Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The colours are mostly shades of red, orange and brown, but white is most common for
those painted in the last millennium and these are mostly unintelligible forms, perhaps sym-
bolic of something. The makers sometimes used hands and fingers, but also brushes made
of reeds or sticks. Some of the colours were probably made by mixing various pigments
with animal fat to form crayons.
There are 186 known sites (and surely many more), of which only a portion have been
properly documented. The most visited, though not the best, the Kolo sites (B1, B2 and
B3), are 9km east of Kolo village and 4WD is required. You'll need to climb a steep hill at
the end of the road to see them. The most interesting figures here are humans with what are
either wild hairstyles or masks. Further east, on the back side of the same mountain, are the
mostly white (ie modern) Pahi sites. These can be reached by saloon car plus buses from
Arusha and Babati going to Busi pass the nearby village of Pahi. Also accessible by or-
dinary car is the excellent Fenga complex, whose dominant feature is a painting of people
who appear to be trapping an elephant. It's around 20km north of Kolo and just a bit off the
Arusha-Dodoma Rd, followed by a hilly 1km walk. The most varied, and thus best over-
all collection of paintings, is at Thawi, about 15km northwest of Kolo and reachable only
by 4WD. If you base yourself in Kolo or Kondoa you can comfortably see three of these
places in a day, and all four if you really rush.
If you'll be in Arusha before visiting, stop by Warm Heart Art Gallery and talk with
Seppo Hallavainio, director of the
Rock Art Project
( 0754-672256;
www.racctz.org
)
,
who has made it his mission to promote and protect the sites. He'll be able to answer most
questions.
SLEEPING
Kolo has some tea rooms serving
chapati,
beans and rice, and sometimes chicken.
Amarula Campsite
CAMPGROUND $
( 0754-672256;
www.racctz.orgwww.racctz.org
; camping with own/hired tent US$10/
20) A venture of the Rock Art Project, this work in progress, 6km east of Kolo on the road
to Pahi, has beautiful scenery and simple facilities. Rooms are planned.
Mary Leakey Campsite
CAMPGROUND $
(camping Tsh5000) Managed by the Department of Antiquities, there's nothing here but
quiet isolation and year-round water. It's along the Kolo (Hembe) River bed halfway to the
Kolo Sites. You're required to hire an
askari
(guard; about Tsh10,000) for the night since
there have been robberies.
New Planet
GUESTHOUSE $
