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Activities
After a week or so we went to the Pugu Hills. They don't get that much of a recommendation in the Lonely Planet, but they are nice. It’s a relaxing walk through some sort of light jungle and afterwards you end up in a lovely bar overlooking the canopy. It serves cold beer and you will be needing that!
the paradise pool is paradise
Ans
9th Jun 2006
November 29th, 2007
Hello-
Just wanted to send a note to THANK YOU for all of your help in making our G7 ESP trip a success. Your flexibility on account of the rain was much appreciated and your staff was courteous and efficient. Students really enjoyed themselves, in fact, many want to return to Pugu with their parents.
We look forward to working with you again next year!
Kind regards-
Pam Werner
G7 Team Leader
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Tree Planting at Pugu Hills Nature Centre |
Justyn and I returned from Pugu Hills last night after a fantastic couple days of birding. The last time we had gone there, we didn't have nearly as much luck - we found one impressive mixed-species flock in what seemed like an extremely small tract of good forest near a reservoir. This time around we returned twice to that same area and every where we turned there was another mixed-species flock, blue monkey troop, or stunning butterfly, and we even got a great look at Peters' Giant Elephant-shrew . It was reassuring in a forest that at first glance seems all but a lost cause.
Melissa Brown 03/31/06
Another day we went out to Pugu Hills.
Pugu Hills is kind of like our national parks in that logging and mining can happen on it and people live on it. Due to the town growing closer there has been a lot of logging and the people who are doing biological studies are worried about the impact. Since McKenzie and I wanted to do some hiking we didn't have a chance to talk to them about it for a long time. On the hike we saw some awesome caterpillars of all different colors. You can see some of them on the second photo blog. McKenzie took a lot of photos. We also saw a teeny snake (the woman in charge who heard our description of it said it might have been a spitting cobra...woot) and a monkey. The end of the 4 mile hike was a large reservior of water that is pumped to the town and a local boarding school. It was beautiful. I saw some of the most amazing trees I think I've ever seen in my life. McKenzie may have put up some pictures of them. The hike was nice because it was so warm and I sweated a lot and I think I burned some calories hahaha. After all the food I've been eating it here I needed it.
Staying at Pugu Hills hotel, a lovely selection of bandas owned by the swimming teacher at the elementary school, we visited the bat cave. Here, loads of bats sleep during the day, but at dusk they all fly out of the cave in a very spectacular way.
Dimanche dernier, nous avons pu aller visiter les alentours de Dar, sur la colline de Pugu…là aussi, aventureux ( !), on part à quatre avec un mini 4X4 sur des pistes moyennement praticables, pas une pancarte, par chance, nous sommes avec un français et un congolais qui parlent swahili, on finit par trouver l’entrée. En haut de la colline, une superbe vue de Dar es Salaam et de la campagne environnante, on se lance dans une balade au cœur de la forêt, objectif : trouver la réserve d’eau, objectif : trouver la réserve d’eau grâce aux indications d’une dame néerlandaise gérant le site, 5 minutes de marche, on est déjà perdus ! Du coup, on tombe sur un habitant qui sera notre guide pour cette marche, et après une heure, nous voilà près de cette réserve,ouf ! malheureusement, nous ne repartirons pas par un autre chemin, notre guide à peur des voleurs qui rôdent dans le coin…l’endroit est très agréablement habité par de nombreux papillons et singes…Nous finirons la journée en nous installant sur une terrasse surplombant la vue, buvant une petite Kilimandjaro (bière locale de 0,5 litre ( !))…Cette semaine se termine aujourd’hui avec le soleil qui a bel et bien refait sa réapparition, demain, parc aquatique et dimanche, plage et pique-nique…
Gros bisous à tous et à toutes et bon week end !
Adeline étudiante
Ons eerste avontuur buiten de stad leidde ons afgelopen weekend naar Pugu Hills, een heuvelketen slechts 15 km buiten Dar-Es-Salaam.....Onze verblijfplaats was een piepklein resort gerund door de plaatselijke mzungu, Bwana Kiki....
