Trade with local Maasai in the Monduli Mountains

The indigenous people of Tanzania have long relied on the water sources of the Monduli Mountains. While travelers will also likely inadvertently reap some of the lush region's water benefits as well, most visitors will be too preoccupied with the area's top-notch vistas to notice.

Trekkers in the area will likely find travel can sometimes be a challenge, as travel options to lower or upper Monduli are intermittent. Guests who can tough out a 90-minute walk in the often sweltering Tanzanian temperatures, however, will find themselves among some of the region's best experiences into the Rift Valley.

Travelers who take their hikes deep into the recesses of the Monduli Mountains are likely to happen upon one of four Maasai villages located along its slopes. The Emairete, Enguiki, Eluwai and Mfereji people all have their own traditions and distinctions, so travelers will be lucky to visit more than one. The Emairete, for example, make their home in a once-sacred crater of the Mondulis, and they are host to an exquisite Saturday market filled with local, handmade goods.