The cost of a flight always depends on the time of travel. The chart will allow you to compare prices for air tickets to Kilimanjaro, track the dynamics of changes in their cost and find the best offer.
Statistics will help determine the season of low prices. For example, in December prices reach an average of 71,042 rubles, and in March the cost of tickets drops to an average of 40,615 rubles. Plan your trip now!
We analyze this information and create charts to make it easier for you to plan your trips.
What is more profitable – to buy air tickets in advance, avoiding the general rush, or to take advantage of a “hot” offer closer to the departure date? The chart will help you determine the best time to purchase airline tickets.
See how the price of air tickets to Kilimanjaro has changed depending on the time of purchase. Since the start of sales, their prices have changed by an average of 90%. The minimum price for a flight to Kilimanjaro is 15 days before departure, approximately 6,793 rubles. The maximum price for a flight to Kilimanjaro is 59 days before departure, approximately 111,121 rubles. In most cases, early booking helps you save money, take advantage of it!
Airfare to Kilimanjaro does not represent a fixed and constant amount. It depends on many factors, including the day of departure. The dynamics of changes are visible on the graph.
According to statistics, the most affordable option for flights to Kilimanjaro is on Thursdays, their average cost is 49,613 rubles. The most expensive flights are on Saturdays, their average cost is 64,728 rubles. It is worth considering that flights on holidays are usually more expensive. We hope this information will help you plan your travels more effectively.
The cost of air tickets depends not only on the date, but also on the time of departure. An airline can operate several flights on one day, and they will differ in price category.
The graph shows the cost of departure depending on the time of day. For example, the average cost of a ticket to Kilimanjaro in the morning is 37,507 rubles, and in the evening 45,426 rubles. Evaluate all conditions and choose the best offer.
The graph shows comparative prices for air tickets to Kilimanjaro on the most popular airlines. Based on this information, you can plan your trip and buy air tickets to Kilimanjaro from the carrier that suits you.
Statistics will help you choose a flight based on your financial capabilities, as well as your wishes in terms of comfort and flight conditions. The lowest prices for air tickets to Kilimanjaro are offered by Precision Air, the highest prices are offered by Turkish Airlines.
First you need to get into Kilimanjaro International Airport(code JRO).
It is located just 50 kilometers from the foot of the mountain, from where you actually need to go towards adventure.
Kilimanjaro International Airport has been open since 1971 and accepts flights from either Dar es Salaam or Dodoma(capital of Tanzania). So without transfers nothing will work anyway. And first you fly to either Dar es Salaam or Dodoma. And from there, board a plane (usually local airlines). Please note that you need to clearly plan the dates of your route and pre-book your seats, because you will almost certainly not be able to buy tickets upon arrival.
And in the most “active” months (in terms of tourist attendance), such as July, August and December, even booking a plane ticket will be difficult, since there are not enough flights to Kilimanjaro. If you still want to get there during this period, then it is best to buy your air tickets very in advance - several months before departure.
Vayama and Expedia airlines offer tourists some of the cheapest tickets to Kilimanjaro Airport. However, these companies require that air tickets booked with them be purchased at least a week before departure (tickets are usually sent via the Internet).
Getting to Kilimanjaro National Park across Tanzania by bus, to put it mildly, is not logical, given the long distances and not the best quality of roads. Although this option is possible. But keep in mind that traveling from Dar es Salaam by bus along the highway will be approximately 560 kilometers, which will take the whole day. Some tourists prefer to rent a car at the airport and get there on their own.
Also You can fly to Kilimanjaro Airport from Nairobi(capital of Kenya). By the way, it is much closer, only 200 kilometers. As a matter of fact, if you plan to visit only Kilimanjaro National Park in Tanzania, then it would be more correct to organize a transfer and “connection” of flights in Nairobi. Moreover, in such a way as not to leave the airport terminal and not to apply for a Kenya visa.
