The best add-on days around Moshi and Arusha — perfect before a climb, after a safari, or as a slow day on their own.
Choose Your Day
Five Unforgettable Experiences
Half day · From $90 pp · Moshi / Arusha
Chemka Hot Springs
Crystal-clear oasis in the savannah
An hour east of Moshi, hidden in a grove of fig and palm trees, Chemka (Kikuletwa) Hot Springs bubble up from underground at a perfect 27°C. The water is so clear you can see every fish and root metres down. Bring goggles, a book and an appetite — we set up a shaded picnic on the bank.
Chemka (Kikuletwa) Hot Springs — 27°C, crystal clear, rope swing included
Materuni village sits on Kilimanjaro's southern slopes. A 45-minute forest walk drops you at the base of a thundering 90 m waterfall — swim in the pool if you dare. Back in the village a Chagga family walks you through the full coffee story: picking, pulping, roasting over a fire, grinding by song, and finally sipping. Lunch is banana stew and chapati on a hilltop.
Step 1: traditional pounding — grinding your roasted beans the Chagga way in Materuni
Tucked against the Kenyan border in the rain-shadow of the Pare and Usambara mountains, Mkomazi is northern Tanzania's most under-visited park. The reintroduced black rhino sanctuary and African wild dog breeding centre alone are worth the trip — and you'll often have a sighting entirely to yourselves. A perfect quiet day away from the safari circuit crowds.
Marangu, the 'gateway village' to Kilimanjaro, is the original Chagga homeland. A guided walk threads you between coffee and banana shambas to three waterfalls, through tunnels the Chagga dug as refuges, and into a homestead where mbege (banana beer) is still brewed the traditional way. Slow, green, and deeply local.
A traditional Chagga homestead in Marangu — banana beer, caves and waterfalls
Up-close wildlife encounters in an ethical sanctuary
Serval Wildlife Sanctuary offers a rare, ethical chance to get close to rescued African animals without disturbing wild populations. A guide walks you through the open sanctuary where giraffe, zebra, antelope, waterbuck and colorful birds roam freely. With Mount Kilimanjaro rising behind the acacia trees, the photography is extraordinary. The visit includes a conservation talk, lunch or high-tea on the lawn, and plenty of time to simply be near animals that have been given a second chance.
Hand-feeding a rescued Masai giraffe — the highlight of every visit
