because I made it out alive. I’m being dramatic, but our day two hike was a struggle. It needed one to call out whatever courage and daring nature they had to go for it, and apparently, I am such a courageous and bold person.
Let’s start from the beginning.
We have been planning this trip for ages. By we, I mean I was (still am) a group member just reading the messages about plans in the WhatsApp group of my colleagues at work. This group was formed last year when we visited the Uluguru Mountains in September. (I have meant to write about it since last year, but here we are).
So, the plan was to go there in early January, but we didn’t go then. We went in May. And I paid for the trip two days before the departure date. This is because I have been to Lushoto before, and I didn’t need to go back because I thought I had seen everything there is to see in Lushoto. (narrator: She was wrong; she realised there is so much to see in Lushoto, and she is rarely glad to be wrong, but this time she was).
We left Dar on Friday at 10 a.m. after my coffee. Our car of four people was the last one to leave Dar, so obviously, it was the last one to get to Lushoto. We didn’t have lunch on the way because we were behind time and had too many snacks to be hungry. We planned to get to Lushoto early that evening to catch the sunset at Paradise, where we were staying.
But we got there quite late, around 7 pm, and it rained, so the road to Irente farm was muddy. We had to decide whether to get a ride or hike to the house. We chose the latter, and, God, was it slippery! It was cold when we started the hike, and everyone wore sweaters. Everyone had them on their waist or bags fifteen minutes into the hike. The climb was quite fun because it was cold and the company was good. It took us one hour and 40 minutes to get to the house.
When we arrived, we were welcomed by a bonfire and two cute puppies. There were 11 of us, so we agreed on the sleeping arrangements, and dinner was served, which, I must say, was yummy.
1st morning at Paradise
I woke up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee that morning and a view so beautiful I could cry. I had my coffee while daydreaming about moving to Lushoto and forgetting everything. It was that stunning. At some point, it felt like we were high, far away from everything but also quite too close to everything.
Nature has a way of making one feel a certain way, which is so humbling.
The itinerary for that day was to climb to Magamba Forest Nature Reserve, then climb back and hike to Kisasa Waterfall. I have been to Kisasa Waterfall and fell in love with it, so I wouldn’t mind returning. I would still be back if I had a chance.
We started our hike at 8 a.m. The first stop was at the Irente Farm shop. Fun fact: Irente came from a German woman named Irene during the colonial period. She owned more than 70 acres of land. The locals couldn’t pronounce her name correctly, so they called her Irente and not Irene (this is according to our tour guide).
The shop had coffee beans, jams, cheese, etc. All these are organically made at the farm. They also had a coffee shop close to the shop, which was cosy, but I didn’t have any coffee there – because we had a long day of hiking.
We continued our hike after taking several pictures at the farm, including some beautiful African Violets. I swore I would return to get some to Dar, but I somehow forgot. I’m still beating myself up for that.
Magamba Forest Nature Reserve
We resumed our hike to Magamba. As I mentioned, it had rained, so the trail was muddy, but not enough to stop us from hiking. Along the way, we walked beneath thick forests with tall trees that made us look tiny—in a beautiful way.
Songs from the water streams along the way encouraged us. (It wasn’t like Vikindu, where we had to remove our shoes at some point.) Lushoto is like that.
It felt like everywhere we went, there was some kind of water stream going somewhere. Some were in a hurry, and some took their time. And I loved them both.
At one point in our hike, we were blessed by a breathtaking waterfall from afar. I’m saying blessed because that waterfall wasn’t in the cards for that day.
We had beautiful chameleons waiting for us a few minutes after the waterfall. I have seen many chameleons, including one at Lake Ngosi, but they differ from the one I saw in Lushoto. She looked majestically! She blended so well with her environment.
She had that evergreen that screamed contentment and serenity. That chameleon knew who she was and was who she thought she was. I was just giggling as I looked at her and took pictures.
Just as I was leaving, I saw another one in the tree. One couldn’t see her unless they knew what they were looking for. She was beautiful, too, even those we didn’t see up close. I don’t know why I keep saying ‘her’ as if I knew their sex. They were her in my mind. So let’s go with that.
Just a few feet later, we saw a baby chameleon. She was so cute. She had adapted the colour of the tree she was occupying. This is what I love about them. They know how to blend into their environment. They go with what works for them at a given time. This could be something we can learn as human beings. Here, I’m talking about adapting and accepting change as part of our lives.
I have never been so happy to see stairs in my life. The climb had become so tough to bear. Some parts had stairs, and I was grateful for them because otherwise, it could have taken us longer to climb without them. They were long stairs, but thank God they were there.
Mama, we made it!!!!! We made it to the top at 1315. The peak that we were at was Kigulu Hakwewa, at an altitude of 1840. We had been hiking since 8 a.m. We got to view Lushoto, Mombo, and the vast forest across the reserve.