There is an absolutely fantastic option to get to Kilimanjaro from Nairobi. But this is only if there are no options at all, and you have flown to the capital of Kenya. You spend the night in a hotel there and go in the morning by charter bus to Arusha. You will cross the border with Tanzania near the city of Namanga. The duration of such a trip is about 6 hours. In addition to these inconveniences, you will need to apply for a Kenyan tourist visa (you can buy it directly at the Nairobi airport building). Already from Arusha you get to Kilimanjaro National Park. The distance along the highway is approximately 130 kilometers.
The small town of Moshi is located closest to Kilimanjaro National Park, almost nearby. The bulk of travel agencies organizing tours to the park are located in Moshi.
The entrance to the National Park is at a fairly high altitude (about 2000 meters). In this regard, tourists are advised to spend a day or two in Arusha or Moshi for mountain adaptation.
Summit of Kilimanjaro
Purpose of the report
Today, there is a lot of information about climbing Kilimanjaro. But despite all this, having re-read the bulk of modern reports and a huge number of “Kilimanjara” topics on forums, we were still unable to form a complete and clear picture for ourselves before the ascent. This inevitably led to certain difficulties in Tanzania. Therefore, in this report we would like to analyze our trip from a practical point of view, in order to protect future tourists from the mistakes we made and make it easier for them to travel in the future. Who may be interested in this report?This report was written primarily for tourists who want to organize the ascent on their own, bypassing intermediary companies (both Russian and Tanzanian). The benefit is obvious - travel will cost you less. If the financial aspect of a trip to Tanzania is not relevant to you and you plan to use the services of travel companies at a premium, then many of the questions in this report completely lose their practical meaning. Composition of the group 1 . Golubov Vitaly, group leader (Stavropol) 2 . Pogodin Alexander (Stavropol) 3 . Bykov Yuri (Stavropol) 4 . Rudenko Viktor (Stavropol) 5 . Romasevich Pavel (Volgograd) 6 . Tokarev Sergey (Volgograd) 7 . Olga Grigorieva (Irkutsk)
Part I. Preparatory questions
1. Choosing a route to Kilimanjaro. The main routes with their advantages and disadvantages are well describedWe chose the Machame route because of its acclimatization advantages (at the halfway point of the route there is an acclimatization climb to the height of the Lava Tower camp). The route is very beautiful. After the third day, you go around the mountain on the right side, which gives you the opportunity to see the peak from different angles. 2 . Choosing a calendar time for ascent. It is believed that January and February are the most optimal months for climbing Kilimanjaro, at this time it is dry and warm with light rain showers. 3. Options for getting to the mountain (tickets). A) By plane from Moscow or St. Petersburg to Tanzania at Kilimanjaro airport. The most logical and fastest way to get to the mountain. If you order tickets 4-6 months before the trip, the flight price will cost approximately 23,000 (round trip). Turkish airlines have the cheapest prices; tickets can be easily found through any search engine. The flight takes place with one transfer, usually in Istanbul. B) By plane to neighboring Kenya, to Nairobi, on the border with Tanzania. The price of tickets is somewhat cheaper; for the same Turkish airlines, if you purchase tickets 4-6 months in advance, it will cost about 20,000 rubles (round trip). However, this option has several disadvantages: Firstly, this is a longer path. You will have to wait for the shuttle bus to leave for neighboring Tanzania and spend about 7-8 hours traveling there. Shuttles run twice a day, and if you arrive after it leaves, you will have to wait for the next shuttle, thereby spending about one extra day on the Kenya-Tanzania stage.
