Hadzabe Tribe Experience
Hadzabe tribe is one of the few remaining authentic hunter-gatherer tribes in Africa is the Hadzabe tribe. In northern Tanzania, you might find about 1,300 surviving tribesmen. Because they are nomadic and practice hunter-gathering, the Hadzabe tribe do not keep any cattle but instead subsist entirely on what they may find in nature, often carrying their entire world on their backs.
Plants make up the bulk of their diet, but they also eat honey and meat that they catch themselves or that they hunt with bows and arrows. Hadzabe is their language. It has clicking noises like the San Bushmen of Southern Africa’s, but it also has popping sounds and other more common ones. Many have tried to convert the Hadzabe to Christianity and teach them farming techniques, but they have always been rejected since the Hadzabe prefer to keep to their old ways. Hadzabe legends suggest that the Serengeti region has been home to the Hadzabe people for a very long time. Even though the Maasai invaded and drove them out a little, they are now facing new threats to their homeland from expanding cultivation and tourism.
Hadzabe tribe typically live in groups called bands or camps of twenty to thirty people, though groups of one hundred or more can emerge during peak seasons. At the camp, men and women are treated equally and there is no sense of hierarchy. In the event of a disagreement, one side will willingly relocate to the opposite camp, and decisions are reached through dialogue. In a community setting, children are cared for by both males and females, whether they are related or not.
The camps change locations at different times of the year for a variety of reasons. Conflict, the changing of the seasons, the illness or death of a camp member, or the inability to transport a large animal slain by the hunters could all play a role.
The campgrounds and resorts recommended by Active African Vacations that provide Hadzabe tribe experiences. Guests interested in learning more about the Hadzabe can do so by staying at one of the few nearby camps or lodges, as the Hadzabe are located in a very secluded area near Lake Eyasi. See below for details about an alternate option: a 2-night mobile camp that leaves from Manyara.
Lodge at Mwiba
Located in the expansive 130,000-acre Mwiba Wildlife Reserve, the luxurious stone lodge Mwiba Lodge offers views of a perennial spring. Guests can be sure of the highest level of seclusion throughout their safari in northern Tanzania, since it is one of just two lodges and camps in the reserve. Surrounded by boulders, this luxurious 10-room property features a pool, a main area, and a spring that serves as a magnet for wildlife all day and night.
Maintaining harmony between humans and animals is the goal of the concession known as the Mwiba Animal Reserve. As a subset of the Serengeti, the Mwiba Wildlife Reserve is home to a wide variety of habitats that provide prime opportunities for wildlife viewing. The game offers a diverse landscape with woodlands, meadows, mountains, valleys, and springs. Because it is private, visitors are free to partake in game drives at any time of day or night, as well as walking safaris, fly-camping, and helicopter tours.
Mwiba Wildlife Reserve
The Mwiba Wildlife Reserve is home to two distinct tribes that continue to practice traditional ways of life on the concession, showcasing the harmonious coexistence of wildlife and communities. Free movement within the reserve is granted to the Hadzabe so that they may collect edible and medicinal plant materials such as fruits, berries, tubers, and more. Additionally, they are free to carry on with hunting practices that date back thousands of years. The Hadzabe are a people who hunt and gather, thus they are very frugal and only take what they need. Being among them is an eye-opening experience because they are so nomadic and have so few belongings.
Staying with the Hadzabe for two nights
Guests will be whisked away from the tourist trail and into the very center of Hadzabe country for an unforgettable, all-encompassing adventure. After being picked up at Manyara Airstrip, you will be transported to Lake Eyasi via the Ngorongoro highlands. You will arrive in the late afternoon on the first day due to the four-hour travel. The base camp is prepared in advance of your arrival, giving you the opportunity to relax and rejuvenate after the long travel.
The second day begins bright and early as you accompany the Hadzabe on their hunt. There will be a local guide with you because Hadzabe people do not speak English. Foraging for berries, tubers, and honey is a common part of hunting trips. When the Hadzabe spot an animal, they immediately enter hunter mode and typically chase after their target, shooting it with a bow and arrow. The Hadzabe village is your destination for the day, where you may mingle with the local women and elders and gain insight into their rich cultural heritage. While the men search for honey, you and the women can go on a gathering expedition for tubers, berries, and baobab fruit.
If you want to continue your journey to the Ngorongoro Crater or Serengeti National Park, you will return to Manyara Airstrip on day 3, after breakfast.