Mtae is a village on the northern escarpment of the Western Usambaras, reached by a full day's walk from Lushoto or by a rough road that requires a four-wheel drive vehicle. The reward is one of the most dramatic viewpoints in the range: the ridge above Mtae looks north over an enormous plain, with views stretching 100 kilometres on a clear day.
The walk from Lushoto to Mtae is a two-day route with an overnight at a village guesthouse. It passes through a sequence of villages and farming communities, and through patches of montane forest on the higher sections. Local guide services in Lushoto organise the logistics.