Secondly, there will be additional costs. $40 per person for the shuttle and paying for a completely unnecessary additional visa to Kenya ($50). As a result, the cost of the journey is the same as by plane to Tanzania. A) When purchasing tickets, you must carefully ensure that the transfer time, for example, in Istanbul, is at least three hours! In our case, the transfer time was only 50 minutes, as a result of which the plane, for unknown reasons, was late to Istanbul and we did not catch the flight to Africa. As a result, our plan was completely shifted for a whole day (we had to wait almost 20 hours for the next flight). As compensation, however, we were taken for free and accommodated in a hotel in Istanbul with two meals a day. B) When purchasing tickets, you must start by working out the flight to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. However, at the time of our search there were no cheap tickets in this direction, but after some time, they nevertheless appeared. Therefore, in our case, we initially settled on the option to Nairobi, and bought tickets for this particular flight, although this option turned out to be worse. But the situation with the flight delay in Istanbul made it possible to change tickets for the Tanzanian flight, but this scheme only worked on the way there. 4. Hotel reservations. We booked a hotel in the city of Moshi OsyGrandHotel. We corresponded with them a month in advance by email [email protected]
A room per person per night including breakfast costs $25 per person. The hotel is actually 2-3 stars, but it seems to be the best thing in Moshi.
In Arusha, for a safari trip, we booked the MD - PENGUIN RESORT HOTEL. Wrote to the address [email protected] The price is the same with breakfast. The hotel is much better than in Moshi, much newer, but without air conditioning. What you should pay attention to:
You should arrive at the hotel in Moshi the night before, or preferably during the day, so that you can have a good rest before starting the ascent. The option we took - we arrived at 4 in the morning and went up the mountain at 10 - was absolutely wrong and took a lot of energy. 5. How to minimize the cost of climbing? The price of the mountain will be much less under the following conditions: A) You bring your own products from the Russian Federation and will cook for yourself. B) To do this, you buy gas at Moshi (and if you wish, you can carry gas on the plane, although not legally...). IN) You minimize the number of guides and porters for your group, thereby getting rid of extra mouths to feed, and therefore unnecessary financial costs for them. To do this, you will need a private, licensed guide, not a large climbing company. G) You must be physically well prepared to complete the entire route in 5 nights and 6 days, because each additional day on the mountain and overnight stay are paid separately. 5. Selection of a guide and accompanying staff. The most difficult and basic question. There are many companies in Tanzania that offer services for climbing Kilimanjaro. This is a kind of anthill, there are a lot of them, and each company must definitely declare that “you need to use only their specific services, otherwise the rest will rob us, kill and strip us...”. If you collect 20 of the most famous companies on the Internet and write to them, you can get approximately the same answer, which means the start of bidding: “the price of the Machame tour will cost 1100 - 1200 dollars per person.” Then bidding by correspondence begins and the average price drops to $1,050 per person. An equally difficult issue is the accompanying personnel. The spread here is quite significant. For our group of 7 people, we were offered from 6 to 16 guides and from 10 to 34 porters. We initially knew that we didn’t need so many staff, but it is very difficult to negotiate on minimizing guides and porters with local companies. Having realized this, we turned to the services of a private licensed guide, who agreed to all our proposals: to cook his own food, live in their tents, and carry some of their belongings. We settled on one guide, two assistants and three porters. A private guide will no longer accept fewer services. As a result, the price for this option was the cheapest, but this had almost no effect on the quality of the ascent. 6. Financial preparation for the mountain (what does the cost of the climb actually consist of?). After lengthy and persistent questioning and negotiations with the Tanzanian side, some more or less clear data emerged. A) Packing for the park. For five nights and six days we paid $630 per person, which means one day on the mountain will cost you about $100 per day. B) The group requires permission (permit). It cost us $200 per group. IN) Guides and porters must feed themselves, so they initially include funds for their food in the total cost. G) Salaries for guides and porters (discussed individually with their boss). D) Tips for guides and porters. Required component. Payment is made after the ascent. The amount is discussed individually, strictly before the start of the ascent, otherwise problems may arise later. On average, 100 dollars per person for the entire trip, but you can negotiate up to 75, as we did. In total, climbing Kilimanjaro along the 5 nights/6 days route cost us $750 per person. 7. Medical issues. Tanzania is among the few countries on the African continent that require a yellow fever vaccination certificate. They can be vaccinated in any major city in the Russian Federation. Pricing policies are different everywhere. For example, one of our climbers was vaccinated in Irkutsk absolutely free of charge. For us, vaccination in Krasnodar cost 1200 rubles per person. You must be vaccinated 10 days before entering Africa. A certificate is issued (ours is yellow) which you must have with you on the plane. Certificates were asked right at the entrance to Kilimanjaro airport before passport control.
