CULTURAL AND ECOTOURISM
TOURISM IN TANZANIA
Tourism is an important source of income for local people. As founders of Bright Tanzania as a tour operator, we, Gilbert and Rispa, have a mission!
We want to contribute as much as we can to have a positive impact on the quality of life of the local team, their families and, in part because of this, the other residents of the village. The income is often invested in the houses, vegetable gardens, education and health care. With your contribution you also help ecological sustainability projects, support women’s groups and other forms of sustainable development.
RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL
Responsible travel means that we are aware of the (social) impact of tourism on local people, animals and the environment. It means that in putting together our trips, we create an infrastructure that avoids exploitation of people, animals and natural resources at all costs.
Responsible travel is what we make possible together!
Get to know local life!
Visit a school and meet the children
Visit a banana & coffee plantation
Visit a local market
Meet the Maasai and learn about their culture
Join us for lunch and enjoy a local meal
EXCURSIONS
- Materuni waterfalls & coffee tour
Take a beautiful hike through the rainforest at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro to the Kuringe waterfalls that are as high as 70 meters. Meet the Chagga mountain people, see how coffee beans grow, how they are harvested and then traditionally processed into real coffee. Enjoy your homemade cup of coffee or sample the local banana beer.
- Kikuletwa Hotsprings
The beautiful Kikuletwa Hotsprings are located in the middle of the Sanya Plain, about 35 km from Moshi. It is a small oasis in the heart of a dry and dusty landscape. The locals call this wonder the “Chemka Maji Moto” which means “boiling hot water. This refers to the way the bubbling water emerges from the underground. The water has a wonderful temperature and is crystal clear, so you can see to the bottom. The Kikuletwa Hotsprings are surrounded by tropical palm trees and impressive roots of large fig trees. It is a true paradise and a great place to swim, relax, picnic and enjoy the beauty that nature has to offer. There is also a rope swing to swing on and then jump into the water.
- Treetop Walk in Lake Manyara NP
This special walkway is only possible in Lake Manyara national park. During the Treetop Walkway you walk at about 15 meters height over stable narrow bridges along the treetops right through the beautiful unspoiled nature of the national park. The walkway offers you magnificent views. A unique opportunity to see nature from a totally different perspective. Enjoy the beautiful view together with monkeys, butterflies and various exotic birds!
- Visit a Maasai village
Experience the simplest way of life in Africa. The Maasai people live in small mud huts in the middle of nature, which is also home to lions, elephants and lots of other animals. The Maasai know how to protect their own territory – and that of their goats and cows – in harmony with nature. On this excursion you will learn how they manage life in nature and their daily way of life and get to know Maasai traditions.
- Bicycle tour in Mto Wa Mbu
Together with a guide you cycle from the cozy village of Mto Wa Mbu towards Lake Manyara. On the way you will pass banana plantations and you might just see zebras or monkeys! Arriving at the lake you will have a beautiful view and see hundreds of birds. After returning you will get an authentic lunch.
- Balloon flight in the Serengeti
If you really want to complete your trip then treat yourself and your travel companions to a balloon flight over the vast savannah. We will be happy to tell you more about this special experience, which ends with a luxurious champagne breakfast.
- Walking safari in Arusha National Park
Together with a ranger you will take a beautiful 2-hour walk through Arusha National Park. You will walk among giraffes, zebras and encounter monkeys and various other animals.
A very special experience, after this hike you will continue exploring the park by jeep.
All day excursions include transportation, English-speaking guide and driver, full lunch, entrance fees and unlimited drinking water.
The Chagga
The Chagga people are the third largest ethnic group in Tanzania and traditionally live in the fertile foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. They are one of a number of tribes with origins in Central and West African Bantu culture.
The Chagga have a long history of contact with European missionaries and other colonizers, which has resulted in them having greater access to schooling and thus higher levels of formal education compared to other groups in Tanzania. The Chagga are known as savvy businessmen and are often able to secure influential positions in Tanzanian society.
The Maasai
A semi-nomadic Nilotic group believed to have originated in Egypt, the Maasai are predominantly pastoralists but practice small-scale agriculture in some places. They are one of the youngest ethnic groups in Tanzania, having followed the Nile River through Kenya before reaching Tanzania 300 years ago. adumu jump massaai
The identity and lifestyle of the Maasai is deeply rooted in the ownership, breeding and use of cattle. The status of an individual Maasai and their family is closely related to the number of cattle he owns – in fact, a Maasai without cattle is no longer considered a Maasai within the community.
The Hadzabe
The Hadzabe live in the Lake Eyasi Basin area. They are a unique ethnic group in Tanzania. Apart from the Sandawe and Akie (both groups very close to the Hadzabe believed to be a branch of the original Hadzabe tribe), they are the only true hunter-gatherer groups remaining in Tanzania and one of the few remaining in this region of the world.
