The “Maji Moto” Hot Springs

Maji Moto
-Water Hot, literal translation.
-Hot Water, English translation
-An oasis 2 hours away from Arusha

One of the best and memorable places I’ve swam so far. The water is actually not hot, it’s a temperature that isn’t too warm or too cold. You could stay in it forever and never feel the need to get out and reheat yourself.

The water holds a beautiful sapphire color and is crystal clear to the bottom. A natural current runs through, and though there are certain parts which can be hard to swim against, the main pool is the easiest place to relax.

A rope swing hangs from the ledge between two large trees.  I have to admit, out all of us who were there, I was the laughing stock. It must be my arm strength, or the fact that I have no aerial skills, but I kept falling off in the most ridiculous positions (if I could even hold one at all.) At one point, I did a major back flop that stung for a good 10 minutes.

Despite my ridiculous rope swing methods – I did have the courage to jump off the highest tree branch, about 15 meters from the water. A lot of the Tanzanian boys/men were fearless – as if they were monkeys and had grown up climbing trees 24/7. It took me 3x longer to get to where they were, and many of them waited down below egging me on.

After taking forever to balance, feeling my heart thump, mouth go dry, and lower myself into the right position, I finally shouted “Naweza,” (which means “I can do it!”) and jumped off. Once I surfaced – I felt I had 1) accomplished something impressive and 2) redeemed myself for all the rope swing outtakes.

It’s truly a blissful spot in the middle of totally unexpected terrain, and for anyone staying in Arusha – I highly recommend a visit.