Given the presence of two doctors in our group, the decision was made not to get vaccinated against tetanus and not to take anti-malaria tablets. It is believed that it is better to take preventive measures against malaria if you plan to visit the ocean (the island of Zanzibar, for example).
We took with us a heavy first aid kit “for all occasions”; it was very useful in Africa.
A month before the trip, we took multivitamins; from the first day on the mountain we drank Diacarb (1 tablet twice a day) to reduce the manifestations of altitude sickness. The drug works well. 8. Insurance. Of course, I had thoughts of insuring myself against an accident in Africa. However, having visited all the local central offices of insurance agencies, almost all insurers unanimously declared that they would not be able to provide us with real assistance in Africa. They will, of course, take money for insurance without any problems, but all this will be only in terms of “psychotherapeutic reassurance.” That's why we didn't take out insurance. 9. Equipment. Kilimanjaro is not a technically difficult mountain. We took only standard hiking clothes for mountain hiking and trekking poles. 10. Package of documents to Tanzania. We took with us: a yellow fever certificate, in addition to the originals, photocopies of Russian and international passports, addresses and telephone numbers of Russian embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, correspondence with the guide and with hotels when booking rooms. It is imperative to take a copy of correspondence with Tanzanians, because these people have the ability to forget about their words or unexpectedly change the price from a previously agreed price. 11. An important additional point. Traveling to Tanzania on your own without the support of a large travel company, although cheaper, is not safer in terms of legal issues. Therefore, at the preparatory stage, we decided to play it safe and contacted the branch of Rossotrudnichestvo in Tanzania, based at the Russian Center for Science and Culture. This center has fairly close ties with the Russian Embassy in Tanzania. We communicated by correspondence with Alexander Zdanevich, head of the Rossotrudnichestvo representative office in Tanzania, by email [email protected] As a result of the correspondence, we received a lot of useful information about Tanzania before the trip. Having such an acquaintance, we felt much calmer when we arrived in Tanzania. After the ascent, I managed to meet Alexander Zdanevich in person. The conversation opened our eyes even more to Tanzanian realities (the information was presented from the perspective of the Russian mentality). So, we recommend that everyone who is independently going to Tanzania to Kilimanjaro use this channel for communication and “legal knowledge.”
Part II. Direct ascent
(analysis of the Machame route)
A few words about the laws of Kilimanjaro and Tanzania
There were very few insects. There were no flies or mosquitoes at all. We didn’t encounter any creeping reptiles on the mountain at all. The only living creatures were a lot of their local black crows. Route thread 1 . Kilimanjaro Airport (Tanzania) - Moshi town (hotel) 2 . Hotel Moshi-Machame Gate 3 . "Machame Gate" - "Machame Camp" 4 . "Machame Camp" - "Shira Camp" 5 . "Shira Camp" - "LavaTower" - "Baranko Camp" 6 . "Baranco Camp" - "Karanga Camp" - "Barafu Camp" 7 . "Barafu Camp" - "Uhuru Peak" - "Mweka Camp" - "Mweka Gate" 8 . "Mweka Gate" - Moshi city (hotel) 9 . Moshi Town (hotel) – Nairobi (Kenya)
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Figure No. 1. Machame route map.
1. Kilimanjaro Airport (Tanzania) - Moshi town (hotel) After landing, we go through passport control and pay $50 for a Tanzanian visa. We traveled from Kilimanjaro airport to the city of Moshi (a small town at the foot of the mountain) by minibus. There is no public transport. We agreed on the car with the guide, the price for the car was 70 dollars per group. The journey takes one hour. Near the hotel there are many shops and a market where you can buy vegetables and fruits. 10 minutes by car from the hotel, you can find gas for sale. At 8 am, when the banks open, we pay for being on the mountain. After this, the payment receipt was shown in all camps when registering the group. 2. Hotel in Moshi - “Machame Gate” The stage is covered by car. Travel time is about an hour. “Machame Gate” (“Machame Gate”), a site where tourists planning to climb on this day are taken. Today, the total number of tourists from countries around the world and guides with porters was estimated at approximately 500 people.A line of porters to be weighed.
