Surroundings, Dar es Saalam

The Pugu Forest, originally named the Mogo Forest, is considered one of the oldest forests in the world. The Pugu Hills Forest Reserve is the location of the source of the Msimbazi River. It is home to hippos, lions, cheetahs and black and white Colobus monkeys as well as the giant elephant shrew, bushpigs and mongoose. The forest is protected because of its high bio-diversity levels. Pugu Forest has been visited by many biologists and is one of the top forests for bird conservation in Africa with over 80 recorded species. On the other side of an abandoned railway tunnel are man-made caves that house a large colony of bats. Visitors to Pugu Forest can watch the bats as they fly out of the caves in the evening, which is quite a sight.The Pugu Forest Reserve encloses one of the world's largest kaolin mine thus the area has a long history of mining operations. Kaolin is a type of fine white clay used in manufacturing porcelain, paper and textiles.Kisarawe is a small rural town near Pugu Hills Forest Reserve, the town was used by European residents as a destination to escape the coastal heat. The Natural Resources office in Kisarawe will provide tourists with a permit to use the hiking and cycling trails. The trails lead to a lookout with views of Dar es Salaam.