Mto Wa Mbu Village offers a very rare experience for visitors! Around 120 tribes reside in the village - it's a cross-cultural melting pot with probably the most exotic mix of languages and customs found anywhere in Tanzania. When you enjoy a visit to the village you'll be in the heart of the Northern Safari Circuit in Tanzania, so time spent here will be a welcome respite from your safari activities. Mto Wa Mbu Village is very close to Lake Manyara and Tarangire National Park in the Great Rift Valley. The village is surrounded by magnificent scenery and situated on the main road which leads to the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater and Conservation Area.

CULTURAL PROGRAMME AND ECO-TOURISM

Mto Wa Mbu Village has a very active cultural programme that seeks to show visitors the traditional way of life of the villagers through various activities and also a range of community projects that are in place. You can visit top spots in the area, taste Tanzanian foods and experience authentic cultural interaction.

A small fee is charged for each activity which is then used to support income-generating projects such as the production of energy-efficient stoves and the development of irrigation systems. Students will find the village and its people to be a great resource for information on Tanzania. Everyday topics can be explored as well as more complex subjects like politics, history and culture, wildlife and legends.

There are several excellent walking, hiking and biking tours offered in the village ranging in length from a couple of hours to a full day (bikes can be hired in the village):

> Village Tour - try the banana beer, visit a traditional home, learn about Makonde carving

> Village Lunch - enjoy a home-cooked meal the traditional way

> Farm Visit - discover what the villagers grow and how they do it

> Maasai Tour - visit a traditional boma (enclosure), interact with tribal members in various activities

> Balaa Hill - this is a climb up the Rift Valley Wall for magnificent views and good birding

> Miwaleni Lake and Waterfall - see ancient Baobab trees and swim in the pool below the falls

> Lake Manyara - bike through a wildlife corridor to the shores of the lake

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