According to Tanzanian laws, today one porter can carry no more than 20 kg. It’s interesting, but they were absolutely not interested in the weight of our backpacks. I knew that our leader would carry more than 20 kg, but no one was interested. 3. “Machame Gate” (1850 m) – “Machame Camp” (3000 m)– first day on the mountain
Travel time is 5 hours. Duration 18 km. The first kilometer is an asphalt road, then a path, in some places like a staircase, everywhere formed with the help of sticks. The trail goes through the tropical forest, with a fairly decent elevation gain in places. At the end of the path, the forest gradually thins out and the “Machame Camp” camp appears. This camp has an excellent spring with drinking water, which is especially important, since during the ascent, water was not encountered. First night. 4. “Machame Camp” (3000m) – “Shira Camp” (3850 m)– second day on the mountain
Travel time is 3.5 -4.5 hours. Duration 9 km. The trail is no longer “stair-shaped”; almost the entire length goes steeply upward, with rare flat sections. Nature becomes monotonous, with sparse vegetation. There is no water on the rise. In the camp itself, the water source is much worse. This drinking water was boiled. Second night.
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Ascent to the Shira Camp camp
5. Shira Camp (3850 m) - LavaTower (4700 m) - Baranko Camp (3900 m)– third day on the mountainTravel time is 5-6 hours. Duration 14 km. The trail is not as steep as it was the first two days. Most of the path goes with a slight climb, mostly on flat terrain. At this stage, we put on boots (previously we wore regular sneakers) and a lot of stones. The first three hours climb to the Lava Tower. There is an additional camp for the night, where tourists traveling with a large reserve of time stop for the night in order to better acclimatize. A short rest for us at the Lava Tower and a two-hour descent to the Baranco Camp. There are no sources of water at this stage. In the camp itself the water is of poor quality, as in the previous camp. Third night.
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Descent to the Baranko Camp camp.
6. “Baranko Camp” (3900 m) - “Karanga Camp” - “Barafu Camp” (4650 m)– fourth day on the mountainTravel time is 7-8 hours. Duration 14 km. The route begins by taking " Great Wall", a rocky wall several hundred meters high, which is quite easy to climb and does not require special preparation. The only thing that really hinders you is the porters, who try to overtake you, thereby creating real traffic jams on the trail.
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Climbing the Great Wall
Then we reach the plateau and move towards the Karanga Camp camp, to which we first have to descend quite sharply. At the end of the descent there is a small river with drinking water, this is important, because there will be no further sources of water until the very descent from the top. A short climb and we find ourselves at Karanga Camp. This is also an intermediate camp, where those wishing to undergo additional acclimatization can stay overnight. A short rest and another climb for about three hours, the main difficulty of which will be at the very end, where you need to gain a sharp rise in height over the rocks. Afternoon relaxation at Barafu Camp. There is no water.
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Assault camp "Barafu Camp"
7. “Barafu Camp” (4650 m) - “Uhuru Peak” (5895 m) - “Mweka Camp” (3100 m) - “Mweka Gate” (1800 m)– fifth – sixth day on the mountainFrom 23 to 24 o'clock at night access to the mountain. Rise time 6-7 hours. At around 6 am we will meet the sunrise at the top. It is important to remember that Kilimanjaro has two summits. First, " Stella point"(5756 m), is located 200 meters below Uhuru Peak, so you have to gain strength for the last throw from the “wrong” peak. Glaciers of Kilimanjaro.
Descent to Mweka Camp.
