Nestled in the patchwork foothills of magnificent Kilimanjaro lies the beautiful village of Materuni, home to our Chagga friends and famous for its aromatic, rich coffee. On this fragrant and fun day out you’ll get a chance to make your own cup of coffee the proper way and you’ll find out the secret to the perfect cup of coffee from the local Chagga people. Next you’ll hike the short but challenging route to the Materuni Falls and you can stand under the waters as they cascade into a tranquility pool that’s safe for bathing. And you’ll want to jump straight in – after getting sweaty (ok, glowing!) from your hike, there’s nothing more soothing than floating in the cool waters. Enjoy your packed lunch before or after your swim – there are no rules!
Start your mini-adventure with the short but fascinating drive from Moshi up the lush slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro to the village of Materuni, approximately 1,800 m above sea level. This is market garden territory and has the perfect mixture of climate and soil to produce some of the best coffee in Africa. You’ll visit a coffee farm and learn about how coffee is grown, harvested and processed, and you’ll try your hand at roasting and preparing a fresh cup of coffee the Chagga way. After a delightful coffee break (so much better than the ones at work!) you’ll take a beautiful 45-minute hike through the hills and valleys en route to the Materuni Falls. You’ll pass through banana and coffee plantations, up and down mini-valleys, across ridges and through narrow splashing rivulets. Along the way your guide will teach you about local plants and how they are used for food and traditional medicine, as well as giving you more insight into the local Chagga culture.
It’s your chance to ask questions about a lifestyle that’s probably very different from your own! You’ll hear the Falls before you see them, and once they come into view, you might be lucky enough to see a rainbow sheen as the splashing waters split the sunlight. The Falls are hidden away in a pristine valley with cliffs towering to 200ft overhead. The mountain waters falls straight down in a shimmering curtain to splash in the rippling pool where you can float, take a swimand chill out – literally, as these are pure mountain waters and not yet heated by the sun. But it’ll be welcome after your hike.
You will have two options for transport between Moshi town and the village… For those who really wish to have the ‘real’ experience you can hop on a dala dala (the local minibuses. If you’d prefer to travel more quickly and comfortably you can choose to take a private car. Once you reach the village you will start your coffee tour at a traditional Chaggah ‘shamba’ .
Here your guide will explain all aspects of the Chaggah homestead including the other crops that they grow aside from coffee. You will get to see how the coffee is produced- from picking the bean to roasting and then drinking a delicious cup yourself. Following your coffee tour you will then take a short hike (make sure to wear some sport or Mountain boot ,shoes as it can be muddy up there), passing through local villages to reach the waterfalls.
You will either have a picnic lunch box or arrive to a full spread of freshly cooked lunch-prepared to the one of the local family, Following lunch you will have the opportunity to take a dip in the refreshing(quite cold!) pools beneath the waterfalls.
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