DAVID CHIKOKO
In this exclusive interview, The Arusha News Reporter David Chikoko spoke to the Managing Director, Mr Mena Salekwa of Themi Falls Leisure Park, about the remarkable story behind one of Arusha’s hidden natural gems. From its family roots and conservation philosophy to community involvement and future expansion, the conversation reveals the vision shaping Themi Falls into a unique nature destination. Read on…
Question. Themi Falls Leisure Park appears to have history that goes much further back than the business itself. What is the story behind the property?
Answer: The story of Themi Falls did not begin when we opened the leisure park. Our family’s connection with this area goes back several generations, to around the 1940s. For many years it was simply a beautiful natural environment that was part of our family story. We later realised that what we had here was something very special that could be shared with other people, provided we did it responsibly. Themi Falls Leisure Park was formally established in 2015 and from the beginning the idea was to preserve the character of the place rather than transform it into a conventional commercial property. We wanted people to experience the greenery, water, mountains and tranquillity much as we had experienced them ourselves.
Question: When you first started developing Themi Falls Leisure Park, did you imagine it would become what it is today?
Answer: Not completely. The development has been gradual. In the beginning, the natural environment itself was the main attraction – the gardens, the waterfall, walking trails and simply having somewhere peaceful outside the busy centre of Arusha. As visitors came, we began seeing other possibilities. Activities were introduced gradually, including hiking, camping, birdwatching and nature experiences. Later came projects such as the butterfly garden and more recently we have expanded the accommodation side of the park. The important thing has been allowing Themi Falls to evolve naturally rather than trying to build everything at once.
Question: Arusha is known internationally as the gateway to some of Africa’s greatest safari destinations. Where do you see Themi Falls fitting into that tourism story?
Answer: Arusha is famous because people pass through it on their way to Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru, but sometimes we forget that Arusha itself has experiences worth discovering. Themi Falls is one of them. We want visitors to understand that you do not always have to travel hundreds of kilometres to reconnect with nature. Within a relatively short distance of the city, you can find forests, birds, streams, waterfalls, farms and wonderful views towards Mount Meru. I believe destinations such as ours can encourage visitors to spend more time discovering Arusha itself rather than seeing the city only as a transit point.
Question: The water around Themi Falls is also an important natural resource for Arusha. Does that give you a greater responsibility as a tourism operator?
Answer: Absolutely. The waterfall should never be viewed simply as something beautiful for visitors to photograph. The Themi water system is part of an important natural catchment and water from the area contributes to domestic water supply. That means conservation has to come before tourism. We have to be conscious about protecting the vegetation, keeping the environment clean and ensuring that visitor activities do not damage the ecosystem. Tourism works best when the natural resource that attracts visitors is left healthier for future generations. For us, protecting this environment is therefore not separate from the business — it is fundamental to its future.
Question: How important is the surrounding Olgilai community to what visitors experience at Themi Falls?
Answer: Themi Falls cannot really be separated from Olgilai and the people who live around it. Visitors are not coming into an artificial tourism environment; they are entering a living rural landscape with farms, local guides, traditions and families who have known these hills and waterways for generations. That local knowledge adds something that cannot be manufactured. As the park grows, we believe tourism should create opportunities locally and encourage visitors to appreciate not only the waterfall but also the people, agriculture and culture of the area. That is how tourism becomes more meaningful and how its benefits can extend beyond the gates of one property.
Question: You have deliberately kept Themi Falls quieter and less commercial than many leisure destinations. Why is that important to you?
Answer: Because tranquillity is increasingly becoming a luxury. People spend so much of their lives surrounded by traffic, phones, deadlines and noise. Here, sometimes the most valuable experience is simply sitting quietly and listening to the river or waking up to birds. We do not want development to take away the very thing that makes people come here. Of course, guests need comfort and good facilities and we will continue improving those, but we want Themi Falls to remain a place where nature is dominant. If somebody comes here feeling exhausted and leaves feeling refreshed, peaceful and connected with nature again, then we have achieved something important.
Question: After more than a decade of development, what is the next chapter for Themi Falls Leisure Park?
Answer: The next chapter is about improving the experience without losing our identity. Accommodation is becoming an important part of what we offer because we want guests to do more than visit for a few hours; we want them to experience waking up in this environment and having time to explore it properly. At the same time, we want to continue strengthening our gardens, nature experiences, trails and conservation work. Growth for us should not mean filling every available space with buildings. It should mean improving quality, creating more opportunities for the surrounding community and protecting the natural environment that made Themi Falls special in the first place.
