Mto wa Mbu Rift Valley Hike

A steady 250 metres over about an hour, on a rough but clear path. It's not technical and there's no scrambling, but it's fully exposed with very little shade, which is what makes it feel harder than the numbers suggest. Reasonably fit walkers manage it comfortably if they start early.

That's exactly what it's for. Mto wa Mbu sits on the main road between Arusha and Ngorongoro, and the hike finishes by late morning. Most of our clients do it on the day they move between the two, turning a long drive into a proper day.

The Rift Valley floor spread out below, Lake Manyara to the east with its flamingo flats, the irrigated farms of Mto wa Mbu, and the escarpment running north and south. On a clear morning it's the best single viewpoint on the northern circuit.

Very little. Birds, baboons and the occasional dik-dik on the descent. This is farmland and acacia scrub, not park. If you want wildlife, the Lake Manyara gate is fifteen minutes away and the two combine well in one day.

It's one of very few places in Africa where over a hundred ethnic groups live together in one small town, drawn by the spring-fed irrigation. The mix of languages, farming methods and food is genuinely unusual, and your guide can explain it far better than a page can.

Shoes with grip, a hat, sun cream, sunglasses and more water than you think — we supply some but the heat catches people out. Start early, take it slowly on the climb, and there's no reason this shouldn't be a straightforward and very rewarding morning.