TANZANIA: Tranquility In Mulala Village

A visit to the countryside answers one of the most intriguing questions raised by exotic travel–one that pops in your head when you catch the eyes of locals in a village setting.

The township of Usa River in the outskirts of Arusha town in the north of Tanzania is one of the best travel options near the humdrum of a city life. It has the pre-eminent places to visit in order to see the countryside and get away. It is not populated. It is just a simple, old town, known for its sprawling forests in the backdrop of Mount Meru, on the highway to Moshi.

The neighbourhood has a fertile land and irrigatable water from the mountain streams. And Food supply grown from the fertile farms surrounding the area is easily accessible to the markets in Arusha, in particular the central market and the Kilombero market. The main crops are flowers and coffee for export, while maize, bananas and vegetables are consumed locally. Many farmers’ households keep a few dairy cows in kraals for milk and cheese.

On the face of it, the surrounding villages of the small township are remarkably similar. They each offer the tourists a taste of Africa from bygone days, with the coffee farms and banana plantations being part of the sprawling land.

On my recent visit to Mulala village one of the surrounding villages, after a change of place, pace and climate, I was pleasantly surprised to experience good sighting, stunning scenery and warm-hearted locals. Mulala is a typical Wameru village in which sprawling countryside reach out and embrace the highlands and borders a large provincial of natural forests where the natural vegetation is protected and visitors can view a wide and rich diversity of rainforests, banana and coffee farms and enjoy the lush green surround almost all year round.

The multitude of undulating forests offers the opportunity for varied vegetation in this area, while the wide expanses also allow visitors to discover the solitude and serenity that is so sought-after by most city slickers. In the Mount Meru forest, reserve trails lead visitors to discover plant species and their medicinal qualities.

Mulala nearly 30 kms from Arusha, a haven of indigenous and a living culture, living side by side for many years; this adds some flavour to its history and also the architecture of the old and the new as part and parcel of its tranquility.

A walk through the village takes you aback with its rural setting beauty, from the simple houses to the traditional attire locals prefer. And you will not fail to notice the hospitality of the locals. For instance I was privileged to watch a traditional dance, which is part of their way of welcoming visitors in the placid village.

Mulala is one of the most visited cultural villages in the north of Tanzania.

According to Mama Anna Pallangyo, the coordinator of a women’s group formed in 1997, eight women came together to form the Agape Women’s group, and later developed income generating projects, through the Mulala Cultural Tourism Enterprise.

After a while, I was taken around an open area where a big table was laid and few pieces of different sizes of cheese, honey from small bees, gees made from selected purified milk, including a collection of beadworks and other local ornaments were carefully and selectively displayed. These women also bake breads to serve the tourists.

The families benefiting directly from this group have grown from eight to ten women including two men, led by Mama Anna Pallangyo’s family. And, the Mulala community of nearly 2,500 people benefits indirectly from the activities of this Cultural Tourism Enterprise. The community receives a small contribution through the Village Development Fund (VDF) from each tourist, which is used to improve kindergarten, primary, secondary, school buildings, dispensary and other community development projects.

It was interesting to see, during the tour, that stretches of farms were mostly filled by busy women tilling the land. Wherever you go as a tourist, you find the locals under the shade of a tree or family members doing some work in their surrounding neighbourhoods with their battery operated radios on one side and a water jug on the other.

This place, as would be expected from its location, offers great hiking opportunities to acclimatise before venturing into mountain climbing. The good news is that this area has a great neighbourhood that extends a short distance from one of the Arusha national parks.