Our First Motorcycle Tour in Tanzania
Tour Guide
We were eagerly awaiting a new adventure and had been on the lookout for a motorcycle destination where we could escape the European winter for summer. That’s how we set our sights on Tanzania, East Africa’s largest country, which offers far more than just the white sandy beaches of Zanzibar—it’s a place with endless surprises.
The first tour – despite thorough planning and the best intentions – always brings unexpected twists and unforeseen situations, but that’s exactly what many participants crave in addition to the adventurous programs. Our pioneer team of 13 was made up of three Poles and ten Hungarians.
We departed from Vienna for Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha. After 16 hours of travel, we arrived at our base, a Bauhaus-style complex built by Germans in the late 1930s, located on a 13-hectare private estate. Thanks to the altitude of over 1,000 meters above sea level, the lush vegetation is home to exotic local birds and a good number of black-and-white colobus monkeys that can be spotted from the backyard.
The two-hour time difference (we had to set our clocks forward) didn’t take much of a toll on the group. However, our minds, accustomed to associating short days with cold weather, struggled to understand why it was already dark when the thermometer still showed 30 degrees. Due to the proximity to the equator, the days are almost exactly twelve hours long year-round, with the sun rising around 6:30 am and setting around 6:30 pm. Additionally, the tropical climate ensures consistently pleasant, if occasionally overly warm, weather.
The first day’s agenda included picking up the rental bikes and practicing off-road riding. The fleet consisted of eight nearly-new Honda CRF 250 Ls, four older XLs, and one particularly stiff Husqvarna. On the way back, we stopped at a coffee plantation, where we learned more about Arabica coffee cultivation than we could ever need to know, and wrapped up the visit with espresso brewed from freshly roasted beans.
The off-road adventure began the next morning, with four local guides, a support vehicle, and thirteen very excited motorcyclists.
We set off eastward from the foot of Mount Meru, circumnavigating Kilimanjaro and covering nearly 1,000 kilometers, mostly on gravel, sand, and loose dirt roads.
A few hours later, we had lunch at Chemka Hot Springs, which is more aptly described as an oasis. With water temperatures between 25 and 27 degrees, the natural pool, replenished by a stream, offers a thermal bathing experience in the wilderness, surrounded by massive trees. The local fish also provide a “pedicure” service, nibbling off dead skin.
We donned our dusty gear again and continued to that day’s destination: the shore of Lake Chala, located near the Kenyan border. The crater lake is about 90 meters deep, fed exclusively by groundwater filtered through volcanic rock, which originates from rain falling in the deciduous forests on Kilimanjaro’s slopes at altitudes of 2,000-3,000 meters. The rainwater takes three months to seep through the layers of volcanic rock before flowing into the lake, making the water crystal clear and free from parasites, which are common in most African freshwater bodies. According to Tanzanian government regulations, swimming in this lake is prohibited, as they aim to prevent drowning among the non-swimming population. We were reassured that we could take a dip at our own risk – just preferably not share it on social media.
The next day, we continued circling the mountain, stopping by Kilimanjaro National Park. Not far from the park entrance, a local guide showed us a 75-meter-high waterfall on his tribe’s land, fed by rainfall from the mountain’s higher elevations. We were able to stand so close that the water practically crashed onto our heads from the height of a 20-story building. After yet another watery adventure, we suited up and enjoyed a longer ride along the winding roads on the mountain’s side. The early sunset posed a challenge for the first time here.
We still had about half an hour’s ride left to our accommodation when night fell in the middle of the savannah. Leaving the previously manageable gravel road, we encountered large rocks and loose sand, with half of the group lighting the way for those whose bike lights weren’t working properly. That welcome drink had never tasted so good as when we finally arrived. The group’s preparedness and riding experience were evident, as there were no accidents on this stretch either.
The next morning’s sunrise had a soundtrack, as billions of wild bees buzzed around the flowering acacia trees, collecting nectar. The third leg of our ride, covering over 200 kilometers, got off to a slow start, as we stopped every few hundred meters in the first 10 kilometers to marvel at the local wildlife.
Wild giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, antelopes, and gazelles ‘slowed down’ our progress. On top of that, our guides caught wind that elephants had been spotted nearby, so we spent another hour searching for them, with the help of a local game ranger, until we finally found them.
From there, we sped ahead with the throttle wide open to make up for lost time. After lunch, we distributed a variety of gifts brought by participants from home as a charity donation to a local school. Toys, gently used children’s clothes, stationery, colored pencils, pens, rulers, simple calculators, notebooks, and more. The initial confusion and shyness among the children quickly gave way to an outburst of joy and chaos. Everyone got something, and no one was left without a gift.
The afternoon involved a more technical section, where we had to balance our bikes on a stretch covered in fine dust and volcanic ash. Two minor falls indicated that this part required some off-road motorcycling experience, but fortunately, there were no serious injuries. We spent the night near Lake Natron, famous for its millions of flamingos and reddish water, close to the sacred Maasai mountain, Ol Doinyo Lengai.
We were now deep in Maasai territory, far from Kilimanjaro. This nomadic people still primarily live off livestock farming and have free passage across Tanzania’s borders with Kenya and Uganda. If you have large ear piercings (like Western hipsters), that’s your passport, as you’re likely a Maasai. Many Maasai women earn extra income by selling handmade crafts, often with impressive skill. Even in the temporarily dried-up lakebed, they can set up their goods in two minutes—items far more likely to have been made by their hands than the trinkets found in the Maasai markets in Arusha, several hundred kilometers to the east. One of our participants even managed to strike a deal on a traditional club, convincing the owner to sell it. A true souvenir!
Before long, we were descending into the world’s largest caldera, riding in classic safari Land Cruisers with pop-up roofs. Ngorongoro Crater is one of the best places in the world to see the animals everyone associates with Africa: lions, leopards, buffalo, elephants, rhinos, hippos, various herbivores (zebras, wildebeest, gazelles, antelopes), hyenas, ostriches, servals, pelicans, flamingos, and more. Back at our headquarters, we packed up, as the next day marked the start of the much more relaxed and restful part of the journey in Zanzibar.
The nearly 1,000 kilometers we covered and four days of continuous off-road riding left their mark on the group, and the final days were spent lounging on white sandy beaches, enjoying evening parties and relaxation.
The hardcore riders still took a day to explore the island on Royal Enfield and vintage BMW bikes. With guidance from our local leaders, we visited some secluded beaches and coves at the southern tip of the island, far from the tourist crowds in the northern region.
Even the motorcyclists eventually gave in to relaxation the next day when we set off on a catamaran, complete with a captain and crew, to explore the many smaller sandbanks, reefs, and tiny islands surrounding the main island, Unguja. We snorkeled, sipped cold beer delivered to a sandbar that only emerges at low tide, and marveled at the color of the ocean, with the wind in our faces all the while. We unanimously agreed that this trip couldn’t have been more perfect, and it would be a real challenge to organize a more eventful or memorable adventure. The grand finale came with a lavish seafood dinner at a beachside restaurant.
By the morning of our departure, you could already feel the humid stickiness in the air, signaling the arrival of the rainy season. The prospect of months of rain made it just a little easier for everyone to accept that the ten days had come to an end, and it was time to head home.
