Mike Leach

Name ID 1294

See also

Personal Communication
Extract Author: Mike Leach
Extract Date: 1912

Leuedorf - 1912

sent by email June 2002 - "This goes as caption with some photos from 1912 mounted in our hall."

August Leue landed in Bagamoyo in 1885 as part of an expedition under Hermann von Wissmann which included Tom von Prince. As an officer in the Schutztruppe Leue was stationed in Bagamoyo, Dar es Salaam, Kilwa & Tabora. In 1887 he established a post of the German East Africa Company (DOAG) in Dar es Salaam causing a revolt. In 1891 rule was transferred from the DOAG to the German government and Dar es Salaam selected as the seat of administration. A map in the lodge (circa 1910) shows Leue Strasse, now Morogoro Road.

In 1901 Leue retired and in 1905 returned having raised money in Berlin for a settlement on Mount Meru which became known as Leuedorf, now Ngare Sero.

Some two hundred Volga-Deutsch families were settled between Ngongare and Makumira. In 1908 church bells were donated from Bochum to the settlement and these now hang at Nkoaranga Church. The photographs from 1912 show Leue standing in front of his rubber plantation. With him is the farm manager Fritz Hohl�chter later killed in a shooting accident.

During the World War Leuedorf was occupied by British troops but Leue continued to administer the area. In 1920 under the League of Nations Mandate Leuedorf passed to Captain Rydon RN who farmed the estate until 1954.

In 1973 Mike & Gisela Leach converted the farm house and gardens into a small tourist lodge.

Extract ID: 4289

See also

The starting point for the new face of Arusha
Page Number: 4

Outside Arusha

Outside Arusha, mainly off the road to Usa River which is halfway between the town and Kilimanjaro International Airport, a number of new facilities have opened. These vary between those that are open for a drop-in meal to those that are strictly for residents.

These facilities provide an ideal escape from the bustle of Arusha and have the added merit of being close to Arusha National Park. They are well worth exploring by tourists and business people who are stuck in Arusha awaiting their next appointments.

Moivaro Coffee Plantation Lodge is the nearest eating place outside Arusha. It is about twenty minutes by vehicle from the Clock Tower. The atmosphere is relaxing and ideal for a family outing from Arusha. The main thatched building which faces Mount Meru, also encompasses the dining room and there is a swimming pool, massage parlour and curio shop.

Another facility close to Arusha is Safari Spa that advertises "Polo in the African sun" and has over 40 horses. Polo is played on the pitch adjoining the spa while "bush polo" is played near Lake Manyara for the richer clients who like to "rough it" in a luxury tented camp. Safari Spa has a restaurant for residents only.

Next on the Moshi Road comes the Mountain Village that has recently been taken over from a tour operator by Serena Hotels, Tanzania's premier tourism group. The Dik Dik is located located further along just off the Moshi Road int he foothills of Mount Meru near Usa River. Both are open for drop-in meals.

Just beyond the Dik Dik is the residents-only Ngare Sero. Set in lush gardens with crystal-clear springs and mountain streams, the lodge marries a renovated 1900s German home with today's comforts. It has 200 bird species, trout fishing, Colobus and Sykes monkeys he owner, Mike Leach, also rehabilitated the Arusha Boma. Ngare Sero is highly recommended.

Further along the main Moshi road on the way to Kilimanjaro International Airport comes Mount Meru Game Lodge, just across the Usa River which gives its name to the settlement. Today, the internationally noted game sanctuary contains fewer animals and eventually these will give way altogether to birds that already exist in abundance. Professional hoteliers have been appointed, and the lodge and food are definitely improving.

Directly across the main road is Rivertrees, a charming new addition to the several "escapes" found around Arusha. It has comfortable, self-contained rooms, excellent country food for residents, walks, birdlife, scenery, small mammals and safari prospects that combine to make this a perfect retreat.

On the right just before the Arusha National Park, and despite its misleading name, is MBT (Mountain Bird Trophies) that is a snake-park and chameleon-breeding farm. While many visitors tend to be squeamish about snakes in Africa, around 70 per cent are non-venomous and the guide at the snake park will help you tell one from the other. The chameleons are particularly fascinating, ranging from the giant to the pygmy.

Extract ID: 3434
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