Moshi was one of our favourite places to visit in Tanzania. Located at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro, it’s a happy little town, with good food and beautiful nature. Most people stay in Moshi on either side of their Kili climb, but even for those who aren’t doing the hike (like us!), there was still plenty to do.
What to do in Moshi?
1. Visit the Kikuletwa Hotsprings
The Kikuletwa Hotsprings are everything you want in a natural pool – they’re clear, bright blue, pleasantly warm, and there’s a rope swing to jump in. The place is popular with both locals and tourists, but when we were there (in early August) it was busy, but not crowded. There are two main pools, connected by a smaller channel. Both are partially shaded by palms, and there’s a fairly strong current that runs between them. Someone had tied a handy rope across the width of the largest pool, which made it easy to just hold on and float.
There are a few eateries at the pool, the best of which being the one on the end, furthest from the entrance. This little place specialises in the local favourite ‘chips mayai’, which is essentially a potato chip omelette. Grab your lunch here for only 2000TSH.
To get to the hot springs from Moshi:
You do not need a guide! Just get in any dala-dala (small bus) heading westward on the main road out of Moshi, in the direction of Arusha. All these buses will stop at the town Boma la Ngombe. The ride between Moshi and Boma costs 1k TSH. To flag a bus down, stand on the side of the road (the side where the traffic is flowing out of Moshi). Hold your hand out to wave down any bus – you can always check with the conductor (the guy who hustles people into the bus and handles the money) that the bus is bound for Boma la Ngombe.
Once you step out of the bus in Boma, tuktuk drivers will magically appear to offer you a ride to and from the springs. A fair rate is 20k for the drive there and back, and one hour swimming, or 25k for two-four hours swimming. The drivers will start much higher rates than this, so be prepared to haggle. The drive itself takes about 45mins from Boma to the springs, and your driver will wait while you swim – so don’t forget what he’s wearing!
To get back to Moshi, get your tuktuk driver to drop you at the bus station. As usual, touts will be happy to get you on the next bus leaving to Moshi.
2. Visit the Materuni Waterfall
This waterfall is straight out of Jurassic Park. A thirty-minute walk through the misty jungle, and you end up at the foot of a 150-metre tall cascade. There is a swimming hole at the base, but it would have to be a very sunny day to tempt you to swim – the water comes straight off Kilimanjaro Mountain.
We visited the waterfall with a guide who was affiliated with our hostel (Mountain Bikes Hostel.) Because we went in a group of ten, we ended up paying him 6USDpp for his services, but for a group of two, he charges 15USD. For three or more, 10USDpp. While the hike can certainly be done without a guide, having him there made the whole process easier – though there are instructions online if you want to attempt the walk without help.
To access the waterfall, we first had to take a dala-dala (small bus) from the city centre to the start of the trail. The ride is 1kpp. At the entrance to the trail, you have to pay an entrance fee of 10kpp. The walk itself is easy, but muddy – we were there in the dry season, and it was still fairly slippery. It takes about two hours to get to the waterfall, snap a few pictures, and get back to the entrance of the trail.
On the way back to the trail entrance, our guide stopped at a small stall and organised some banana beer for us to try. It’s a fairly tasty, mildly alcoholic local drink that tastes a bit like kombucha. It cost 1k per bottle and was definitely worth trying.
Where to eat in Moshi
1. La Fuente Garden Mexican Restaurant
The best place we ate in Moshi, and maybe the whole of Tanzania. Delicious menu of classic Mexican favourites, as well as a decent drink menu. Mains were 10-17k. Drinks were 6-9k. The place is a little out of Moshi centre, but it’s an easy and safe walk. If you’re leaving after dark, they can call a taxi for you.
2. Union Cafe
Right in the middle of Moshi town is Union Cafe. Try the coffee and homemade cheesecakes. 5k for coffee, 6-8k for cakes. It also has a big, western style menu that’s a bit expensive but the food is good quality. Across the road is a fantastic art/tourist shop called Mama Africa, which is also worth a visit.
3. The Kitchen
Around the corner from our hostel, The Kitchen has a nice green garden and made a surprisingly good pizza for 16k. The juices here were also very good.