Expedition
trip to kisarawe (pugu hills by bike)
The
Sixth Check Point: PUGU
HILLS RESORT
Arrived
at 9:50 and that was our last checkpoint and total time taken was 3 hours
because of many hills.
In
all checkpoints we rested and have some water and in some we had ice cream
and bananas. We took some snaps too.
At
last we are resting and relaxing at a beautiful place called Pugu Hills.
It is like a resort or hotel. We saw some books and posters of Footprints
of the animal found at the area and one of them is Leopard and birds only
found in Pugu Hills. We saw some books of birds, Dar es salaam city book
etc
The
Hike To Kisarawe Forest
Excitement
began when we heard about Hike. We
took oneself off
for hike at 10:30.The route was difficult full of grasses and mwibas.
There were the pumps house (reservoir), which supplies the water to
Kisarawe area which also had a small lake. We stopped there for 5 minutes
for pizzas and
walk vigorously to reach the cave. At last we where at cave. Time taken to
cave was 2 hours. Took some snaps, we talked for 15 to 20 minutes and
ready to move back. We walk laboriously to reach out to Pugu Hills. We all
were tired and thirsty and no drinking water with us. Our Guide Mr.
Mohamed changed the route. This was the most difficult route comparing to
the one from Pugu Hills to Cave. So all where walking laboriously, resting
in some places too, about the weather! Yes it was piping hot all the way.
At last we where at Pugu Hills at 13:00. Took cold Shower. We all were
starving. Four boys were left behind. Our Guide went back to
find
them, but still they where not at the point. They came at 14:10 because
they had lost the way to point and at last we had chance to have our lunch
at 14:22. The menu was Pilau with Kachumbari and refreshments off course.
After Lunch some boys were talking, some were sleeping relaxing and
enjoying the view.
Now
the time to move back to Dar es salaam (City Center). We took oneself off
at 16:15 from Pugu Hills.
We had three checkpoints one at Pugu secondary school second at Terminal
two and the third and the last at Seifee masjid. We were there at 17:50
and lastly all were there within next five minutes and at last dismissed
at 18:00. Total time taken was1:35 hours almost half the time taken to
reach Pugu Hills because of steep hills.
My
experience in the surprised bike hike
It
was the great activity organized by leaders and the choice was very cool
because of tar mack all the way, the place was stunning
and the bike hike to Pugu Hills itself was challenging. As far as scouts
are concerned ?We like to compete with challenges?.
Lastly
I Moiz Shabbir appreciate to all leaders who had make possible this great
event named Bike Hike To Pugu Hills and hope they will give the best to
scouts.Also the trips organized by them,we the scouts can enjoy the
scouting spirit and can be proud to be a Burhani scout (Dar es salaam).
Report presented by Moiz shabbir.
I
would like to thank Dr. Stephan
Jonker
(Faculty of Science) and Mr. Jan Willem Smeenk (UCC) and his family for
taking
Klaus
Hoven
Millenium
Tijdens het oud en nieuw feest zie ik een paar vreemde gezichten. Het feest wordt gehouden in de Pugu hills. Pugu is een dorp net buiten Dar es Salaam. Zoals de naam doet vermoeden ligt het dorp in de bergen. Net buiten het dorp heeft een nederlands stel een restaurant opgericht. Een half uur nadat ik ben vertokken vanuit mijn huis moet ik van de asfalt weg om via allerlei slingerpaadjes naar boven te kruipen. Je rijdt dan door de bananen plantages heen. Bananenplanten lijken op uit de kluiten gewassen mais planten. Hierdaar staat een groepje huizen bij elkaar. Vaak zijn het hutten gemaakt van klei en riet maar hier en daar staat ook echte woningen. Als je over de top bent van de eerst heuvel wordt op de berg een joekel van een hut zichtbaar. Dit is het restaurant. Kick en Ans, zo heet het Nederlands echtpaar, heeft het restaurant voornamelijk als hobby. Er is behalve een restaurant een voetbal veld en een heus zwembad. Het restaurant is een enorme hut van ongeveer 50 to 70 meter doorsnede en naar ik schat 8 meter hoog. Het is gemaakt van Bamboe en riet met stijve kern van steen.
