DAY 1 -- Shira Gate to Shira Camp Elevation (m): 1830m to 3840m Elevation (ft): 6000ft to 12,600ft Distance: 18km Hiking Time: 5-7 hours Habitat: Montane Forest
The drive from Moshi to the trailhead takes about 3 hours. We walk through the rain forest on a winding trail up a ridge. Lower down, the trail can be muddy and slippery. Gaiters and trekking poles are a good idea here. We continue a short distance until we reach the Shira Camp.
DAY 2 -- Shira Camp to Lava Tower to Barranco Camp Elevation (m): 3840m to 4630m to 3860m Elevation (ft): 12,600ft to 12,700ft to 13,000ft Distance: 15 km Walking Time: 5-7 hours Habitat: Semi-desert
From the Shira Plateau, we continue to the east up a ridge, passing the junction towards the peak of Kibo. As we continue, our direction changes to the South East towards the Lava Tower, called the "Shark's Tooth." Shortly after the tower, we come to the second junction which brings us up to the Arrow Glacier at an altitude of 4,876 meters. We now continue down to the Barranco Hut at an altitude of 3,860 meters. Here we rest, enjoy dinner, and overnight. Although you end the day at the same elevation as when you started, this day is very important for acclimatization and will help your body prepare for summit day.
DAY 3 -- Barranco Camp to Karanga Camp Elevation (m): 3860m to 4200m Elevation (ft): 13,255ft Distance: 5.5 km Hiking Time: 4 - 5 hours Habitat: Alpine Desert
After breakfast, we leave Barranco and continue on a steep ridge passing the Barranco Wall, to the Karanga Valley campsite.
DAY 4 -- Karanga Camp to Barafu Camp Elevation (m): 4200m to 4600m Elevation (ft): 13,255ft to 15,100ft Distance: 7.5km Hiking Time: 4-5 hours Habitat: Alpine Desert
After breakfast, we leave Karanga Camp and continue through the Karanga Valley and the junction which connects with the Mweka Trail. We continue up to the Barafu Hut. You have completed the South Circuit, which offers views of the summit from many different angles. Here we make camp, rest, enjoy dinner, and prepare for the summit day. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are to be seen from this position.
DAY 5 -- Barafu Camp to Summit to Mweka Hut Elevation (m): 4600m to 5895m (and down to 3100m) Elevation (ft): 15,100ft to 19,300ft (and down to 10,200ft) Distance: 7km ascent / 23km descent Hiking Time:6- 8 hours ascent / 7-8 hours descent Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit
Very early in the morning (midnight to 2am), we continue our way to the summit between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. You head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This is the most mentally and physically challenging portion of the trek. At Stella Point (5685m), you will stop for a short rest and will be rewarded with the most magnificent sunrise you are ever likely to see (weather permitting).From Stella Point, you may encounter snow all they way on your 1-hour ascent to the summit. At Uhuru Peak, you have reached the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro and the continent of Africa. Faster hikers will see the sunrise from the summit. It can be very cold at night at these elevations, but it will be quite warm by the end of the hiking day. You will want clothing for both extremes with you. From the summit, we now make our descent continuing straight down to the Mweka Hut camp site, stopping at Barafu for lunch. You will want gaiters and trekking poles for the loose gravel going down. Mweka Camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Later in the evening, we enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.
DAY 6 -- Mweka Camp to Arusha Elevation (m): 3100m to 1830m Elevation (ft): 10,200ft to 6000ft Distance: 15 km Hiking Time: 3-4 hours Habitat: Forest
After breakfast, we continue the descent down to the Mweka Park Gate to receive your summit certificates. At lower elevations, it can be wet and muddy. Gaiters and trekking poles will help. Shorts and t-shirts will probably be plenty to wear (keep rain gear and warmer clothing handy). From the gate, continue another hour to Mweka Village. A vehicle will meet you at Mweka village to drive you back to hotel in Arusha. Don't forget to tip your guides and porters It is time for celebration!
