Udzungwa Mountain Hiking

Hiking in Udzungwa National Park

Udzungwa Forest Lodge’s main attraction is Udzungwa Mountains National Park, which is well known for excellent hiking, trekking, mountain climbing and forest walks.  With no road access and the only way in being on foot along one of the many trails, the mountains keep their secrets from all but the most adventurous.  Once you’ve gained a little altitude, the forest canopy shields you from the heat of the sun and you can enjoy the forest along with the monkeys, elephants, birds, duikers and elephant shrews.

There are several trails ranging from short 20min strolls, to 5 day expeditions.  The most popular hike is up to Sanje Waterfalls, looking for monkeys, swimming in plunge pools, and enjoying the spectacular view.  This is the prime attraction for this area and if you are a keen walker then taking at least one of these hiking opportunities is strongly recommended.  Bear in mind, however, that it is very hot, particularly at midday, and this can have a considerable effect on even the fittest of walkers. We offer pack lunches, so make a day of it!

Hondo Hondo has everything needed for overnight hiking in the forest.  We offer a package deal which includes tents, mattresses and bedding, porters, a cook and cooking equipment, food and if required, transport to and from the start of the trails – in short, everything you need for a successful trek.  We even provide tarpaulin shelter for hikers using our services so you’re not confined to your tent in case of rain.

DAY HIKING TRAILS IN THE UDZUNGWA NATIONAL PARK
Prince Bernhard Falls
1km, ½h, height gain 30-80m
Named after Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands – president of the World Wildlife Fund at the time
the Udzungwa Mountains National Park as gazetted – these small but pretty falls are just a short
walk behind the park headquarters. They are named after the Prince, as aged 84, he was unable
to climb to the top of Sanje Waterfall. They are a nice quick visit for anyone visiting the park after
paying park fees, regardless of which trail you plan to hike, and if you’re not planning to hike one of
the longer trails, you can extend your walk (by 1.5km) up to campsite 2 to spend a little more time
in the forest without a long climb.
Sonje Waterfall Trail
3km, 1-2h, height gain 120m
A short (20min) easy trail to the bottom of the Sonjo waterfall, with the option of continuing up a
steeper path for 15 mins to reach the second falls. These falls are very beautiful and a favourite of
waterfall lovers. From the second waterfall, you can continue around the circuit to return to the start
along a different path.
Sanje Waterfall Trail
6km, 4-5h, height gain 450m
The most popular trail in Udzungwa is Sanje Waterfall. This 180m waterfall is very impressive,
surrounded by rainforest with excellent views over the Kilombero floodplain. At the top, you can
swim in the refreshing plunge pool of the top waterfall (around 40m high) surrounded by thick
rainforest. Optionally, you can take a 20min detour from the path, either on the way up, or on the
way down the path from the Old Sanje Hotel, to the bottom of the large waterfall for fantastic views
looking up, and more swimming/jumping/diving in the pool (a bit warmer). Sanje can be walked at
any time of day, but it is best in the morning with the sun on the waterfalls, and is very hot at
midday. At the right time of year, the sides of the gorge are covered in fireball lilies. It is common to
see both types of Colobus on this trail. Many people walk up and down on the Old Sanje Hotel trail,
but there is an alternative route up or down starting at the ranger post to the south. This route is
slightly longer and is less used, so provides better chances of seeing undisturbed monkeys, and of
course a circular walk. If you are using Hondo Hondo transport, you can be dropped off at one
place and picked up from the other.
Njokamoni Trail
5km, 4-5h, height gain 400m
Njokamoni trail is very similar to the Sanje trail except a lot less walked. As a result, it is common to
see many troupes of monkeys with a better chance of seeing the Sanje Mangebey. You may also
see red duiker, elephant shrews, squirrels and other rare forest mammals. This hike will also take
you between 4 and 5 hours with a rewarding waterfall at the top which you can splash around in to
cool off. The trail passes behind Hondo Hondo Camp and Njokamoni waterfall is the same stream
as that which provides water to Hondo Hondo. You start the hike from TANAPA HQ and end the
walk 1km down from Hondo Hondo Camp.
Hidden Valleys Trail (Campsite 3 trail)
14km, 6-8h, height gain 1000m
This trail follows a big loop around the large peak rising behind Hondo Hondo Camp. It starts from
Campsite 3, just after the turning for the park HQ and arrives back on the decent trail from
Njokamoni Waterfall, right back into Hondo Hondo. It is a long and steep walk that climbs to over
1300m above sea level so you should plan to leave early. You discover that what you thought was
a ridge looking up from the camp is actually just a step into the hidden valleys, where the streams
become meandering and almost level, with open grassy areas favoured by elephants – it is
necessary to take a ranger on this hike as there are several large mammals deep in the forest. The
trail goes behind the peak above Hondo Hondo and the forest up there is full of large trees. You will
hopefully see plenty of wildlife on this trail.
Habituated Sanje Mangabey Trek
Undefined distance, 3-4h, height gain undefined
A great initiative of the park is conditioning a troupe of habituated Mangabeys. You will hike “offpiste” into the forest just above Hondo Hondo starting from the HQ and with the help of the
research team you will trek to a troupe of Mangabeys and observe them from very close quarters,
undisturbed. It’s an excellent way to observe this endemic species close up without disruption to
their natural habits. This is pre-arranged with the national park and they will inform the camp on the
morning where the troupe has been spotted.