Continue krijgen we optredens voorgeschoteld. Allerlei tanzaniaanse artiesten wisselen zich af. Arcobaten, dans-, en drumgroepen met als hoogte punt een massai groep die met hun stemmen het nieuwe jaar komen inluiden. Om vier uur s'ochtends nemen wij al onze nieuwjaar duik in het zwembad.
Het feest werd voornamelijk door nederlanders bezocht en er waren redelijk vreemde gezichten. Een aantal nieuwe mensen maar er waren ook een behoorlijk wat vakantiegangers
.
| Lisbeth, Erik og Mogens´s ferie til Tanzania/Zanzibar Den første uge i Dar - 2. juli 1999 |
Zaterdag zijn we nog naar Pugu-hills geweest. Daar woont een Nederlands koppel en boven op die berg runnen ze een restaurant met zwembad. Vanuit daar kun je het regenwoud in. het was echter gesloten maar we mochten wel het regenwoud in. Weer een dagje zweten dus. Maar wel leuk.
Stephan Hopman, Tanzania 2001
Pugu Hills
Just about a week ago all the 7th grade students set off for their 1 night and 2 day long ESP trip to the Pugu Hills. The Pugu hills are one of the oldest forests in the world containing a variety of different plants and animals. Activities at Pugu included a 9 km walk to the water reservoir, 1 hour long night walk, sleeping in tents, and cooking up our own dinner. We had a lot of fun and it was a once in a life time experience. On behalf of the 7th grade we’d like to thank the teachers for arranging this trip.
By Zahra Merali and
Hanne Vanneste
De volgende dag, brak van het feest, besluiten Tim, ik Eef en Marieke naar Pugu Hills te gaan. De omgeving hier is redelijk heuvelachtig en een dagtripje waard. De natuur is heel mooi en we hebben daar een klein stukje gewandeld tot we een of ander resort bereikten waar je heerlijk kan relaxen (had ik nodig!). Eten is goed, er is een zwembad en als je dan om je heen kijkt heb je een prachtig uitzicht. Daar hebben we de hele dag vertoefd
Dar is worth a visit, ....... Our visits to the National Museum, the fish market and craft markets provided contact with real
people. For Contrast (with Dar) we stayed 2 days at Pugu Hills. This oasis in the green hills near Dar is hard to find but
worth the effort when you are in a banda listening to monkeys in the trees. We were again treated special by hostess
Edna who personally took us to see local dancing, a cattle market and the school where Julius Nyerere taught.
In all outings we had contact with local people. Both places catered to our request for food and introduced us
to local dishes
2nd of April 2003
Hello! I would just like to convey a big thank you for the tournament this weekend! It was great fun for all of us! We hope to be invited to any other tournaments you will be arranging!
Our problem, of course, was that we should have asked for 'Kiki's Place' - which makes perfect sense when you consider that the owners name is Heuvel. Anyway, having reminded ourselves never to take directions from taxi drivers, having survived a crowded daladala (though tame compared to Kenyan matatus), and avoided a small mob of potential rioters, we landed safe and sound just as it started to rain. Since we were opting to avoid the $60-80/night rooms (KvdH) in favour of the luxury of our tents, all we could really do was wait for it to stop. Which it did.
Eventually. At least in the mean time we could discuss how to avoid the aforementioned murderous mob on our return to Pugu village the next day.
Pugu Hills itself is very nice and green (as you would expect from trees and grass), ......
