Situated in the north-east of Tanzania. With their wide vistas, cool climate, winding paths and picturesque villages, the Usambara's are one of Tanzanian's highlights.

The Usambara's are a part of the ancient Eastern Arc chain which mountains stretch in a broken crescent from the Taita hills in southern Kenya down to Morogoro and the southern highlands. They are estimated to be at least 100 million years old and the rocks forming them may be as much as 600 million years old. The mountains are home to an exceptional assortment of plants and animals and represent one of the highest degrees of biodiversity on the continent.

East Usambara Mountains

The East Usambara Mountains are almost entirely within Muheza District in Tanga region, apart from some smaller parts in the west that fall in Korogwe and Mkinga (Nilo) Districts. The mountains rise to an altitude of 1,506 m at Mt Nilo. The population is 101,767 people distributed across 61 villages in the areas. Outside of reserves most of the forest has been cleared for farmland, apart from in the Derema proposed Forest Reserve and some other areas proposed as Village Forest Reserves. Some forest also remains in private land ~ for example in the lowland Kwamtili estate.