So, what’s the plan?
The standard tourist route through Tanzania: visiting the Serengeti, witnessing the Great Migration, making a quick stop at Lake Manyara, and admiring the almost royal Kilimanjaro in all its glory. But we wanted more than just this classic itinerary. So, we decided: let’s go mountain biking from Arusha to
Mount Longido! In this blog, you’ll find out what it’s really like as we, through trial and error, develop new and unforgettable experiences for our travellers!
Up at the crack of dawn
At a truly ungodly hour, our alarm goes off. Everyone grumbles, drools on their pillows one last time, and reluctantly stirs. Time to splash some water on our faces and jump into the car! Today, we’re setting off on a mountain biking adventure from Arusha—safari capital of the world—to Mount Longido. Our team consists of Charlie, our photographer Christine, cameramen Stephan and Melle, producer Ricky, and writer Charlotte. Oh, and let’s not forget our Masai guide, Komolo, who seems far less bothered by this ridiculously early wake-up call than the rest of us. We’ve got three mountain bikes, Charlie’s trusty motorbike, and our car. In a convoy of vehicles, we leave Arusha behind and head towards Mount Longido—Kilimanjaro’s lesser-known sibling.
Wazungu on a bike
The journey starts off promising; we ride along a tarmac road with minimal potholes, passing lively Tanzanian villages where groups of children occasionally run after us. “Mzungu, mzungu! Unataka kununua chakula?” (Swahili for “Do you want to buy some food?”) Tourists are already a rare sight here, but white travellers on a bike?! Now that’s a real spectacle.
After cruising comfortably on the tarmac road for a while, our guide Komolo signals that it's time to turn left—off-road—onto the dry plains. Oops. We hadn't properly considered the seasons when planning this cycling trip. Whether it’s the dry season or the rainy season, this place is always stunning. But one thing is certain: we’re about to eat dust endlessly.
In the end, Charlie, Ricky, and our other guide volunteer to take one for the team, hoisting themselves onto the mountain bikes. I, however, am quite content sitting in the front seat of the car, happily munching on Red Bull and chocolate. Never change a winning team—let’s just stick with that. And then, we’re off!
Free rein for sand and wind
Charlie, Ricky, and our guide bravely push through the first twenty minutes, but their faces show that it's getting tougher by the minute. After forty-five minutes, out of nowhere, our guide Komolo suddenly calls out: "Charles! Did you know there’s a much better road parallel to this one, very nearby?" Now he tells us!
With dust in every crevice and their shirts completely soaked, our three heroes make their way to the other road. This route does indeed have slightly fewer deep potholes, but it's still a challenge: due to the dry season, there's barely any vegetation, meaning the dust has free rein. Our heroes push on a little longer, but eventually, the whole team decides to call it for now, throw the bikes onto the roof of the car, and cover part of the route by vehicle.
The dryness has its own beauty, creating an almost otherworldly landscape, but we have to admit that this isn't quite the right season for this ride. During the rainy season, when everything is in full bloom and the humidity keeps the dust in check, this place must be even more stunning than it already is – and mountain biking will likely be much less of an ordeal.
Masai villages
After leaving the worst dust clouds behind, we take the bikes off the roof again and continue our journey past villages full of friendly Masai (who, understandably, speak little English, making communication a bit tricky at times), the occasional zebra, and our final destination gradually coming into view: Mount Longido. As we progress, the roads improve slightly; it’s still tough going, but more vegetation means less wind, less intense pedalling, and therefore less swearing and fewer extreme sweat attacks.
And so we carry on: two of our content creators on bikes, two on the motorbike, and two in our trusty vehicle. This is simply how it goes when developing new experiences for future travellers—not everything runs smoothly, and often, you need to test activities yourself to see where improvements can be made.
Mount Longido is an impressive mountain, considered sacred by the Masai. At its base lies the town of Longido, right in the heart of Masai land. When we finally roll into town, it’s clear that few travellers pass through here. All eyes are on us as we stop at the petrol station to stock up on snacks. Longido is small but cosy. This is where we’ll spend the night, in a rickety yet charming little hotel. Now, let’s hope that climbing Mount Longido tomorrow will come with fewer pitfalls than today’s cycling adventure!
Kilimanjaro
Final verdict: During our cycling trip, we went a little
too far off the beaten track—something that can happen when developing new experiences and activities. If you still want to go mountain biking in this area, it’s certainly possible, but we’d actually recommend a multi-day cycling tour around Kilimanjaro instead, which can also be booked through us! This region sits at a higher altitude, is less dry, and therefore much greener. A great option to combine with a stay at the Dutch-owned Simba Farm Lodge—more on that later!
