jua linapo zama kiswahili fahasa huita machweo ni sehemu nzuri sana ndani ya katavi national parks kuona tukio kama hili uwapo pale hasa nyakati zajioni.

hakika Tanzania inapendeza kwa mbuga nzuri zenye wanyama wenye kuvutia lakini pia muonekano halisi wa jioni

muonekano wa ziwa KATUMA ukiwa ndani ya katavi national parks

BONDO,  NGUNA ha ha ha moja ya vyakula vinavyotumiwa sana na ma tour guid

MAHEMA ya wageni katikati ya mbuga ya katavi

ZIWA KATUNA NA UZURI WAKE

Maporomoko ya maji ndani ya katavi

sehemu pekee ya kuondoa uchovu na steress zakila siku

hata wageni kutoka nchi mbali mbali hufurahia hali nzuri watanzani tudhamini vya kwetu tuwe na utaratibu   wa kutembelea vivutio vyetu tusisubiri wageni toka mbali watuzidi maarifa.

PICHA KWA HISANI YA KAKA MIKE ELSON .

NA WEWE MDAU PIA UNAUHUSIW AKUTUMA PICHA NA HABARI HATA MATANGAZO YA HOTELI NA VIVUTIO VYETU KWA SASA KWA MATANGAZO NI BEI POA KABISA ILA KW PICHA NA HABARI NI BURE KABISA

SOPHIE KESSY

Leopard climbing tree

LIONS:……Today, the most recent surveys estimate that there are fewer than 30,000 lions living in the wild in Africa today.

Elephants are a symbol of wisdom in Asian cultures and are famed for their memory and intelligence, where their intelligence level is thought to be equal to that of dolphins and primates

The hippopotamus is one of the most aggressive creatures in the world and is often regarded as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa

on action elephant

crocodiles lying in the water waiting for food

snake

big snake

The black mamba (Dendroaspis polylepis) is the longest venomous snake in Africa, averaging around 2.5 meters (8.2 ft), and sometimes growing up to 4.3 meters (14 ft).

we realy enjoyng being in africa on our vacation!!!!

SPECIAL THANKX TO MIKE ELSON FOR GREAT PICTURE  FROM KATAVI NATIONAL PARKS.

DEAR FRIENDS  DO YOU HAVE ANY STORY OR PICTURE  THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE WITH US PLEASE SEND ME THE INFORMATION IF IS ABOUT ANIMAL, HOTELS AND EVERYTHING YOUR WELCOME. MY MAIL ADRESS IS  sophia80tz@yahoo.com  AND +255717331444

SOPHIE KESSY

Tanzania’s third largest national park – Isolated, untrammelled and seldom visited, Katavi is a true wilderness, providing the few visitors who make it there with a thrilling taste of Africa as it must have been a century ago.

The park’s main geographical features are the wetland grass plains to the north and the palm-fringed Lake Chada to the south-east, but the main focus for game viewing within the park is the Katuma River. During the rainy season, these lush, marshy lakes are a haven for myriad waterbirds, and they also support Tanzania’s densest concentrations of hippo and crocodile

It is during the dry season, when the floodwaters retreat, that Katavi truly comes into its own. The Katuma, reduced to a shallow, muddy trickle, forms the only source of drinking water for miles around, and the flanking floodplains support game concentrations that defy belief.

An estimated 4,000 elephants might converge on the area, together with several herds of buffalo, while an abundance of giraffe, zebra, impala and reedbuck provide easy pickings for the numerous lion prides and spotted hyena clans whose territories converge on the floodplains.

Katavi’s most singular wildlife spectacle is provided by its hippos – towards the end of the dry season, up to 200 individuals might flop together in any riverine pool of sufficient depth. And as more hippos gather in one place, so does male rivalry heat up – bloody territorial fights are an everyday occurrence, with the vanquished male forced to lurk hapless on the open plains until it gathers sufficient confidence to mount another challenge.

SPECIAL THANKS TO MIKE ELSON FOR SENDING THOSE PICTURE.

Lake Duluti is a small crater lake east of Arusha along the Moshi Road. A nature trail around Lake Duluti is a sanctuary for over 130 different bird species including kingfishers, osprey, buzzards, eagles, doves, storks and babets.

 The forested area around Lake Duluti is also home to many reptiles such as snakes and lizards. Fishing or bird watching is popular in the Lake Duluti area. Guided nature walks or canoeing can be arranged.

Wonderful views of Mount Meru and occasionally Mount Kilimanjaro can be seen from Lake Duluti

Video hii ni kwa hisani ya Tembea Tanzania  blog tembea tanzania ujionee mambo mengi kuhusu utalii wetu wa ndani

Ruaha national park consists mainly of undulated hills with 1000 meter high granite out-crops. It covers 13,000 square km and was created in 1964. Like the Selous, it is off the beaten path and remains largely untamed.

