Remote Bushmen Tribe of Tanzania

Making arrows for hunting

You can visit the Bushmen (also known as the Wahadzabe) tribe on a safari in Tanzania near Lake Eyasi.  A typical safari would be a minimum of 6 days.

The Bushmen still maintain their traditional hunter-gatherer way of life. There are few members of this tribe left in in the world, so it is a rare glimpse of this fading culture.

A visit to the village will be led by a local guide who will describe their lifestyle. The Bushmen will make fire from sticks and will show you their very few belongings. They will take you on a simulated hunt in the area with their bows and arrows, and visitors can try a little target practice. The visit concludes with a traditional singing and dancing.

Making fire

In the rainy season, they live in caves, and in the dry season, they live in the trees and bushes. Homes are marked by upright sticks in a semi-circle. Beds and floor mats are hides from kudu and impala.

The men hunt for wild animals and birds with bows and arrows. There are different arrows for different types of animals. Poisoned arrows are used for large animals. They also eat honey, tubers out of the ground, and fruits from the Baobab tree. In the dry season, they must dig down in the dry river bed to find water.

Men and women socialize in very separate groups. Small children and babies stay with the women and boys of 7 and older group with the men.

Women and children in the tribe

The Bushmen are monogamous. The dowry to get married to a woman is 2 big baboons and many liters of honey.

Men wear shorts and animal hides. Women wear colorful cloths wrapped around them. Jewelry is made from beads, porcupine quills, fur, and hide.

Arrows and jewelry can be purchased from them with TZ shillings or traded (baseball hats, etc.).

Kilimanjaro Marathon February 2010

The Kilimanjaro Marathon is scheduled for February 28, 2010. There is a full marathon, a half-marathon, and 5k fun run, so there is something for everyone.

The course starts and ends in the town of Moshi and goes uphill towards Mt. Kilimanjaro (from 2600 feet / 800 meters up to about 3700 feet / 1120 meters).  Racers have amazing views as they run through local villages, farms, banana and coffee plantations, and forests with lots of local villagers to cheer you on.  The race is fully supported with water/aid stations and medical support.  The finish is the Moshi Stadium with bands, spectators, and lots of prizes to welcome you back.

To round out your marathon experience, add a Kilimanjaro trek and safari.  February and March is a fantastic time to visit Tanzania.  The migration is typically in the southern Serengeti or northern Ngorongoro area, so it is easy to get to, and the weather is usually warm and sunny.

This is just a sample itinerary to include a 7-day Trek + 5-day Safari + Kilimanjaro Marathon. We can customize it to suit your travel dates and interests.

• FEB26:       Arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport, transfer to Moshi, overnight Bristol Cottages
• FEB 27:      Rest Day, overnight Bristol Cottages
• FEB 28:      Kilimanjaro Marathon, overnight Bristol Cottages
• MAR 1:       Rest Day, overnight Bristol Cottages
• MAR 2-8:   7-day Machame Route
• MAR 9-13: 5-day Lodge Safari

Price per person: $3150

Kilimanjaro Marathon February 2010 >>

Gary and Barbara Coombs Climb Kilimanjaro to Raise Money for Moshi Children

The monument is a 110m/360ft hike over about 1/2 mile, so the Coombs would go up and down 5 times to get the 550m/1,800ft day's effort.

In August 2009, Gary and Barbara Coombs of Swindon, Great Britain (UK) will be climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro (5,895m or 19,340ft) on the 7-day Machame Route.  Gary and Barbara were already planning the adventure of a lifetime but were further inspired by the 2009 Kilimanjaro climb with 9 UK celebrities as they raised over £3 million for the Comic Relief charitable organization.

Gary Coombs on Mt. Snowdon in Wales

“The celebrities’ trek really crystallized our thinking and watching the Red Nose Day extravaganza on 13 March, with its emphasis on that great achievement and the relentless fight against malaria, in the very area we would be visiting, made up our minds and we decided to dedicate our climb to this amazing organization,” said Gary Coombs.

Training

Although it is quite low in elevation and flat where they live, the Coombs go to wherever they can find hills and hike up and down as much as they can.

Packing for Kilimanjaro

During their training, they accumulated 17,000m (55,775ft) vertical height gain walked about 400 miles in the process. That is over 4 times the Kilimanjaro climb in terms of vertical gain.

About TunaHAKI

The TunaHAKI Centre for Development is an arts-based center for street kids in Moshi, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. TunaHAKI is Swahili for ‘We have the RIGHT’, the right to a better life, the right to learn and grow in a nurturing environment. We are dedicated to providing these children what they have a right to have.

Barbara Coombs training for Kilimanjaro

The Main objective of TunaHAKI Centre for Development it to “FIGHT POVERTY” which is the greatest enemy of the present world.

The Centre provides each child with shelter, food, clothing, medical care, and ensures that each child attends school. Since its inception in 1998, the TunaHAKI Centre has rescued over 100 children from the streets of Moshi.

See the Coombs website >>