In most cases, an overnight stay is made at Mweka Camp, but the guides drove us further down (another 3 hours) and this was a big mistake, because together with the ascent that day we walked for about 20 hours! Undoubtedly, you need to stay overnight at Mweka Camp. 8. “Mweka Gate” - Moshi city (hotel) About an hour away by car. We fall exhausted in the room Osy Grand Hotel. 9. Moshi City (hotel) – Nairobi (Kenya) The stage is overcome by shuttle. The journey takes about 7 hours. But it’s more logical to go from the hotel to Kilimanjaro Airport, which is closer and cheaper. At the end of my stay in Africa there were exciting trips to the island of Znazibar and safaris in national parks, but that’s a completely different story. Contact the author [email protected]
Preparing for your trip | Our route in Tanzania| Dar es Salaam | Safari | Kilimanjaro | Zanzibar | Travel budget and coordinates
Several of our friends traveled around Africa, and then showed very beautiful photographs, told amazing stories about Tanzania, safari, the romance of Zanzibar and the majestic volcano Kilimanjaro. We wanted to go to Africa, to Tanzania! Safari, wild animals, Kilimanjaro, and indeed real exoticism were so to our taste that we immediately began collecting information and reviews. Having studied the experience of our predecessor, as well as numerous reviews from tourists on the Internet, we began preparing our trip to Tanzania.
Preparing your trip to Tanzania
Mount Kilimanjaro is located in Tanzania, Africa. Africa is one of the few continents where I have not been yet, except for Egypt, of course. We decided to look at Africa, go on a safari, conquer Kilimanjaro, and, in the end, after a difficult climb, relax on the snow-white beaches of Zanzibar. In general, the task was not an easy one - to combine so many activities in one vacation.
We planned a trip to Tanzania for the January holidays, but I started preparing already in April. First of all, I had to buy air tickets.
How to get from Moscow to Tanzania
There are no direct flights from Moscow to Kilimanjaro (the city of the same name in Tanzania). There were flight options with a transfer through Qatar (Qatar Airways)) or through Istanbul (Turkish Airlines)). We purchased Turkish Airlines tickets from Moscow to Dar es Salaam (the second largest city in Tanzania) with a transfer in Istanbul. Next, from Dar es Salaam we were supposed to fly domestic airlines with 540 aviation to the city of Kilimanjaro, where the airport is located (tickets for the domestic flight were purchased separately).
On the Internet at the local agency www.ptmtours.com we purchased: a tour “Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro” and a safari in three local parks in Tanzania. For a beach holiday, we booked the Blu Marlin Village Hotel, (http://www.zanzibarblumarlin.com) in Zanzibar for a few days. In general, it turned out that our vacation consisted of three parts: a safari through the parks of Tanzania, climbing to the top of Kilimajaro and idle doing nothing in Zanzibar.
Many tourists, preparing for a trip to Tanzania, purchase only air tickets, and negotiate on safari and climbing Kilimanjaro on the spot, but we chose not to risk it.
A trip to Kilimanjaro requires special preparation, because we are going not just anywhere, but to Africa.
So, before traveling to Tanzania you need to:
1. Get vaccinated against yellow fever. In Moscow, this vaccination is given only in a few places (GKUZ Infectious Clinical Hospital No. 1, GBUZ City Clinic No. 5, Vaccination Point No. 6 of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Polyclinic No. 1" of the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation, the coordinates of these hospitals can be easily found on the Internet). It lasts for 10 years. Once vaccinated, the traveler is given a certificate, which is sometimes required by customs. But we were not asked to present it anywhere. It is very important to get vaccinated no later than 10 days before your trip, as you may feel slightly unwell. We didn’t need any extra problems on the trip, so we got vaccinated in advance.
2. It is necessary to insure yourself against malaria. We bought pills (mefloquine or Lariam) just in case. The situation with malaria is as follows: you can take a weekly course of tablets for prevention. But in case of illness, it is necessary to be treated with tablets of a different type. That is, those pills that you took for prevention will not help. At the hospital where we were vaccinated, they advised us not to drink them, as our immunity could be greatly reduced and our liver could be damaged. At the slightest hint of malaria, you just need to take a loading dose. Thank God we didn't need the pills. In general, it is better to consult a doctor about how best to proceed.
