Materuni village sits on Kilimanjaro's southern slopes near Moshi. From the village a footpath winds down through banana groves, coffee farms and rainforest to one of the area's most beautiful waterfalls - a single drop of around eighty metres into a cold, clear plunge pool.
The hike and the swim
The walk to the falls takes roughly forty-five minutes to an hour each way, on a path that can be muddy after rain. At the bottom you can brave a swim beneath the spray - bring a swimsuit and a towel, and shoes with grip.
Coffee and lunch
Most trips combine the falls with a traditional Chagga coffee experience in the village - picking, roasting and tasting - and a local lunch, making a full and satisfying day.
Getting there
Materuni is about an hour and a half to two hours from the hotel, towards Moshi. It works well as a standalone day or as a gentle acclimatisation outing before a Kilimanjaro climb.
Let reception arrange a driver and a village guide so you can simply enjoy the day.
Photo: Thomas Andy Branson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
