Mount Hanang

Mount Hanang is a solitary extinct volcano in Manyara Region, about four hours' drive south-west of Arusha. At 3,420 m (11,220 ft) it is the fourth-highest mountain in Tanzania, after Kilimanjaro, Meru and Loolmalasin, and it rises so abruptly from the plains that it can be seen from far across the Rift Valley.

Off the Tourist Trail

Very few visitors come here. There are no park gates, huts or queues: only a steep trail, a local guide and one of the widest views in northern Tanzania. The mountain is protected as the Mount Hanang Nature Forest Reserve, whose forests are the main source of water for the farms and villages below.

The Land of the Barabaig

The plains around Hanang are the homeland of the Barabaig, a pastoralist people related to the Datoga, known for their cattle and their goatskin dress. A climb combines well with a visit to a Barabaig community near Katesh, and with the soda lake of Balangida at the mountain's northern foot.

Getting There

Katesh, the starting point, lies on the road between Babati and Singida. Hanang fits naturally into a journey between Tarangire National Park and central Tanzania.