 Rarely visited by tourists, you’ll have this Paradise to yourselves. From July to December the wildlife- crocodile, hippo and the clawless otter concentrate on the banks and water holes of the Ruaha River. Never too far from the river are prides of lion, which lie in wait for herds of thirsty Reedbuck and Waterbuck. Leopard, Jackal, and the spotted Hyaena and wild dog are always on the prowl. Grassland near the river is habitat for herds of elephant, eland, impala, and the grand corkscrew horned Greater and Lesser Kudu.

The area is also habitat for wildcat Porcupine and the shy petite Civet cat. The best time to visit is from June through February. Ruaha is a 2-day drive from the Northern Parks, or a long charter flight. However it is also one of the most beautiful and least visited.

NAIROBI — Kenyan environmental activist Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, has died of cancer aged 71, her family said Monday.

“It is with great sadness that the family of professor Wangari Maathai announces her passing away on 25th September 2011 at the Nairobi hospital after a prolonged and bravely borne struggle with cancer,” said a statement issued via the Green Belt Movement she founded.

Maathai became a key figure in Kenya after founding the movement in 1977, staunchly campaigning for environmental conservation and good governance.

She won the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize for her reforestation work in her native Kenya — the first African woman, the first Kenyan and the first environmentalist to receive this honour. Her organisation has planted some 40 million trees across Africa.

The first woman in east and central Africa to earn a doctorate, Maathai also headed the Kenya Red Cross in the 1970s.

For more than a decade from the 1980s, her movement also joined the struggle against the dictatorial regime of Kenya’s former president Daniel Arap Moi, with Maathai repeatedly teargassed and beaten by police.

During that time, she famously campaigned against the construction of a high-rise building in a park in central Nairobi, stopped the grabbing of forest land outside the city and successfully pressed for the release of 51 political prisoners.

The award-winning Maathai in recent years founded green groups and launched several campaigns against climate change and environmental protection.

Outside Kenya, Maathai was involved in efforts to save central Africa’s Congo basin forest, the world’s second largest tropical forest.

Maathai, who was divorced, is survived by three children and a granddaughter.

“Professor Maathai?s departure is untimely and a very great loss to all who knew her as a mother, relative, co-worker, colleague, role model, and heroine, or who admired her determination to make the world a more peaceful, healthier, and better place,” said the statement.

Tributes poured in for her campaigning work from Kenya and abroad.

“It is a deeply distressing and painful loss, not only to the environmental movement globally but also to the social justice movement,” Kumi Naidoo, executive director of Greenpeace International, told the BBC.

“She was an inspiration to so many of us, far beyond the African continent.”

Comments on a Facebook page set up to mourn her death said her “innovativeness and steadfastness will be greatly missed.”

Maatheri was born in a “small village … but proceeded to leave a mark in the global arena,” read one comment.

She was “the foremost activist of environmental rights in Kenya. She served her country diligently,” another added.

The Usambara Mountain are situated in the northeastern part of Tanzania between Mount Kilimanjaro and the Indian Ocean Region of Tanga. It has been dubbed the “Galapagos” of the plant world. This incredibly beautiful and lush area is a welcome retreat from Tanzania’s Game Parks and cities. Because of its pleasant climate, the mountains were favored by the Germans and the English during colonial times, as is evidenced by the numerous historic buildings from the past. The mountain region is ideal for hiking as well as some spectacular driving.

From a distance the mountains are a colorful mosaic. On the fertile slopes around Soni and Lushoto farmers cultivate small plots but further away from the towns large areas are still covered by dense tropical forests.

The viewpoints on the southern and western side of the Usambara are well known for the spectacular views of the plains of Mkomazi and Handeni. Kilimanjaro can be seen on the horizon and at the end of the day the sunset turns the area into a tremendous pallet of unforgettable colors.

the following day tours we do not organise ourselves, but encourage you to join a local tour operator, which supports a community project.
Walking tours from Lushoto (day tours)

Irente Viewpoint tour (4 to 6 hours)
This most famous viewpoint in the Usambara mountains is just an hour’s walk from Lushoto. From the viewpoint you see the village of Mazinde almost 1,000 meters below you. On the way back you pass the village of Irente juu, where you will visit the crossbreeding and soil conservation projects at Mr. Mwindadi’s hamlet. The trip can be extended with visits to a nearby waterfall and the viewpoints of Kambe and Kwa Mkeke.

