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The Udzungwa Mountains and Sanje Falls.
Soon we got our first site of the cloud-capped Uluguru massif that rears up behind Morogoro Town. The Ulugurus, like the Udzungwas are part of the Eastern Arc Mountain Range. These forest-clad mountains have been described as the ‘Galapagos of Africa’ due to their high degree of endemism. We passed Morogoro, went through Mikumi National Park, where we had a brief stop to look at some baby elephants on the roadside and then turned left into the Kilombero Valley.
After about an hour of scenic rural driving we arrived at Park H.Q. in Mangula. With our TANAPA guide we made the short walk to Prince Bernards Falls, named after the President of WWF. Here Paul, our safari cook laid out a superb picnic lunch that we eagerly consumed, surrounded by beautiful butterflies and watched jealously by a troupe of vervet monkeys.
After lunch we returned to the car and made a short drive to Sanje Village. Here we met some smiling porters and made ready to begin our forest hike. The path was steep and hot as we climbed through the Miombo woodland on the lower slopes above the village.
On entering the forest the temperature dropped and we rapidly became surrounded by giant trees with large buttress roots. Our guide explained that the soil was shallow here and the huge trees relied on these for support. He went on to add that if you were lost deep in the forest you could, after checking for snakes, spend the night in safety between the buttresses having lit a small fire in front of you. I did not think it would come to that, but it was nice to know that accomplished field guides led us into this ancient forest.
We followed the narrow trail stopping regularly for sightings of elusive canopy birds and catching occasional alluring glimpses of the spectacular 180m Sanje falls, which was our goal. A final steep left turn contoured around a spur and we were met by the roar of the falls. Paul and the porters had already made camp, a fire was lit and a tray of tea, biscuits and fruit were laid out on the natural viewing platform above the waterfall. The view was incredible. The rushing of the water was occasionally pierced by the cries of swooping hornbills.
After a brief respite it was time for a refreshing swim. Just a few minutes from camp is an idyllic pool at the base of a step-waterfall. I was glad to wash off the sweat of the climb and felt revitalised as I floated on my back, looking up at a magical view of the surrounding forest canopy. Tall hardwoods festooned with hanging lianas, epiphytes and bryophytes.
Back at camp, hungry and invigorated after our hike and swim we sat by the fireside for dinner, a superb three-course meal. A little later we were taken on a short night hike. Salim explained that many animals come out at night and, at that moment found us an endemic pigmy bearded chameleon. I held this incredible miniature dinosaur in my hand and revelled in its hesitant walk. We also saw several iridescent tree frogs and some colossal moths! That night I drifted off to the distant roar of the falls and the occasional barking call of a tree hyrax high above me in the canopy.
I was woken early in the morning and made my way down to the rocky shelf above the waterfall. Here we sat with mugs of steaming fresh coffee as the inky blackness gave way to the purples and reds of the dawn. The sun rose in a fiery orb illuminating the misty valley beneath us. Paul came down and we were presented with a full breakfast.
After a guided walk up river to see the endemic African Violets and admire the rainbow at a higher fall, we began our descent. The air was full of liquid birdsong and the guttural warning cries of male Colobus monkeys echoed through the forest. Then we saw a mixed troupe of Black and White and Red Colobus, and paused to watch them performing a dramatic traverse of the valley, flowing from tree to tree with obvious ease.
At the end of our hike our cook provided us with fresh Dafu (drinking coconuts) and sliced melon. The thing that struck me most about Sanje was the enormous scale. I was glad that I had put my fears of rain aside as the flow over the falls was much more impressive than in the dry season. The Udzungwa Mountains contain some of the best hikes the Eastern Arc has to offer, and I shall be returning.
For more information please visit Wild Things Tanzania Safaris and one of our experienced staff will get back to you.
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Roy J. Hinde is currently a director of Wild Things Safaris ltd. He previously worked as a biodiversity research scientist in Tanzania and completed his M.Sc. in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment during that time. For information on visiting the Udzungwa Mountains contact Udzungwa@wildthingsafaris.com or Wild Things Tanzania Safaris also has some superb safari gallery pictures at Wild Things Gallery.
