Galapagos in the clouds.

Where the violets bloom: The rain forests of the Usambara are among the most valuable areas of biodiversity in the world. The mountains in northeastern Tanzania salvage an incredible animal and plant diversity - and German settlers once offered refuge.

 

Lushoto - The famous Serengeti, the snow-covered peaks of Kilimandscharos or Zanzibar, the island from 1001 night in the Indian Ocean: Many tourist highlights of East Africa is in Tanzania. It gets at least by scientists almost revered region of the country almost into oblivion - the mountain rain forests of the Usambara.

For most Germans is no more than the Usambara violets from the domestic Blumenkasten known from this coastal mountain region. Perhaps Francis Mshami also holds so close to Lushoto in the minibus and leaves the visitor from Germany stop. The 73-year-old tourist guide shows the hill to the provincial capital, and says "Welcome to Wilhelmstal".

First look puzzled some vacationers to Francis, which is equal dranmacht, the confusion in an eye-opening experience to transform: "Today was one area of Tanzania from 1885 to 1919 to the German colony of German East Africa and the Usambara Mountains were for the German settlers because of the pleasant mountain climate means a popular place of residence, "said the former village school teacher.

From the heat of the African savannah plagued it attracted even the church in the cool, and above all, malaria free Wilhelmstal. They erected near their base to Christian proselytizing. The numerous monasteries in the surrounding valleys are still active. Quick evolved Wilhelmstal to the former district capital of the imperial government. Some years they are even considered, Wilhelmstal the capital of German East Africa to make. But then the First World War broke out, and Germany lost the colony to England.

Lodges in former farms

On the way through Francis Lushoto shows the visitors repeatedly old stone houses with red roof tiles. Even the post office is in a building in the style of old Reichsbahn building, and the distinctive-looking former German district building will still reigns. It is located on the outskirts towards Jägertal ", where old farmhouses German settlers, the green mountains adorn. Many of them are now as lodges for the slowly emerging tourism use. The former farmsteads are often good starting points for hikes into the surrounding mountain forests.

TMN
In northeastern Tanzania, the Usambara Mountains harbor many endemic species

Almost all three-meter keeps guides Francis and brings hikers to the variety of plants closer to his home. The mountains seem a single open-chemist to be. Francis tribe, the mountain people of the Shambaa, uses the plant for centuries to couriers of disease. Again and again he bends from leaves and twigs and declares its healing effects.

How fascinating the flora of the Usambara Mountains in fact, it is only since a few decades explored. Meanwhile, one of the mountain region of the Eastern Arcs, which includes the mountain rain forests of the Usambara belong to one of the 25 most important biodiversity areas in the world. More than 2800 different plant species are in the mountains Usamabara home. A quarter of them grow only here.

Also the number of native species is impressive: 130 butterflies, 25 reptiles and a dozen small mammals and bird species exist only here in the world. For this reason, the region is among the experts "African Galapagos in the clouds" mentioned.

Relaxation after the safari

Like the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific, has also left the Usambara Mountains long time unknown to Europeans. The Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama 1498 was the first person she was on her way to India from the coast saw. It should be almost 400 years before the first Europeans approached the mountain massif. 1848 crossed the German Africa-adventurers and missionaries Johannes Rebmann and Johann Ludwig Krapf on the way to the Kilimanjaro mountain.

From the huge forests that time but today is not much left. Only 30 percent of the original forest remain. Above all, the population growth in recent decades has led to the felling of large forest areas led to maize, bananas, tea, ginger or apricots fitted.

In the West Usambaras invite yet large forest protected areas such as the Shagayu, the Baga Bumbuli or the Magamba Forest Mkuzu hikes. Especially beautiful trekking routes lead to Irente lookout point from where the view far into the dry savannah of the Masai sweeps. Even more spectacular is the view only from the World Viewpoint, which is more than 1500 vertical meters in depth. In the east, the dense Magoroto Forest in Amani Nature Reserve be admired.

So far, the natural paradise Usambara not yet discovered by mass tourism has been. But it is from year to year to attract tourists who are here after exhausting safari in the Serengeti a little relaxation.