Cultural Tours
Cultural Tours this tour you start at Eliakimu house and you can walk to Sembeo’s household where several traditionally built, round house give you an idea of how an extended family lives together. The view of the Ngarenaro valley and Leleto hill is beautiful and the presence of Mount Meru makes it unique. Sembeo will show you how knives are made and will explain how he runs his business.
From here you walk through a small coffee plantation and enter the open fields where potatoes, cabbages, maize, beans and other crops are cultivated. In Ilkisongo you will enjoy the view overlooking Arusha town. Afterwards you walk down to the house of the traditional healer. He is ready to answer all your questions and will give advice if needed. From there you head on to visit a craftsmen group.
Small wooden stools, jeweler, knives and traditional clothing are made by the members. If you have had enough walking you can be picked up by car or can carry on to the canyon of Njeche. Scrambling into the canyon is an adventure. Abundant plants cover caves and rocky walls.
Guides
The guides are all youngsters born and raised in the village. They all finished secondary education and are familiar with English. Most of them are members of the Masai E.N. MASARIE art and cultural group. They were honored to be chosen by the authorities to welcome President Bill Clinton of USA at the airport. All the guides of the Cultural Tourism programmer can be recognized through an identity card and you are strong advised not to walk with unauthorized guides.
How to get there
Ilkiding’a lies at 7 km north of Arusha town, a 20 minutes’ drive. At Mianzini junction cars can be hired. Walking is also possible but it will take you 2 hours to reach the starting point. From Arusha town, take the small road North at the Ilboru junction on the Nairobi – Moshi Road. Follow the Ilboru Safari Lodge sign as you leave the signboard of the Ilkiding’a Secondary School on you right. Follow the main road, leaving the signboard of the Ekenywa secondary school on your left, follow the main road, at the primary school of Ilkiding’a on the left close to the Ilkiding’a Lutheran church, and go left. From here you go to Eliakimu house twenty minutes walking or 4 minutes driving.
