Morogoro Region - Domestic Tourism Safaris

Where to go:

Visit natural tourist attractions in Morogoro region

What to do and see

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Morogoro Profile;

Morogoro is well known from 19^th century literature as the gateway through which traders from Zanzibar passed inland to collect ivory , slaves and gum copal. According to Stanley, who passed through Morogoro in his search for David Livingstone, one of the Sultans of Zanzibar created a fortress here, only to have it washed away by flooding. In 1885 this region became part of German East Africa and was exploited for its natural resources; timber, semi-precious stones and minerals (camelian, quartz crystal , ruby, tourmaline and mica in particular). A variety of specialized crops were attempted on the lower slopes. Morning side, a once productive farm on uluguru north, dates from this time, and lies on the intermediate level of the mountain side facing west. There are similar German buildings at Bunduki, Tchenzema, and around Nyandira in Uluguru south, including remnants of coffee farms and a trout fishing lodge. In 1919, when the ulugurus and Morogoro region were handed to British colonial rulers, the area was subject to further intensive methods. The authoritarian approach to the new methods proved very unpopular and by the 1950s there was intense social unrest. Eventually these Practices were abandoned. In the higher-areas of the Mountains, Christian Missions were built, especially in the south.

Maps of British Tanganyika in 1960 show the influence of British occupancy of the ulugurus and Morogoro. Bungalows with gardens and tree lined road ways were built in morogoro ; there are important municipal buildings (off the Boma road and even a quaint reconstruction of an English Christian Church with a tower, chancel and nave (attributed to the RugglesBrise/Gurney family of Norfolk).
With independence, the uluguru mountains became an area of importance to national security, and access to many parts was restricted for several decades. These restrictions were gradually lifted from the early 1990s onwards, and today the entire area can be enjoyed by tourists and Tanzanians alike.

THE ULUGURU MOUNTAINS;
The uluguru mountains form a part of the Eastern Arc mountain range, which is famous to biologists because of its wealth of endemic species – plants and animals found nowhere else in the world.
The Eastern Arc comprises the following mountain ranges; north and south pare, east and west Usambaras, Nguru, Nguu, ukaguru, Rubeho, mahenge, uluguru and udzungwa mountains national Park. In addition to having great biological value , the Eastern Arc mountains are important as the source of water, without which our cities and towns would struggle to survive. The Eastern arc mountains originated in Taita hills, south of Kenya. The Uluguru range rise dramatically from the plain behind morogoro town. Its high forests, often hidden from view by clouds, are home to an astonishing range of trees, flowers, butterflies and small mammals as well as a diverse array of reptiles and frogs. For example, at least 135 plants are endemic to these mountains , as are two birds , many butterflies and other animals. The views are wonderful and the forests exciting and beautiful , with streams and rivers of clear water tumbling down to feed the Ruvu River, which journeys to the coast near Bagamoyo and feeds Dar es –salaam with water. The Uluguru nature reserve caps the uluguru range and contains almost all the region/s remaining forest and natural grasslands.

GEOLOGY:
The Uluguru Mountains are composed of ancient rocks that were strongly deformed through melting and solidifying once more. Running through these ancient rocks are veins of other rocks, often bearing minerals and semi-precious materials. Among the minerals is white mica, a flaky transparent substance resembling hard plastic, which used to be commercially mined to make heat- resistant windows. There are also deposits with crystals of tourmaline and garnet.

GEOMORPHOLOGY:
The Uluguru Mountains are a block of the Earth crust that was pushed up by pressure when there was a splitting of the crust further west to form the Great Rift Valley. At their widest point, in Uluguru south, the block is largely flat – topped, but towards the northern end it is a steep ridge with peaks along the ridge. Overall, the mountains are steep and rugged, with many rocks –out crops. This contrasts with the largely flat surrounding area.

AGRICULTURE ;
The uluguru mountains support a mixed agricultural system. At lower altitudes there are fields of Maize, Pigeon Peas, fruit trees such as oranges and jackfruit, and spices such as cinnamon and black pepper. At higher altitudes there plantations of banana, and at the highest altitudes there are fields of potato, peas, cabbage, and even a few old coffee plants and soft fruit such as strawberry and raspberry.

LOCAL PEOPLE:
The local tribe of the Ulugurus is the Luguru, although the Maasai visit seasonal grazing areas in the lowlands to the east and south of the Mountains. The Luguru people speak a distinct dialect-Kiluguru – and have been in these mountains for several hundred years, although they originally came from other parts of Tanzania. Their culture includes chiefs, specialized rainmakers and traditional healers. There are complex rites and ceremonies associated with passing from girlhood to womanhood, and land ownership runs through the female line, so women are powerful in village life, in contrast to most other tribes in Tanzania.

UDZUNGWA MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK;
The Park is part of Eastern Arc Mountains that stretch from southern Kenya’s Taifa Hills to Makambako gap in southern Tanzania. Udzungwa Mountains National Park is Located in south – central Tanzania, with an area of 1990 sq.km of which 80% lie in Iringa region while the remaining 20% is found in Morogoro region. The Park bordersMikumi National Park in the Northeast , Selous Game reserve in the East beyond Kilombero valley, Great Ruaha river in the North, and Ruipa in the Southwest.

PARK HISTORY;
Udzungwa Mountains National park was established in 1992. The park was formed from 5-forest reserves established in 1950s (Mwanihana, West KilomberoScap, Nanganje, Matundu and Iwonde forests reserve. Scientists believe that these forests survived for over 30 million years and were once connected to the forest of Congo basin and west Africa. The park was launched in 1992 by WWF founder and president at that time prince Bernard of Netherlands.