OVERNIGHT HIKING TRAILS IN THE UDZUNGWA NATIONAL PARK
Special camping can be arranged within the Udzungwa Mountains National Park itself. You have
the option of the overnight Sanje hike, the longer two night Mwanihana hike, or the serious 4 night
Lumemo Trail. You will trek into the rainforest where you will spend the night below the canopy, in a
campsite high up in the mountains. We arrange everything for you, including all necessary
equipment, all meals, porters, cook and so on, and all you have to do is enjoy the wildlife and
nature and the magic of the forest night.
Sanje Waterfall Trail – 2 Days / 1 Night
9km, 2 days, height gain 450m
To get a true feel of the forest, spend a night under the canopy. Instead of taking half a day to
complete the Sanje trail, head up and make camp in the forest overnight with the help of our skilled
Hondo Hondo campsite team. Spend the afternoon in the forest and then a magical evening under
the forest canopy, eating by firelight and sleeping under canvas to the sounds of the forest. Awake
early to breakfast looking out over the Kilombero Valley from the top of the waterfall, and then
spend the morning wandering down through the forest, spotting wildlife and splashing in waterfall
pools on the way down. Hondo Hondo can provide everything you need for this trip – all you bring
is yourselves, and a camera!
Mwanihana Peak- 3 Days / 2 Nights
38km, 3 days, height gain 1850m
For the keen hiker, Mwanihana peak at 2150m is one of the highest peaks in the Eastern Arc. The
38km hike takes 3 days, 2 nights at a leisurely pace. For those who want to make the most of the
hike, we recommend that you take your time as the trail passes through Miombo woodland, lowland forest, sub-montane forest, highland plateau and pristine montane forest. Just before the
bare rock and grass of the summit, eerie glades of bamboo rustle in the wind. This is, in terms of
habitat and associated wildlife, a very diverse journey. Much of the trek is alongside sparkling
mountain streams with butterflies dancing through the dappled forest light. This is also the most
successful route for spotting the elusive Sanje Mangebey. Although rarely encountered, there are
also elephant and buffalo up on the plateau so your trek will be accompanied by an armed ranger.
Lumemo Trail – 5 Days / 4 Nights 65km, 5 days
The longest and most arduous trail in Udzungwa is the Lumemo trail. You are transferred to the
start of the trail, beyond Ifakara on the Lumeno river, and hike up into the hills for 4 nights,
returning along the same trail as Mwanihana not far from Hondo Hondo, where you’ll be picked up
and brought back to Hondo Hondo for a nice shower and a few much needed cold beers! This trail
leads deep into the heart of the Udzungwas, ascending ridges, and descending into two deep
valleys – areas where few people have ever been and the wildlife there has had virtually no contact
with humans. You need to be a competent hiker in good physical condition to attempt this trail.

NB: Please note that all TANAPA park/guide fees are not included in the Hondo Hondo rate
useless specified. These fees are payable to TANAPA at their HQ, 1km from camp, by credit
card only. A guide is compulsory for all hikes and a ranger if doing the Hidden Valley Trail.

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