Uluguru Mountains

The Uluguru Mountains are clearly visible from the town of Morogoro making a dramatic backdrop. it is possible to explore the spectacular hills on day excursions from the town, or longer camping hikes. The highest point in the mountains is 2630m. This is an ideal place to escape from the heat and you will need a fleece at night if you camp in the Ulugurus.

The Uluguru Mountains are part of the Eastern Arc Range, and form one of the country's most important water catchment areas. As the Eastern Arc is just 2% of Tanzania's land area and yet contains 40% of the plant and animal species it is biologically very rich in endemics. Consisting of two linked massifs that rise up dramatically from the surrounding plains, the Ulugurus are only a 3 hour drive from Dar es Salaam.

The local people of the Ulugurus are from the Waluguru tribe. They have been living in the mountains for several hundred years, coming from other areas of Tanzania as a result of conflicts. The mountains provide a base that is easy to defend. The ownership of the land is through the female line. As a result women are powerful in village life which is contrast to other tribes in Tanzania where men own the land and make most of the decisions about its use and management are under the control of men. Indeed in some areas women have no say at all.

Although there has been extensive deforestation for logging and charcoal burning, especially on the lower slopes, the mountains support at least 500 sq km of natural forest divided into five separate Forest Reserves, harbouring a wealth of endemics including the famed Uluguru Bush shrike.