Price Includes: -All park entry fees. -All camping/hut fees. -Rescue fees. -Guide and porters fees. -Guide and porters salaries. -Transport to and from the mountain gates. -Meals 3 times daily. -Cook and all kitchen utensils.
Price Excludes: - International flights - The first night on your arrival and last night after safari (book with us) - Airport transfers (book with us for 60$ per transfer) - Hard and soft drinks and tips, - and all Mountain Gears (we can arrange hire of this)
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Just a note to say how special our safari was. From meeting us at the airport, even with a delay,to the stay at the marvellous Impala hotel, to the safari itself and a final transfer to the airport.
The punctuality by John our guide and Abu our cook plus their attention to detail were admirable. The skills, knowledge and enthusaism was very much appreciated by us both. We saw more animals,with a greater variety, than we could have hoped for. Each day was inspiring and our meals were of local, fresh produce and very tasty.
Finally thanks to Peniel for his tireless efforts to organise this special week and his prompt replies to all our e-mails.
Before our trip we have to admit that we were a little nervous since your operation lesser-known that some of the massive tour operators in the area. However, from the moment we met the team in Arusha, it was clear we had made the right decision and were in for the trip of a lifetime.
Our tour guide, Apollo, was a complete joy to spend time with. He was very knowledgable of the local wildlife and customs and was eager to share his knowledge with us. He was extremely accommodating during the trip - allowing us to stop at any time for any reason and enjoy the trip on our own pace. When three different ATMs in Mtu Wambu happened to be broken, he even lent us cash to hold us over for the next couple days before we could return to a working ATM...incredible.
Our Chef ("Stomach Doctor"), Abu, was equally enjoyable to be around and always had a smile on his face. His food was delicious and provided great comfort after long days on Safari. When we specially requested Banana Pancakes for our final breakfast, Abu happily obliged and made the best Banana Pancakes we'd ever had.
If given the chance to return, we would gladly use this tour operator again and would specifically request the services of Apollo and Abu. We will be recommending your tours to all of our friends. Thank you so much for providing an incredible life changing experience.
3
Client:
Pauline & Michael Stanley, Nancy & Michael Gocke - from Australia
I cannot praise the tour operator enough. After I made the initial enquiry on your site Peniel got in touch with me on a timely basis. Although I did receive answers to my enquiries from the other tour companies they were by far the most efficient and offered the best value for money.
All my questions were answered and Peniel told me things I never thought to ask. At our request they added on a few days in Zanzibar after the safari and that to was excellent.
Peniel was in Arusha to meet us when we arrived at the hotel and he explained everything we needed to know. He came to see us again when we got back from the safari to make sure everything went well and to explain the Zanzibar portion of the trip.
Our guide was also outstanding. During the entire safari his eyes were constantly on the landscaping looking for game for us to view. We saw all of the big five up close. We even saw 4 black rhinos thanks to Anton, and I understand they are hard to see. The safari that they offer is 30% cheaper than other tour companies. I was a little concerned that we may get a cut rate safari but that was not the case. The customer service, accommodation, food and our guide was first rate. All of us have no hesitation in recommending this tour operator.
We had a fabulous time. We had John as our driver guide and Benson as our cook... he is an amazing cook!
We saw Tarangire, Manyara and Serengeti national parks and the Ngorongoro conservation area. It was an amazing safari, John was an excellent guide, the car was an older version landcruiser, but very comfortable and suited to the safari as it had a pop up roof for photographing the animals and comfy seats.
The tent was great and the staff almost always managed to pack up and set up everything before we had a chance to help so we felt lazy but was nice to have it all done for us. We saw all the big 5 plus many other amazing animals and would definately recommend the company to others.
They have an office in Arusha and very competent customer service staff that went beyond duty to help us with going around Arusha to sort our money troubles when our bank had issues sending money from Australia.
Only suggested improvement was a bit more confidence from the guide in terms of engaging us, he had a great knowledge base but seemed shy in divulging the info, we had to ask a lot of questions. all in all a solid 8.5 out of 10! We had a great time with them.
