Eekanubi is a name rooted in the Chagga language, meaning "Thank you, Nubi." In Swahili, this becomes Asante Nubi. This heartfelt name honors the ingenuity and spirit of the ancestors who built these underground homes centuries ago. We exist to tell their stories—stories of resilience, resourcefulness, and architectural brilliance, carved deep beneath the earth.
We are located in Kibosho, a serene village nestled on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in Northern Tanzania. Here, amidst banana groves and coffee farms, the spirit of ancient Chagga civilization thrives. Surrounded by breathtaking nature and vibrant culture, Kibosho is the perfect place to rediscover ancestral Africa.
Every visit begins with the household beneath Kibosho — these are the ways its story continues above ground.
These homes date back centuries and were built as secure living spaces — safe from wild animals, enemies, and the elements. Carefully dug into the earth, they reflect an ancient wisdom of sustainable, climate-conscious living. Today, we continue to document, protect, and celebrate these homes as living museums.
Kibosho is more than a destination—it's a feeling. From the moment you arrive, you'll feel the unmatched warmth and hospitality of its people, welcoming you with open hearts and creative spirit.
Traditions shared by the people who carry them.
Experience Chagga customs, rituals, and stories as they are lived today — shared directly by the community members who practice and preserve them. A living culture, presented by the people who own it.
Living Culture
Step into a world beneath the surface and explore the ancient Chagga underground homes. A marvel of engineering and cultural heritage preserved for generations.
The underground household is the heart of Eekanubi. Choose to explore it on its own, or follow its connections into Kibosho's food, farms, and community — every visit is hosted by members of the Kibosho community.
Descend into Kibosho’s underground Chagga homes and walk the chambers where a household once cooked, slept, raised its children, and gathered to make decisions.
Walk the farms, paths, and watercourses above the tunnels with a local guide, and discover the living landscape that sustained the homes below.
The full journey: the underground chambers and the village above, joined in one connected story from the household beneath Kibosho to the community living there today.
Share a traditional Chagga meal prepared with ingredients from Kibosho’s farms, hosted in the spirit of the hospitality once extended by the chief’s household.
Get hands-on in the banana groves — the crop at the heart of Chagga cooking, farming, and daily life in Kibosho.
Eekanubi exists so that Kibosho can tell its own story — to visitors and, just as importantly, to its own children. Tours are the means; the purpose is a community that keeps its history alive.