The views from the top were absolutely worth it. The presence of different flowers was an added value for me. I spent most of my time up there taking pictures of them. Flowers have a way of calming my mind, and so do trees and nature. Being there, I felt at home.
Old German Cave
While at the peak, we visited the old German caves. The caves were believed to have been built during the First World War when Germany ruled Tanganyika. They were said to have been used for defence and the search for a Bauxite mine.
The cave was muddy, but our curiosity was too intense, so we went in anyway. The walk was long, but we couldn’t get any farther because the watery mud had won.
We used a different route to climb down, which was equally beautiful. We were walking under the blanket of giant trees, again meeting water streams along the way.
The climb down was more manageable. We reached Lushoto around 4 p.m. and started our hike to our next destination, Kisasa waterfall.
Kisasa Waterfall
As I mentioned, I have been here before. And let me tell you, it was more breathtaking this time than the last time I was here. This time around, the waterfall looked so huge. It is because of the rains that have been happening throughout the country.
Because the water volume was high, we could see the monkey’s face on the waterfall. It can only be seen if you know what to look for and where to look. I saw it when someone mentioned it.
The water spray was too solid and windy to stay near the waterfall for long. We couldn’t even go near the base of the waterfall because the waves were too strong, it was too scary, and it seemed slippery.
But being there was worth it because it was gorgeous. I will be going back whenever I happen to revisit Lushoto. It is interesting to see how the waterfall changes depending on the time of the year one visits it.
Day 2
I woke up to that beautiful view again. With my coffee, a book and a dog. This is what life is all about if you ask me. I could get used to that life. But well, if wishes were horses.
The itinerary for day two was crazy. It started with a debate about what to do before we left for Dar. Some wanted to have a relaxed morning and go for Dar at noon; others wanted to hike to three different places before we left. Two of these places were the hardest to climb.
I don’t even remember which side I was on. But the relaxing morning side sounded so cool, and so did the hike, but not all three suggestions. So, I guess we now know which side I was on. We agreed that those who wanted to do three should start early before we left for the two, so it was like that.
Kwa Mkeka Peak
We started our hike at 8 a.m. We started slow, agreeing not to stop to take unnecessary pictures, which took a lot of time that we didn’t have.
The climb got more brutal as we went. It was a rock climb!! One mistake, and it is a different story. The climb started with nine of us, but only five—three men and two women—climbed. We left the other four halfway through the climb because they all had Acrophobia.
The thing about this climb was that we were climbing on rocks. These rocks were wet, meaning they were also slippery. As you climb, your right side has rocks and trees, but a cliff is on your left. If you slip and fall, there is no coming back. But according to Nick, our guide, no accident has ever been recorded on this hike.
I have said this before and will repeat it: Tanzania is a massive, beautiful, and stunning country. You just have to be curious and courageous enough to want to experience it.
The views on this hike were unlike anything I had ever seen before. We were lucky because it was clear when we got there. And yes, you guessed it, it was cold, too.
Apart from the beautiful view, Nick’s dog, Bella, was with us. I loved how she was pausing for me as I took her photos. Or maybe she was just taking in the view as we all were, but I like to believe she was pausing for me.
A few minutes later, the weather started to change, which was our cue to climb down. The climb down was okay because we knew our way down better. We picked up the four we left behind and hiked to Kambe Peak, our final climb for the trip.
On our way to the entry, we saw many beautiful flowers, which made the walk more worthwhile for me.
Kambe Peak
Kambe Peak is another rock climb in Lushoto. It can be accessed through the stairs built by a professor to help hikers reach the peak. It is said that before the stairs, it was impossible to climb to the peak.
The four of us went down the stairs for 10 minutes. After getting down, that’s when the rock climbing began—this last one was encouraged by our guide when he said to me, “You are no longer a rock climbing virgin. It won’t make sense if you don’t go all the way.” No more valid words were ever said to me. But no, it wouldn’t have made sense to me if I had gone all the way there and didn’t go all the way.
The climb after the stairs was alright because I had already done the hardest at kwa Mkeka. Yes, this one involved crawling, too, but it was okay. It took us only a short time to get to the top. Again, your hard work is usually paid for when you see the view from the top!
This is why I love nature and hiking. When I hike, I feel like I can do anything if I put my mind to it. You just need to take that one step and keep taking another until you get there. I think, just like in life, once you get started, it gets easier. It is a lesson I must keep reminding myself every day—just start!
Looking at the stairs from the top felt so surreal. Words do not do it justice. It was so beautiful with that evergreen forest. The mist started forming, and it was a blessing to be part of Mother Nature and see her change. I felt like I could touch the fog and be one with it.
We returned to Lushoto town at 1230 and started our drive back to Dar at 1 p.m.
I loved everything about this trip. There is so much to see and do in Lushoto. It is safe to say that Lushoto has the most beautiful mountain views in the country. I’m from Mbeya, and we have some stunning mountain views. But Lushoto takes the crown.
Thanks for reading. Check out my Instagram page for more photos.
Jane 🙂