Our safari was wonderful!, The Tangerine and the Ngorongoro parks were beautiful and we saw a lot of animals, although Lake Manyara was not so nice, may be because of the season we went, we couldn't see so many animals there.
John our driver was nice and knowledgeable. We also enjoyed the Octagon Lodge, the service was very good and the installation nice.
I booked a camping tour of Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti, and Ngorongoro through the Africa Guide website for July 2011 for myself and son (age 14). The trip was at the end of several weeks of working in East Africa.
Peniel was incredibly helpful in designing an itinerary and schedule that worked for us, and in assisting us in obtaining local air transportation from Rwanda to our starting point in Arusha. Our driver, Anthony, was very friendly and knowledgeable about flora and fauna during our trip. In terms of animals, we were able to view the 'big 5' in addition to many, many others. We were pleasantly surprised that the package included our own camp guide and cook (Benson) who had delicious meals waiting for us upon arising and return to camp every evening.
We camped in a two man tent, and the addition of cots added significantly to the comfort.
Our guides were very attentive to our needs including, at our request, steering us to a more local craft area for curios and gifts rather than the more well-known, and over-priced, tourist traps in Arusha.
I have had a number of prior safari experiences ranging from tent camping (alone, with groups, and with my children) to high-end lodges (with spouse) in Uganda, South Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania. Unlike other tours with other companies, the operator did not combine us with other groups in the vehicle, allowing for a completely personalized vacation. This added to the flexibility of timing and accommodations.
Overall, this experience ranks an excellent value that allows one to "rough it" but with some unexpected added creature comforts (cots, personal cook). I plan to recommend the operator to my colleagues who are considering safaris in Tanzania.
Everything concerning the accomodations, guides, transprortation and wildlife viewing exceeded our expectations.
Peniel was very professional and took care of all the details concerning the 5 day Safari. Geoffery, our guide, was an excellent travelling companion, wildlife finder, safety manager and teacher.
We strongly recommend using this tour operator for your once in a lifetime safari to Tanzania.
I would be delighted to offer a short review of our holiday experience.
From meeting us at the airport to our departure a fortnight later, Penel, from the tour company, Anton, our safari guide,and Meckson, ourKilimanjaro guide ,were kindness itself.
Nothing was too much trouble and everything ran like clockwork, even when we altered our plans!
The holiday was well organised, from planning our journey up Mt Kilimanjaro, through to which safari parks to visit and which hotels to stay at- all within our price range, I may add.
The whole holiday was a total delight, with of course the friendliness of the Tanzanian people & the beauty of the country all adding to the experience.
I can't recommend this operator highly enough & will certainly return to them when we plan our next holiday ( funds permitting).
Hope this brief paragraph conveys how much we enjoyed the whole experence,
We have just completed the most amazing holiday in Tanzania. The tour operator was fantastic and I would highly recommend them to any travellers to this area.
Peniel did an excellent job of booking all we required and spending time greeting us and making sure eveything was OK. Our driver guide for our safari Apollo was exceptional. He knew so much about the area and the animals and we saw everything! They offer you a very individualised trip suited to your needs and without having to join a group of strangers.As a small local company they value their clients and we were made to feel special.All the accomodation at the lodges was wonderful and we particularly enjoyed the small Manyara Octagon Lodge unique and friendly with excellent home cooked food.
The personnel were wonderful people to deal with, from booking, to the guide. Neema was a delight to work with as I made my reservations. She was patient and prompt with answers to any questions I had.
Huruma, my guide was very knowledgable and pleasant. He took the time to inform me on vegetation, birds, animals and history of the Sengetti and Ngorongoro. The food was good.... Ben (our cook) did a great job.
All went smoothly, from being picked up at the airport to the resrvations at the hotel (which they made for me). Everything was taken care of... Huruma made sure I was settled in at the hotel before he left for the evening.
I would recommend this operator for others to use as a tour operator.
