Village visit in Mto Wa Mbu, Tanzania

Just outside Karatu lies the small village of Mto Wa Mbu.

The village sits strategically close to the entrance of Lake Manyara National Park, one of Tanzania’s most visited parks. The park attracts many visitors, placing the area around the village at the heart of a potential tourist hotspot. Yet local people have traditionally seen little direct benefit from tourism. Many visitors stop only briefly to eat, fill up with petrol, or take photos, while most of the money spent on accommodation, guided tours, and safari experiences goes to the parks, lodges, and tour operators outside the village.

In the mid-1990s, various stakeholders came together to create a local tourism project, aiming to ensure that tourism directly benefits the community – socially, economically, and environmentally.

On some of our tours, we include a village visit in Mto Wa Mbu.

Here, you’ll join a guided walk through the small community and meet local people up close. Proceeds from the tour go to the community, which have, among other things, built schools and clinics.

The visit ends with a delicious lunch prepared by the village cooks, where you can sample regional dishes from across Tanzania. The food is cooked over an open fire and is full of flavour. The women who prepare it have all completed training in food safety, hygiene, and service – an important part of the project’s aim to provide the local community, especially women, with education and financial independence.