9-10 April 2005
shadow man
Monday, February 25, 2002
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Sunday I went to Pugu Hills with a couple of friends. We weren't really sure what to expect, but it's a lovely lounge/restaurant (not cheap) set in to the hillside above Dar. You can lounge there all day if you want to... there are even mattresses if you want to have a snooze. There's a pool and hiking trails as well, although the pool was empty when we were there.
Around Dar es Salaam - Pugu Hills 123 (Lonely Planet 2nd edition April 2002)
Around Dar es Salaam
The attractive Pugu Hills area begins about 15km south-west of Dar es Salaam and extends past Kisarawe. The WCST is active here and a few of the remaining forest patches have been gazetted as protected reserves. The area of Pugu Hills is also interesting from a historical perspective: Several important mission stations were established here and it is the site of Pugu Secondary School, where Julius Nyerere worked as a teacher before entering into politics full time.
Despite its proximity to Dar es Salaam, the area is not urbanised and many communities have remained quite traditional. It's a good destination if you have a day or two in Dar es Salaam and want to avoid the city, or for a short day or weekend getaway. Roads here are only lightly travelled and are good for hiking. There are also a few short WCST hiking trails. If you want to try them, you will need to go first to the Mali Asili (Natural Resources) office in Kisarawe, which is just south of the main roundabout, to get a permit (Tsh2500). The trailheads are about 15 minutes from the office on foot; each trail takes approximately 30 minutes.
Pugu Hills (0744-565 498, 0744-394 875, e-mail pugu@bol.co.tz, web site www.puguhills.com) Admission Tsh2000 per person, camping USD 6, 4-6 person bandas (huts) about US$60 to US$80. This is a good, breezy place set on a hillside. There's an area to pitch your tent, shower facilities, a pool and a restaurant (with meals for about USD 7 and upwards). Bandas with en suites were being constructed at the time of writing. Large groups and overland trucks cannot be accommodated.(prices are updated KvdH)
The property borders on a forest reserve, and there are some hiking paths nearby, including a short walk that will take you to a lookout with view over Dar es Salaam. It's a good base for biking in the area. The compound is open on weekends only, if you want to visit during the week, you will need to call in advance to make arrangements.
Getting There & Away
Dalla-dallas to Kisarawe leave from Msimbazi St in Kariakoo (look for the Simba Sports Club) and cost Tsh300. You can also get dalla-dallas on Nyerere Rd at the airport turn-off.
To get to Pugu Hills camping ground and restaurant, get a Kisarawe dalla-dalla and ask the driver to drop you at the old Agip station (about 7km before Kisarawe). From there continue straight along the unpaved Kisarawe road for about 200m, to the end of a tinv group of shops on your left, where there’s a dirt path leading up to Pugu Hills (about 15 minutes further on foot); ask for Bwana Kiki's place. By vehicle, from the old Agip station follow the sealed road to the left. continue about 1.2km, then turn right at an unmarked dirt path running past a chicken warehouse (the tum-off is about 50m before the railroad tracks.) Continue about 2km along a rough road uphill to Pugu Hills.
Vendredi 19 mai 2006
IAS BRONZE PUGU HILLS TRIP (24 September 2004)
On Saturday 24th September a group of 11 students, two Grade 10 students, nine IB students accompanied by three teachers set out to achieve the first step towards their IAS Bronze Award. This trip promised at least 12 hours of hiking and the students were expected to prepare their own meals.
The first 6-hour long hike was physically very draining due to the extreme heat. However, the students were kept entertained by the cattle market through which they passed on this hike. Some of the students went into a bat cave while others took a much needed break. The group was back at the campsite by late evening where they prepared their dinner. After a short rest, they hiked for another hour under the moonlight, this hike being much more pleasant than the previous one. They returned to their campsite and turned in for the night.
The next day, after a self-prepared breakfast, the group started out on another hike which led them to a scenic reservoir. After an early lunch back at the campsite, the hiking continued. This time, the group was heading for the celtel tower situated at one of the high points on the hills.