Usambara farm and flora tour (4 to 5 hours)
Starting from Lushoto you walk through one of the most fertile parts of the Usambara mountains to the village of Vuli. On your way you will visit a cheese factory and learn about the different trees and plants in the area. In Vuli you visit some farms where people are just starting soil conservation and irrigation projects. After an extensive explanation about farming in the Usambara mountains, you return via another route to Lushoto.

day tours from other places in the Usambara Mountains

Growing rock tour (4 to 5 hours)
Starting from Soni you walk through the villages of Shashui and Kwemula to the foot of Kwa Mongo. In half an hour you can climb this mountain which has a colorful variety of butterflies on top, and oversee the Southern Usambara Mountains, including Soni and Lushoto, and the Handeni plains. From here you descend to Magila, situated on the foot of the growing rock, where you visit two irrigation projects and the tree nursery of the primary school. The farmers and schoolteachers will tell you all the ins and outs of their development projects and explain, before your return to Soni, why the rock is growing.

Bangala river tour (5 to 7 hours)
Walking along river valleys, sometimes wading through the water, you descend to the village of Bangala. On your way you have a beautiful view over the Maasai plains, you will see a traditional irrigation system and can visit a Wasambaa farm. In Bangala you can visit the tree nursery at the primary school and afterwards take a bus back to Soni or walk back via Vuga hill.

Western Usambara mountains tour (3 to 5 days)

Via the villages of Lukozi, Manolo and Sunga you reach the former German settlement of Mtae. On the way you pass through tropical forests, trek over mountains, go to several superb viewpoints and visit various development projects. If time permits you can also trek past Mlalo

Mazumbae forest reserve tour (4 to 5 days)
Via Kwa Mongo and Magila (irrigation and soil conservation projects) you go to Bumbuli mission (historic German settlement). From there you make a tour through the Masumbae forest reserve, famous for its many birds, and return to Soni.

Potter Traditional Adventure tour

Via Magamba tropical rain forests, trek towards Klaizi village. Located near Mloala village lies the village of Kilieti, where you can find Namisfueli Nyeki developing pottery workshops. Visitors can observe and participate in the age-old tradition of pottery making.

The guides
They are all former students of the Shambalai secondary school in Lushoto. Some of them have to wait one year for further education, others won’t continue studying and try to find suitable work. All speak reasonable to good English, are familiar with the area and can tell you many interesting stories about history and daily life in the Usambara Mountains. They hope to earn some income through their work as guides and at the same promote village development to improve the living conditions of the Shambaa people.

i love this one with the look  and colour it’s realy beautiful

The Maasai live in the semi-arid Rift Valley region of  Tanzania and Kenya. They own large herds of cattle, sheep and goats which they follow around seasonally in search of new grazing grounds and water sources. Traditionally the Maasai have always been a proud and independent tribe.

They did not cultivate the land and depend on a cash economy as many of those around them did, rather they lived off the blood, milk and meat that their cattle provided them.

These days the Maasai have a more mixed diet as they have been forced to settle into ever decreasing areas of land and adapt to a more sedentary lifestyle which in some cases includes growing or buying cultivated food.

Traditionally the Maasai have always looked down upon those who tilled the land since this rendered it useless for grazing. While the Maasai lifestyle has undergone some changes in the past three decades in particular, their strong social traditions remain intact. Maasai men are first and foremost warriors. They protect their tribe, their cattle and their grazing lands. Often standing over 6ft tall the Maasai warrior with his beaded hair , red checked blanket (shuka) and balled club, looks both fierce and beautiful. Maasai boys go through a circumcision ceremony at the age of 14 and then traditionally spending up to 8 years looking after livestock far from their villages. They become warriors upon their return to the village to get married.

The Maasai women are responsible for all domestic tasks which include making their homes. Houses are made from mud, sticks, grass, cow dung and urine. The women also milk the cows, collect water (a heavy and arduous task), cook and look after the children. The Maasai women are as impressive as the men in their looks. Tall, slender and bedecked with large beaded necklaces and long braided hair, they are a favorite among tourists taking their holiday snapshots.

While part of the attraction of visiting national parks in Kenya and Tanzania is viewing the wildlife as well as the indigenous people, it is the wildlife parks that present the biggest problem to the Maasai. The largest tracts of land that have been taken and protected for the wildlife has been taken from the Maasai’s traditional grazing lands. The Maasai feel that their society has been given less thought and respect than that of wild animals. Here’s a quote from the Maasai Association:

When a lion attacks a cow, the authorities from wildlife and conservationist organizations would bury their heads under the sand. When a Maasai warrior kills a lion because of killing his cow, the authorities would ferry security personnel to arrest the warrior. In other words, it is acceptable for a lion to kill a cow but not acceptable for a warrior to kill a lion. Lions are more important than the Maasai cows.

Killing a lion in Masaai culture is a test of manhood and so the idea that authorities don’t care about their culture as well as their cattle, is a double insult. On the other hand, most tourists go to the Masai Mara, the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater precisely to see lions, one of the Big Five. So it is also understandable that the authorities wish to protect their tourist trade which is vital for their economy.

maasai Tradition Dance

Mothers’ meeting: Holly beads with the local Maasai mamas, sporting the belt they presented as a gift