Udzungwa National Park: Sanje Waterfall Hike

What a view from the top of the falls into the valley. 

We hiked in Udzungwa National Park before (5 day Lumemo Trail) but with some visitors from America we decided it may be better to be slightly less ambitious. We settled on the Sanje Waterfall hike, a day trip climb up to the top of a waterfall. It is only about 6km but climbs more than 700m resulting in frequent rest stops. The first nice place to rest is a viewpoint showcasing the falls (pictured below). Of course the joy and beauty is also mixed with the feeling of, "ugh, we have to hike up THERE?!".

The hike is steep but winds through beautiful patches of forest. We were there at the very tail-end of the rainy season but were lucky to not get rained on. A tree had fallen across the trail the night before so we got a bit of a bonus hike as we blazed a trail around the tree. It was muddy and slippery with fallen branches creating a hazardous obstacle course. We were happy to get to the other side unscathed and luckily it was only about 100m from the top.

The top of the falls was stunning with seemingly endless views of the plains below. We also walked up river a bit and saw two more waterfalls, both full of water this time of year. We passed a small rope bridge crossing the river and our guide informed us that it is possible to walk a loop back down to the road. Another time!

Another smaller waterfall

We climbed to the top of that waterfall.