Mbora Women Cultural Tourism

Mbora Women Cultural Tourism: Africa Natural Tours

AFRICA NATURAL TOURS (The best tour company in Tanzania)

Specialized in: Mountain climbing, Wildlife safaris, Cultural tourism and Beach holidays

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A magical cultural experience on the slopes of Mount Meru!

Mbora Women Cultural Group was founded and is managed by women of Nshupu Village near Usa- river area with the aim of preserving Meru tribe culture and promoting economic development of local communities. The village is a ‘little paradise with fertile small farms and lush green mountainous forest which is home to hundreds of bird species and rarely spotted primates such as black and white colobus monkeys.

We people of Nshupu village offer the following authentic tours:

* Guided village cultural tour

* Museum tour in a Meru traditional hut

* Coffee experience with local Mamas

* Meru tribe lifestye

* Meru tribe traditional dance and songs

* Mamire forest walk

* A visit to local schools and development projects

Package 1: Nshupu village cultural tour (2-4 hours)

After a welcome dance performed by the women at Mbora Cultural Centre, take a Meru tribe museum tour and then walk to a local family where you will be hosted for a cultural experience. Meet the family and learn how they take care of their livestock, small farms with coffee and banana trees. Learn how local people produce ‘Green Energy’ using manure and honey by visiting the Biogas and beekeeping projects.

Package 2: Mamire forest walk (2-4 hours)

After a welcome dance and a Meru tribe museum tour, take a walk to explore a catchment forest of Mamire with hundreds of thousands of indigenous species of flora and fauna. Visit the Mamire lake where troops of blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys and a number water birds lives. There is a walking trail alongside the lake that can take you close to the lake and picturesque sites colored by mountainous forest birds. The tour will end at the centre where a traditional lunch will be served by local Mamas.

Package 3: Arabica coffee experience (2-3 hours)

Take part in the daily farm activities with organic coffee growers of Nshupu village. Learn how they take care their coffee farm, prepare for harvest, pick ripe coffee berries and the process it takes to peal, wash and dry the coffee ready for grinding using a ‘local machine’. Visitors will participate in each and every activity until you taste your own prepared cup of coffee. Listen to stories and mystery of coffee farmers of Africa. They have a story to tell the world on how their life is strongly linked to coffee cultural landscape.

Package 4: Full-day village cultural tour (5-7 hours)

Visit the museum after a welcome dance from the women group; proceed for a village cultural experience by visiting local coffee farms, local families, schools and beekeeping projects. Participate in coffee processing using local machine and then enjoy a traditional lunch prepared by Mbora Women group. After lunch proceed to Mamire forest for a short hike. The forest is rich in primate species, forest birds and indigenous plants with different uses by local Meru tribe.

Cooking classes for traditional food

Share part of your glorious time with a local family where a local Mama will show you how to prepare various African dishes especially those widely used by local tribes. Collect cooking staff from the local markets and the farms in what they call ‘kitchen garden’. Prepare different meals and share the meal with your host family. Visitors are guaranteed to take full control of the host family kitchen and equipment in daily use.

Traditional food

The best of African dishes in Northern Tanzania, on southern slopes of Mount Meru can be sampled in a small village near Usa River. The Mbora Women Group offers tasty organic food to visitors looking for authentic cultural encounter of this part of Africa. Join the local Mamas and experience the most delicious moment of your trip to Africa. Experience savory eats and hundreds of fine drinks from coffee to ginger and lemon grass tea.

Home stay programme

Mbora Women Group does organize authentic homestay experiences for visitors. Our group of about 40 women can host up 100 tourists in 40 different families who have opened doors for their esteemed visitors and friends from abroad. Enjoy a cool simple environment and meet with local farmers, coffee brewers, local chefs and culinary experts of our community.

Traditional dance and music

The women group performs various Meru tribe songs and dances at their centre. Each song and dance has a traditional meaning, learn various seasons and events that calls for different performances in the community.

The value of your visit

Your visit supports local families with school fees, school uniforms for pupils, direct income to widows for daily necessities, support for water tap projects and strengthening Mbora Women Group Village Community Bank that provide soft loans/low interest rate loans to over 200 families in the village.

Our guides

The majority of our tour guides are women and young ladies born and raised in the village, who know well the local culture, flora and fauna and speak English. For non-English speakers, our group can provide translators for various international languages on advanced booking.

Where to stay

There are only two options for accommodation in the village: homestay and lodging at Ngaresero Mountain lodge. However, there is a good number of tourist hotels, lodges and guest houses within and around the town of Usa River that visitors can use when on an expedition in our village. It takes 5-10 minutes by car from our village to Usa River town.

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