The group came back on Sunday evening feeling exhausted but at the same time having learnt a lot from this experience and having achieved the first level of their award.
Ik zal me eerst even voorstellen, ik ben de broer van geert, via zijn weblog kwam ik ook (bij) jou verhalen over Tanzania. Ik ben er zelf een aantal jaar geleden geweest ( een vriend van me werkte er). Het is leuk om de beelden van de trips te zien (nog geen biertje op de slipway gedronken?). wat mij verbaasde is het volgende; Pugu Hills is ook de naam van een (erg leuk) soort resort van een nederlands stel. Zijn jullie daar helemaal niet geweest?
Comment door bart — 4/2/2005 @ 12:01 am
Afslappende læsning i roen der omgiver pugu hills.
Folderen på bordet indeholder
information om den kinesiske inflydelse i Tanzania da denne Banda er
indrettet i
kinesisk stil.
23/09/05
In het weekend zijn we er weer op uit getrokken, niet ver (slechts uurtje in daladala’s crossend over de “wegen”, maar het was wel een erg mooi gebied, Pugu Hills genaamd. Middenin de bossen op een bult bevond zich dit paradijsje (zie foto’s uiteraard). De eigenaars waren Nederlanders, dat bestelt altijd makkelijk. Ook leek het wel makkelijk toen ze ons de weg naar een één of ander waterreservoir in het bos wilde uitleggen. Erg mooie wandeling, we voelden ons als Indiana Jones, gevaarlijke slangen ontwijkend (we waren er zo goed in dat we ze zelfs niet gezien hebben) op zoek naar ons doel; het waterreservoir. De ontdekkingsreis liep echter op niets uit, we zijn hopeloos verdwaald en hebben geen water gezien.
De dag erna vertelde de eigenaresse ons dat er in de buurt ook een koeienmarkt was die de moeite van het bekijken was. Aangezien ik (Daan) uit een dorp kom waar de ponymarkt hoog in het vaandel staat was ik wel geïnteresseerd, ook Marion kon de verleiding niet weerstaan, dit aangezien dit haar een vlaag van herkenning aan haar ouderlijk huis gaf. Aangezien wij naar aanleiding van de vorige dag door hadden dat we niet echt wandelende kompassen zijn, besloten we om een gids ter hand te nemen. Gewapend met gids en 2 andere reizigers die de koeien wilden bewonderen trokken wij ten strijde. Dat bleek het ook echt bijna te worden toen ik een foto van de menigte op de koeienmarkt probeerde te maken. De foto lukte maar het gejoel van de menigte gaf wel aan dat ze hier niet echt van gediend waren. Gelukkig voelden we ons dankzij de gids nog niet direct bedreigd (alhoewel, de koeien hadden venijnige horens op hun kop), en we overleefden ook dit zonder verdere problemen.
Deze dag zijn we maar weer “huiswaarts” gekeerd (het appartement voelt al wel een beetje als ons huis). De aardige koe-reisgenoten nodigden ons uit voor de terugreis in hun 4-wheel aangedreven jeep, niet verkeerd naar wij dachten…
Als alternatief plannen (ja we proberen het gewoon weer...) we nu een weekendje Pugu Hills. In dit kleine dorpje, een uurtje rijden vanaf Dar es Salaam, is een leuk restaurant/lodge met zwembad in een erg mooie en heuvelachtige omgeving gelegen. In plaats van leeuwen en giraffen dit keer dus lekker wandelen, relaxen en natuurlijk ook lekker eten, ach er zijn ergere dingen
Rineke, 28 Mei 2006
Ballade proche de Dar es Salaam.
Collines offrant une vue magnifique de la région.
Consulter puguhills.com pour le plan d’accès.
Possibilité de camping ou Lodge.
Karibu Tanzania 2006
November 2005
Hi Kik,
Just a photo from our nice weekend in Pugu
Hills and the trip to the bat
cave.
Cheers,
Markus
April 2007
Emmanuel
Avril 2007