3. Buy insect repellents, which are abundant in Tanzania. We stocked up on a lot of repellent. You should definitely take a mobile Raptor with you (with a battery-powered fan). He was simply irreplaceable in the tent. Perhaps it provides little protection from insects, but it gives you an inner feeling of confidence that no one will bite you in the tent at night. Also take insect repellent coils and sprays with you, it won’t make things worse.
4. You should also take hand sanitizer with you., because when climbing, and even on safari, there is often nowhere to wash your hands. Moreover, there should be a lot of bottles of antiseptic so that it is in the pockets of all clothes.
5. On safari you too you will need binoculars. There will be one pair of binoculars in the safari vehicle. But keep in mind that it will be for 6 people.
6. You must also buy tablets for mountain sickness. For better acclimatization in the mountains, for example, we drank Diamox while climbing Kilimanjaro.
7. If you have booked excursions and safaris online in advance, be sure to write down all contact numbers, addresses of the organizers, this is important!
8. Before the trip enable international roaming g and connect for 1-2 days unlimited internet, you may really need it. I don’t even know what we would do if we didn’t have it.
10. Stock your travel first aid kit. There should be tablets for malaria, tablets for mountain sickness, elastic bandages in case of injuries, pain cream (something like Nise or diclofenac), sedatives (in order to sleep well in the mountains), definitely something from colds, iodine or brilliant green; cotton buds.
11. And, of course, don’t forget camera. By the way, not everything is simple with a camera either. Be sure to take a couple of spare batteries with you and charge them first. On long safari trips or when climbing, there will be no place to charge them. To prevent your camera from acting up after the summit of Kilimanjaro, I recommend taking a special case against the cold and rain.
To climb Kilimajaro you need to take with you on your trip:
1. Sleeping bag(it’s better to buy up to minus 15);
2. For protection from heavy rains - storm pants, storm jacket, water-repellent socks and waterproof gaiters, so that water would not flow into the boots from above (unfortunately, we did not have them - we paid for this by getting wet from head to toe every day).
3. Sunscreen and glasses(if you take regular sunglasses, they should be as dark as possible and fit tightly to your face).
4. Thermal underwear and ski pants;
5. A long, warm jacket with a hood (it’s cold at the top), warm gloves;
6. Flashlight(with a set of spare batteries, which we also didn’t have, and the flashlight died at the most inopportune moment - just before the night climb to the top),
7. The most important thing is good trekking boots, It’s better not to skimp (your boots should be broken in first, since 3-4 days of climbing in new boots can give you painful blisters).
8. Waterproof backpacks(we took 2 large easel backpacks with a capacity of 25-30 liters for porters, and 2 ordinary small ones for ourselves, with a volume of 10 liters). There is an option to rent them on site, but as practice has shown, this is not the best way.
9. You will have to buy it on the spot wide umbrella(so as not to carry bulky things with you), and also rent trekking poles, balaclava and water bottles.
Of course, at the time of preparing the trip, we did not know all the nuances, and we did not have everything that was listed. But I hope my review will help other travelers not make our mistakes, because the list was written based on experience.
And now, finally, the long-awaited vacation has begun. Continue reading here.
Continued>>
“The crown of Tanzania” is Mount Kilimanjaro (from Swahili - “the mountain that sparkles”). It is impossible not to recognize it - rising directly above the flat plains, covered with a snow cap at the top, it has become a real symbol of the country. Every year, about 15 thousand people “storm” Kilimanjaro and only 40% reach the top.
Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa (5890 m), the diameter of its base is 60 km.
For those who feel that they may not have enough patience for a full climb, the nearby Serengeti National Park, one of the largest nature reserves in the world, is ready to reveal its beauty. Another oasis of African colorful nature is Tarangire National Park, located on the banks of the Tarangire River flowing from north to south.
Weather in Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro has a distinct rainy season. The air temperature can change dramatically depending on the altitude, as well as the time of day. For example, on the lower plains at the foot of Kilimanjaro the average temperature is +30 °C, at an altitude of 3000 m there are frosts and +5...15 °C. At night, the temperature at the summit drops below zero.
Climbing Kilimanjaro can be done throughout the year, but the best times are considered to be from August to October and January to March.
An amazing feature is that climbing Kilimanjaro is accompanied by all types of climate on our planet, from the humid tropics to the icy snowy peaks.
Kilimanjaro Tour
To visit Kilimanjaro National Reserve, you need to find a travel agency accredited in Kilimanjaro National Park in the nearest town of Moshi and buy a tour from them for about $1,000. Professional guides, porters and even chefs are ready to accompany you on this adventure, which usually lasts 5-6 days. The best period for climbing is from December to February or from June to October.
The reward waiting for you at the top of the mountain will make all your hiking efforts worthwhile. Firstly, you will see unique eternal ice (Kilimanjaro is located three degrees south of the equator). Secondly, within the inner Reusch Crater (1.3 km in diameter) you can see signs of volcanic activity, including smoke and the smell of sulfur. Thirdly, if you look down from the top, you can see 7 well-defined trails along which climbs to the peak of the world natural attraction are carried out.
The three easiest routes on Kilimanjaro - Marangu, Rongai and Mashame - can be climbed by almost anyone without mountaineering training.
Five of these trails are climb-only (meaning you can only walk up them, but descending from the summit on these trails is prohibited by Kilimanjaro National Park regulations). Another Mweka trail is for descent only. And another trail called Marangu (or “Coca-Cola Path”) serves both ascent and descent. All these trails are crossed at an altitude of 4 km by a circular trail - this is the Kibo Ring, divided into the Northern Kibo Ring and the Southern Kibo Ring.
Three trails from the loop lead to the caldera of Kibo Peak Crater: the Western Gap Trail (also known as the Glacier Arrow Trail), the Barafu Trail, and an unnamed third trail leading from Kibo Hut to Gilmand Point (from where you can look into Kibo Crater).
Approximate prices for organized tours:
- Group 4-5 people. - 3600 USD/person.
- Group 6-7 people. - 3450 USD/person.
- Group 8 people and above - 3300 USD/person.
Kilimanjaro
Climbing Kilimanjaro
The highest point is the Uhuru peak of the Kibo volcano (5,895 m), which belongs to the “Seven Summits” (five thousand meters). The peak was first climbed by Hans Mayer in 1889. The other two peaks are the extinct volcanoes of Mawenzi to the east (5,149 m, the third highest in Africa) and to the west of the main mountain lies Shira (3,962 m), the oldest of all volcanoes.
Climbing Mawenzi requires rock, snow and ice climbing skills. But the climb to the higher Uhuru Peak is considered quite simple, although it requires time for acclimatization. The three easiest routes: Marangu, Rongai and Mashama can be climbed by almost anyone without mountaineering training. Other routes, such as the Polish Glacier and Western Gap, require special equipment.
Routes
There are six main climbing routes leading to the base of Kibo Peak:
- little-used Shira route,
- Lemosho route,
- Machame route,
- Umbwe route,
- Marangu route, or “Coca-Cola way” (Marangu) and
- northern route Rongai or Loitokitok or Ron.
Which trail to choose depends on your initial route choice. If you climb the more difficult and interesting trail “Glacier Arrow Route”, you need to start climbing the Shiva, Lemosho, Mashame and Umbwe routes. If an easier route from Kibo Hut is preferred, then the Marangu (Coca-Cola) or Rongai route is worth taking. You can create your own route, but for this you will have to obtain permission in advance from the park management (KINAPA). Get ready for additional costs and paperwork.
5 things to do on Kilimanjaro
- Capture the moment when the clouds rise up, filling the vast space and Mawenzi Peak disappears before your eyes. This spectacle can only be seen during the tropical rainy season.
- