Holidays in Kilimanjaro

The controversy over the Nile originating from Kilimanjaro spurred African exploration and European imperialism. German explorers and missionaries arrived to discover the truth and to attempt to convert the natives to Christianity. Eventually, treaties were formed with the Wachagga and the german Carl Juhlke. The british also formed treaties with locals to the north, in Taveta, which will later result in the current border between Kenya and Tanzania. The Wachagga is a new tribe, only establishing itself within the last hundred years.

The Wachagga can be found in northern Tanzania in the Kilimanjaro region. They live on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, where banana groves flourish to provide the people with their main staple food. Especially, you may visit the village Machame/Uduru in Hai district, about 20 km from Moshi town. Uduru, also known as Kiduru in Kimachame, means "an elevated area or top of a hill." Similarly, before being globally known as Kilimanjaro, it was named Kelemakyaro by the Wachagga, meaning "a high mountain and the mountain of God."

As a result of the altitude, the climate is cooler and moisture is more abundant than the lower lands. In fact, as the elevation increases, the temperatures drops gradually while animal and plant growth also changes. Kilimanjaros highest peak can still be seen sporting a white crown of snow, although the amount of snow is steadily decreasing due to changes in climate.

The residents of Kilimanjaro region are the Wachagga and Wapare tribesmen. The Wapare live in an area called Upare, but the dominant ethnic group is Wachagga. One of the earliest communities influenced by Roman catholic and Lutheran missionaries, western education, and cash cropping through cooperative farming, they have impacted the fabric of Tanzanian life in the medical, educational, and business realms. They are also famous for their versatility in utilizing bananas in food and drink, including in the production of the famed banana wine.