Marangu Route is also known as the "Coca Cola" or "tourist" route. It is the easiest and shortest route to the summit. This is also the only route with the comforts of sleeping huts at every camp site with solar lights and comfortable beds. The huts are communal, and the bunks have a sponge mattress and pillow. There are 60 beds at both Mandara and Kibo Huts and 120 beds at Horombo Hut. Bathrooms and running water are available at the two lower huts. Mens' and ladies' latrines are available at the last camp but are very basic. All climbing groups, often from several countries around the world, share meals in dining huts providing a jovial and energetic atmosphere. Soft drinks, bottled water, and beer are for sale at the huts. Bring small Tanzanian bills to purchase these items (prices increase with elevation). This route is usually done on 5 days but can be done in 6 days for better acclimatization. The extra day can be spent resting at Horombo or climbing the small peak of Mawenzi.
We recommend you to bring with you gears like; hiking boots, thick hiking socks, windproof/waterproof pants and jacket, heavy gloves, heavy winter jacket, water bottles, gaiters (covers top of boots and bottom of pants), smaller personal backpack, larger backpack for clothes, cold weather sleeping bags, safari style hat protecting face and neck from sun, headlamp style flashlight, camera of course, dried fruit and energy bars, sun block, malaria pills, water purification tablets, inflatable pillows, your regular clothes.
The drive from Arusha to the Kilimanjaro National Park gate, takes about 1hrs. The journey passes through the village of Marangu, which is located on the lower slopes of the mountain. Once you reach the park gate, all hikers are requested to sign in at the Park office and make their final preparations for the climb. Porters will be seen arranging and loading their packs, containing the food, water, cooking gas as well as most of your equipment. Make sure that you have all your daypack items (containing at least drinking water, your lunch pack and extra clothing) with you as the porters ascend a lot quicker than the hikers. Our guides will be available to assist with any additional information or needs you might have. You now leave the Park gate and ascend on a cleared ridge trail through the rain forest. The forest, suffused with mist and dripping with beards of moss, is also where most of Kilimanjaro animals are found. (An alternative and more scenic parallel forest trail, branches off to the left a few minutes after the gate. This trail follows the edge of a stream through the undergrowth and offers you the option to rejoin the main trail either, after 1½ hours hiking, or 1 hour before Mandara hut.) Your first night stop, Mandara hut, is a group of wooden A-framed huts in a forest clearing. Each hut features 6-8 sleeping bunks with solar generated lighting. The total capacity of the camp is 60 climbers. Water is piped into the camp from springs above and there are flush toilets behind the main hut.
Day 2: Mandara hut (2700m) - Horombo hut (3720m)
Hiking time: 6 hours Distance: About 15 km's Habitat: Moorland
From Mandara hut the trail passes through a short stretch of forest, then skirts the base of the Maundi Crater and then emerges into the transition from rain forest to moorland. It is well worth a short detour to scramble up the rim of the Maundi Crater for your first really impressive view of the Kibo Crater. On a clear day, Kibo will glimmer in the distance, showing off her majestic glaciers in the morning sun. Once you are in the open moorland you will get the chance to see some of Kilimanjaro's most spectacular plants - the endemic giant lobelia which grows up to 3 m in height and the giant groundsel (Senecia Kilimanjari), which can reach heights of 5m! After about 6 hours from here you reach the Horombo hut, where you will have hot washing water, rest; an evening meal and overnight.
Day 3: Horombo hut (3720m) - Acclimatisation day
Horombo hut is a village of huts perched on a small plateau, with buildings similar to Mandara, but with a total capacity of 120 climbers! Normally bustling with hikers, guides, porters and with an atmosphere of adventure and excitement. You will meet both ascending and descending hikers here. This extra day and night at Horombo is for additional acclimatisation. A hike towards the Mawenzi hut, passing the Zebra Rocks on the way (about 3 hours up and 1.5 hours down), is strongly recommended. This hike will further assist with the process of acclimatisation. Remember to drink enough water and move slowly! All meals for the day are provided at the hut. Retire to bed early and get a last good night's rest.
After breakfast you now continue your ascent into the Alpine desert habitat. From Horombo there are two trails to the "Saddle" (which refers to the area located between the peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo). There is an upper route (right hand fork) and lower route (left hand fork) to choose from. The upper route (right hand fork) will be very familiar, as you will have climbed most of it the previous day towards Mawenzi hut. It is very stony and eroded. The recommended lower route (left hand fork) is much easier and nearly an hour and it also passes the last watering point at 4130m. You will have to fill your water bottles with all the water you will need until your return to Horombo hut in two night's time (unless you are willing to buy Mineral water at Kibo hut). Once again remember to slow down and drink enough water!! Situated in the barren Alpine desert is Horombo hut, a stone build block house which has bunk beds for 60 climbers, but no streams with water nearby. It is however possible to buy mineral water and soft drinks at the camp office. There are platform toilets behind the hut. The summit is now a further 1195m up and you will make your final ascent the same night. Prepare your equipment, ski-stick and thermal clothing for your summit bid. This should include the replacement of your headlamp and camera batteries and make sure you have a spare set available as well. To prevent freezing it will be wise to carry your water in a thermal flask. Go to bed at round about 19h00 and try to get as much rest and sleep as possible.
Day 5: SUMMIT ATTEMPT, Kibo hut (4700m) - Uhuru Peak (5895m) - Horombo hut (3720m)
Hiking time: 8 hours to Uhuru - 6 hours to descend to Horombo Distance: 6 km's ascent - 21 km's descent Habitat: Stone scree and ice-capped summit
You will rise around 23h30, and after some tea and biscuits you shuffle off into the night, and this is where the going really gets tough. The first section of the trail consists of a rocky path to the Hans Meyer Cave (5150m), also a good resting spot. The path then zigzags up to Gillman's point (5 681m), which is located on the crater rim. This section is very steep with a lot of stone scree, requiring a great physical and mental effort. Probably the most demanding section of the entire route. Do the Kili shuffle and move slowly. From Gillman’s Point you will normally encounter snow all the way up to Uhuru peak (5895m), the highest point in Africa. Total exhilaration and satisfaction - you made it. Weather conditions on the summit will determine how long you will be able to spend, taking photographs, before the 3 hour descent back to Kibo hut. After a short rest you gather all your gear you left behind for the ascent and head down to Horombo hut (3 hours) for your overnight. The return to Horombo hut will seem surprisingly fast compared to the ascent. The total time spent walking on this day is around 14 hours, so be prepared for a very tough day. Later in the evening you enjoy your last dinner (with soft drinks and beer for sale at the camp office) on the mountain and a well-earned sleep, filled with memories and stirring emotions.
Day 6: Horombo hut (3720m) - Marangu Gate (1980m)
Hiking time: 6 hours Distance: About 27 km's
After breakfast you continue your descent (6 hours), passing the Mandara hut, down to the Marangu gate. At Marangu gate you sign your name and details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Gillman's Point (5685m) are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m), receive gold certificates. A vehicle will meet you at Marangu village to drive you back to the Hotel in Arusha Don't forget to tip your guides and porters. It is time for celebration!
End of Tour.
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 - 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.
