Cultural TourismThere are currently about 25 sites for cultural tourism in north-eastern Tanzania. Together, these sites welcome some 25,000 tourists a year, and generate a minimum of $250,000, mainly in salaries to service providers and contributions to village development projects. Cultural tourism is one of the ways in which the poorer in the rural areas have been incorporated into the tourism industry and benefit from its income.Lake Eyasi Bushman Hadza in Lake Eyasi Bush After breakfast at Lake Manyara Hotel/ Figi Lodge, we take the 2 hour drive,on a very rough trail, to Lake Eyasi. The road circumnavigates the Ngorongoro crater and heads southwest to Mang’ula Village. Here we make contact with local tribesmen and interact with the Barabaig, Hadza and San tribes. Camping at Chemchem (water spring) near the village of Mang’ula. It is fairly basic. Very early morning you'll drive to the dwellings of the famous Hadzabe tribe in the bush for cultural interaction (these are the same group as the South African Bushmen); get an opportunity to walk with them and watch the way they hunt or collect honey and insects. Return late afternoon for dinner and camping at Chemchem. Maasai The Longido is about 90 kilometers north of Arusha Town. It is one of the places to visit and see Maasai and other tribes like Wa-arusha. Visitors have a chance to see cattle being auctioned in the market and how local people (Masai and Wa-arusha) conduct that business traditionally. The Masai are benefiting from 'green' tourism by organizing tours of the mountains and plains near their community. The tour guides fill visitors with fascinating information about history, culture, and the natural world. And visitors get to enjoy a traditional meal prepared by Masai women. A portion of the tour fees go into a village fund that finances local development projects. Longido offers a guided tour hiking to Kimokouwa, along with Maasai cattle trail that winds over the slopes to the summit of Longido Mountain. There is a chance of viewing wildlife such as the elephant and buffalo. It is also famous for camel-back safari, which can be arranged as an optional in your safari package. The tour can take half a day to a week, depending on your wishes. The safari takes you through the plains that are home to different species of birds; mountains around the area (Longido and Ol Doinyo Lendaree) with beautiful terrain that allows hiking to take place. Depending on a person's physiology, hiking can be done just for one day to the top. Once at the top you have a good view of Meru and Kilimanjaro Mountains as well as Maasai plain in Kenyan Side on a clear day. Take the opportunity to see and learn a little more about the pride of Maasai Pastoralists in Tanzania. Pare Mountains This is the northern outpost of traditional culture. Further north are the Pare Mountains, home to the Pare, or Asu ethnic people. This region is a more isolated section of the Eastern Arc chain and as such, it is a great interest for its rich cultural traditions, which has been largely untouched by the modern world. Hiking from village to village is the best way to experience the local flavours, and to understand how in a unique way man co-exists with nature in this mountainous terrain. ©2006-2007 Tanzanians and Friends Ecotourism Limited |