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Kododo Village
On this trip you’ll head well off the beaten track, initially via the market village of Mgeta and then on an ever-dwindling track into some of the most remote parts of the Uluguru Mountains. Few travellers venture into these hills, yet the mountains are extremely beautiful and the villages totally unspoiled. Finally you’ll reach the small village of Kododo in the heart of the mountains. This is a simple village, totally untainted by the 21st century.
Our main reason for including this village in our itinerary is to help the local school and a visit should be possible during your stay. There are closer schools to visit but because of its remote location, the school has extremely limited access to the modern world and, with 700 pupils and only 3 teachers, it is in need of support to help improve education.
Donations, monetary or otherwise are always gratefully received. Any donations such as pens, pencils, books or money should be given to the Headmaster and not to the children so that it is distributed in a responsible way. You’ll also have the opportunity to meet the children and the villagers, learn about subsistence farming and their way of life, find out about reforestation and possibly help to plant a tree.
The ultimate aim is to make Kododo attractive enough in terms of facilities to attract teachers to come and live & work there. We will do this by continuing to fundraise and donate profits to improve the school infrastructure and then build housing for teachers.
Saadani
Saadani is Tanzania's only protected coastal wildlife preserve. The reserve has since expanded to include a further 300 sq km of land north of the Mligaji river. This is an important area containing the only permanent elephant population in the area as well as sable antelope. In 2003 gazetting of the reserve took place and completed in 2005 when Saadani became Tanzania's 13th National Park. It is hoped that the upgrade to National Park status will bring improved infrastructure, access and anti-poaching activities, as well as the reintroduction of various animal species.
The combination of beach and big game is unique in Tanzania. Game numbers and visibility do not at present match the more popular parks in the north and south but, especially with the upgrade to NP status, the continued improvement in both aspects should continue. The diversity of animals is comparable to many parks, and since 2005, the numbers and accessibility have markedly increased. Large game currently seen include giraffe, buffalo, elephant, lion, leopard, sable antelope, eland, hartebeest, wildebeest, zebra, waterbuck, reedbuck, greater kudu, oryx, warthog, mongoose, civet, serval, baboon, black and white colobus, crocodile, hippo, three species of duiker as well as a great variety of birdlife.
Dolphins are sometimes seen offshore and whales pass through the Zanzibar channel on their migration. Of particular interest is the green turtle project at Madete. This endangered species is under particular threat from fishing practices offshore from Saadani and a conservation project has been established to help protect both turtles and their eggs.
July 2010 saw the start of a new elephant project in Saadani whereby a combined initiative between Tent With A View lodge, renowned elephant expert Dr Alfred Kikoti and the Tanzanian National Parks Authority (TANAPA) collared 5 elephants. Tent With A View built a dedicated wildlife research centre at the lodge and employed a full time elephant researcher who lives at the lodge. GPS co-ordinates come into the lodge each day and elephant movements are monitored. The aim of the project is to locate the elephant corridors to find out the pockets of elephant/human conflict and also to study the behaviour.
Eco-Friendly
All of our lodges are run on solar power & we will soon have wind power in Saadani. The freshwater we pump into our swimming pool in Selous is recycled down to a nearby watering hole.
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