Hunting with the Hadza Tribe

The Hadza (or Hadzabe) are an indigenous tribe of northern Tanzania living around Lake Eyasi in the central Rift valley and in the neighboring Serengeti Plateau.

Genetically they are not closely related to any other people and have their own unique 'click' language which is believed to be one of the oldest languages still in use today. They are descendants of Tanzania's original hunter-gatherer population and are likely to have occupied their territory for thousands of years with relatively little change to their way of life.

The Hadza are very proficient hunters and foragers who have passed down their skills and techniques. Usually hunting with home made bows and arrows they are incredibly skillful at getting their prey. Living on a varied diet of roots, berries, honey and a variety of different animals including porcupines, hyrax and many types of birds. They do not store their food and only hunt for what they need on any given day.

They are nomadic and live in temporary huts and periodically move on, taking only what they can carry. They move according to the seasons and and where the hunting is best.

It is possible to visit the tribe, who are very welcoming, spending a few hours learning how they live. For the more adventurous go out on a hunt with the tribe, but you need to be fit in order to keep up with them. It is also an early start at sunrise when the hunting is at it's best. These cultural experiences can be arranged through Kisima Ngeda Camp in lake Eyasi.