A short trip to Sanje Waterfall in the Udzungwa Mountains

Trip to the highest waterfall in East Africa - Sanje Waterfall

Starting point

The trek starts at the visitor center, where you pay the park entrance fee. You can leave your car here or at the next location.
 

Description of the hike

We included the trip to Sanje Waterfall as just a one-day stopover during our journey from Ruaha National Park. However, the Udzungwa Mountains also offer other treks, so if you have more time, it is worth staying here for a few days. Sanje Waterfall consists of three cascades with a total height of 170 meters. You can hear the roar of the water from afar, and the view of the waterfall is well worth it. Be sure to bring your swimsuit – there is a natural "pool" at the top and bottom where you can enjoy a refreshing dip.

The trek starts at the visitor center, where you pay the park entrance fee. You will also be assigned a guide, without whom it is not possible to complete the route. We took it more as an obligation, but in the end it was a great advantage – the guide was surprisingly knowledgeable about the rainforest and showed us poisonous and medicinal plants along the way, and even a hollow tree that the locals used to use for communication. From the center, the guide will take you to a village to a dilapidated colonial house that is gradually being swallowed up by the jungle. From there, a steeper climb begins along a path over roots and rocks. It's not exactly easy, but there are three stops along the way at waterfalls where you can rest. There are even changing rooms at the lower waterfall. The return trip follows the same route.
 

Difficulty

Water availability

The shopping options here are quite limited, so I recommend bringing water and a snack with you from your accommodation. It is probably possible to filter water from the river, but we haven't tried it ourselves.
 

Sleeping options

There is a camping site right in the park, not far from the second waterfall. We have tried the nearby Hondo Hondo Forest Camp in cabin tents. At night, you can hear elephants and monkeys throwing ‘fruit’ from the surrounding trees at your tent.
 

Mountain peaks

There are no marked peaks along the way.
 

Danger

At the second waterfall, you stand on a rock above the waterfall, where you can rest, but there is also a risk of falling. On the way, we only encountered snakes hidden in the leaves, but the guide spotted them in time. In the morning, evening and at night, there is a risk of mosquitoes (the area has a high risk of malaria).
 

Food

Something small after bathing will come in handy :) There are no shops anywhere nearby, so it's best to bring your own water and food.
 

Attractions

The trek starts somewhere other than the park entrance. The locations are poorly marked, and the locals won't help you. The first place you need to visit is Udzungwa National Park HQ. There you can buy a ticket and get a guide. Then you drive to the village of Msufini, where you have your tickets checked :) and then you can set off on the trek. It's classic artificial employment, as in all the parks we visited in southern Tanzania. One person provides information, another records data, another collects money, and the last one opens the gate... :)