Day 01
Bike Through Moshi, Rau Forest, and the Old Railway Station
- You will begin the day by getting comfortable with your bike, setting it up so it feels right and becoming accustomed to the controls. Don't worry - your friendly guide will help you with all of this. You will also receive comprehensive advice and instruction on riding safely on Tanzanian roads, so you can feel confident throughout the tour.
- You will then dive right into the bustling daily life of Moshi, cycling at a leisurely pace to the Majengo district, the heartland of Moshi craft. Take in the dizzying array of local crafts and handmade goods artfully arranged along the roadside. From here, continue through the small farms and family houses of the Msaranga area, observing the daily activities around schools, mosques, and churches as you ride by.
- Your journey next takes you through rice-growing fields, where one of Tanzania's staple foods is cultivated, and you will have the opportunity to help the local field workers. It is a wonderful way to appreciate just how much hard work goes into producing a sack of rice. Afterward, enjoy the fruits of your short labour with a tasty lunch hosted by a friendly local family. Relax on their shady verandah as you enjoy pilau, a traditional Tanzanian rice-based meal.
- Once you have rested and refuelled, continue your bike ride through Rau Forest, a jewel of protected tropical woodland alive with birdsong and the calls of animals. Keep an eye out for the black-and-white faces of colobus monkeys sneaking through the trees and peering curiously as you cycle by. You will not be the first to wonder just how fluffy a monkey's tail can be.
- After passing through the shady canopy of Rau Forest, your final destination is the old railway station. You may feel as though you have stepped back one hundred years into German colonial times; close your eyes, and you can almost feel the energy and bustle echoing through the century. With a bit of luck, you will enjoy a great view of Kilimanjaro while sipping a cold beer from the railway station bar - a lovely final stop before heading back into town to rest your weary but happy legs.
