Lushoto
©
Lushoto

Lushoto

Cool Tanzanian hill town in the Usambara Mountains, known for hiking, viewpoints, and German colonial traces.

Lushoto is a small town in the Usambara Mountains of northeastern Tanzania, set in a green, hilly landscape at about 1,400 metres. It makes a refreshing break from the heat of the coast — the air is cool, the scenery lush, and the hiking excellent. The town was a German colonial hill station under the name Wilhelmstal, and the Lutheran church on the main street is one of several reminders of the period.

The Western Usambaras around Lushoto offer walks through montane rainforest, past waterfalls, and through villages where people farm the steep hillsides. The classic short walk is out to the Irente Viewpoint, where the escarpment drops a thousand metres to the Maasai plains; the longer hikes head north through Magamba Forest and on to the ridge-top village of Mtae. Several local guides run ecological tours that combine hiking with community visits.

Lushoto is about an hour north of Mombo, roughly halfway between Dar es Salaam and the northern safari circuit. Time a visit around the big market days, eat lunch at Irente Farm Lodge, and detour down to Soni Falls on the way back to the highway.

Guide

Eating Out

Lushoto is not a culinary destination but the cool climate produces some of the best vegetables in Tanzania and a handful of small places do simple, decent food. The guesthouses tend to serve the best meals; ask at the Lushoto Tourist Information Centre for the day's recommendation.

Guide

Getting There

Lushoto is reached from the main Dar–Arusha highway: get off at Mombo and take a dala-dala (shared minibus) or taxi up the switchbacks for the last 32 km — the climb is steep, slow and one of the most scenic short drives in Tanzania.

From Dar es Salaam it is about a six-hour drive plus the hour up from Mombo. From Arusha it is roughly four hours. Long-distance buses from Dar will set you down at the Mombo junction; check that the bus stops there before buying the ticket.

Guide

Things to Do

Lushoto is about the landscape: cool air, mist coming up from the valleys, terraced fields cut into the slopes by Sambaa farmers. The main reason to come is to walk — most travellers spend two or three days doing day hikes from the town centre. The German colonial fabric, the local markets and a couple of small mission churches fill in the indoor hours.