If there is one site that should be designated as a World Heritage Site as soon as possible, it is this one. During my visit to Udzungwa Mountains National Park, I was greatly impressed by the natural beauty of the area. I stayed at the Hondo Hondo camp and went on a 4-hour trek to the Sanje Waterfall, which is a very popular tourist attraction. The exceptional value of the site lies in the many species that are unique to this area, including two endemic birds (the Udzungwa Forest Partridge and the Rufous-winged Sunbird) and two species of monkeys (the recently discovered Sanje Crested Mangabey and the Udzungwa Red Colobus).

In my opinion, this area should be given the highest level of protection, if only for the Udzungwa Red Colobus, which is a beautiful monkey with impressive playful behavior. Unfortunately, on the east side of the park, the villages with large rice and sugarcane plantations are encroaching on the border of the national park, which detracts from the natural beauty and disrupts the peace with loud music.

It is concerning to hear the park ranger talk about how good the Udzungwa Forest Partridge tastes, as it is a red-listed species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Additionally, it is surprising for Dutch visitors to see many pictures of the late Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands around the visitor center, and even waterfalls named after him, as he officially opened the park in 1992.

I hope that this area will remain intact in the future and that it will soon be designated as a World Heritage Site.