3 day trips

Our 3 day trips are ideal for anyone who wants to try out mountain biking in Tanzania. These trips offer you a genuine opportunity to get out into the bush, and experience varied terrain and challenging rides. 3 day trips combine well with a conventional game viewing or climbing safaris. If you've seen the wildlife in the parks, it's great to get out of the vehicle, stretch your legs, take off into the bush, and experience Africa 'face to face'.

All these trips include the often overlooked gem of the rift valley. Lake Natron is a huge soda lake with an active volcano 'Oldonyo Lengai' on its shore. We love the barren majesty of this place and our clients are always amazed by it. Most importantly it's a great biking spot, close to Tanzania's most important parks, and bordering three very different types of scenery. Each of these trips uses the lake as a focus, but offers a very different environment and terrain.

Monduli Mountains – Lake Natron: 130kms

Day 1 This trip begins on the slopes of the monduli mountains. Descending 400mts from the mountain top you head north through open Maasai plains. Other than the initial downhill, today’s cycling is pretty flat. A couple of dry riverbeds and one dusty section. 40 kms cycle, open campsite.

Day 2 Continuing on a flat morning cycle, the route takes you through the Maasai village of Ketumbaini and alongside a large flat-topped mountain. The afternoon brings added cycling challenges of more rough, dry riverbeds and some uphill cycling. 40-50 kms cycling, open village campsite.

Day 3 A technical downhill awaits you as you arise and enjoy the delights of the African dawn. If you cycled up the mountain the day before you may want a slow start, if not down you go into the open plains over which you can see the side of the Rift Valley and of course Oldonyo Lengai, your destination.
Today could be quite challenging as you get closer to Lengai, volcanic sand may call for an early lift on the support vehicle. The views are stunning and as you reach the lower slopes it’s time to climb on the bike again and enjoy the rocky foothills. 40kms

Longido – Lake Natron: 100kms

Day 1 A one & half hour drive in the support vehicle will get you to the drop-off point. Longido is a Maasai trading post at the base of a large mountain on the Maasai plains.
Today’s cycle is all on well-used dirt roads. You head straight for the village of Ketumbaini. After meeting your support vehicle for lunch you cycle through the village and a number of dry riverbeds before making camp on the slopes of the great Gilai Mt. 40kms cycling

Day 2 Take on today’s challenge and climb Gilai mountain, or get a lift to the top of the mountain from where a downhill section will take you into view of Oldonyo Lengai.
Camp in the open Maasai plains. 30kms

Day 3 Cycle to Lake Natron with a mixture of vehicle usage and cycling. The terrain is a variety of sandy sections and stony dry riverbeds. You should be at Natron in time for a short walk up the river to some delightful waterfalls. 30kms

Monduli – Mto wa Mbu: 90kms

Day 1 Descending 400mts from the mountain top drop-off point, you head north through open Maasai plains. After lunch with your support vehicle you head off around a huge flat topped mountain. The day’s challenge is a slow but steady uphill to the village, (you can always opt out and get a lift!) A short downhill reveals a beautiful open savannah with views over to the Rift Valley wall.50kms cycling, camping in an open Maasai area.

Day 2 Awaking with the sun rising over the Monduli mtn range, (if you get up in time!), is an excellent thrill, especially with a hot mug of coffee in hand. Today’s cycle is reasonably flat with a number dry riverbeds to cycle through, total off-road day!

Views of a seasonal soda lake and Oldonyo Lengai in the distance, keep you well motivated. 40kms cycling, camping at a village campsite.

Day 3 Awakening to the usual Maasai village sounds, you can start the day with a short walk around the village or just get on your bike.
Today’s cycle is following a well-used dirt road.
A couple of good uphill sections get your blood simmering and there’s plenty of interaction with the locals on the way. You also cycle through a second village before reaching Mto wa Mbu. 40-50kms cycling

Ngorongoro Highlands – Lake Natron and Arusha: 80kms

This route has all sorts of added extras that you can choose to do if you are keen.

Day 1 Today’s cycle begins on the relatively cold rim of the Empekai crater, where we stop to admire the view down into the crater lake. From here the track winds through the rich green forests and out onto a rolling highland plain. Here we follow a precipitous cattle track which descends the side of the rift valley.
Predominately a downhill thrill, you won’t be disappointed on this day’s ride, or by the fabulous view out over the plains.

A very steep descent will mean getting off the bike to negotiate some quite tricky loose gravel. At the bottom you have the choice of cycling all the way to camp or jumping in the support vehicle. 5-6hrs cycling (you won’t notice the kms, too much downhill!)

Day 2 Enjoy the views as your support vehicle takes you out over the sandy terrain up onto the side of Mt Gilai.
A great downhill takes you onto some more rocky dirt roads before reaching a Maasai village. This day contains just about everything you could possibly experience in a days mountain biking. 50kms bush campsite.

Day 3 A day for the slicks, only kidding!
Taking a dirt track onto the side of Longido mountain we head back towards Mt Meru. A contrast to the previous days cycle as we follow cattle tracks and poorly used dirt roads back to Arusha 40kms

5 day trips

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