USAMBARA MOUNTAINS

Historically the Usambara Mountains have been inhabited by the Bantu, Shambaa, and Maasai people who were a mix of agriculturalists and pastoralists. Situated in the north-east of Tanzania, with their wide vistas, cool climate, winding paths and picturesque villages, the Usambaras are one of Tanzania’s highlights. The Usambaras are a part of the ancient Eastern Arc chain of mountains which stretch in a broken crescent from the Taita hills in southern Kenya down to Morogoro and the southern highlands.

They are estimated to be at least 100 million years old and the rocks forming them may be as much as 600 million years old. The mountains are home to an exceptional assortment of plants and animals, and represent one of the highest degrees of biodiversity on the continent.

Human habitation in this area goes back to at least 1, 5 million years. Traces of these settlements, which are unique in world history, were found near Mambo and can still be seen today.

Usambara waterfall Tanzania
Usambara mountains Tanzania

Tripadvisor Reviews

  • star rating  Unforgettable Safari with Long Way Expeditions - From the start, Long Way Expeditions stood out as the best choice for our safari. Led by the wonderful local couple Anne and Abu, they were professional, responsive, and deeply... Read more

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    24 August 2025
  • star rating  Amazing personalised safari led by experienced locals  - Having engaged with a few providers when researching, it quickly became clear that Longway Expeditions was the right choice and they were amazing from start to finish, going above and... Read more

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    14 August 2025
  • star rating  A 2 Week Tanzania Safari for Two Adults with Long Way Expeditions  - If it's a Tanzania safari, then your tour operator has to be Longway Expeditions!

    Longway Expeditions is a family run Tanzanian company. Our introduction to the owners Abu and... Read more

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    6 August 2025
  • star rating  A trip of a lifetime - I am writing a belated review regarding our experience. We found them trough a platform that works with responsible tourism operators because we try to benefit local communities when we... Read more

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    20 April 2025
  • star rating  Exceptional safari with Lon Way Expeditions  - We were connected to Long Way Expeditions through Responsible travel.
    We chose this company as it is locally run by husband and wife team- Abu and Ann, reviews of... Read more

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    26 February 2025
  • star rating  Just awesome! - We've just returned from a trip of a lifetime.
    And we cannot praise Ann and her team enough. From first making contact with 'Long Ways Expeditions' to the last... Read more

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    9 November 2024
  • star rating  Trip of a lifetime  - This was truly the trip of a lifetime. We found Long Way Expeditions through Responsible Travel and their attention to supporting the community and sustainable practices was much appreciated... Read more

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    27 October 2024
  • star rating  Awesome Safari Company!  - I recently went on a 6-day safari with Long Way Expeditions. We visited 3 different National Parks and I’m happy to say that I did get awesome pictures of “The... Read more

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    16 October 2024

You should always book where you feel in good hands. And that’s guaranteed to be the case at Long Way Expeditions as we are a fully registered company with 5-star TripAdvisor reviews from 100% of previous guests.
As a family-owned small business that prioritises slow travel and personal connections, we’re so proud to say all our guests go home satisfied.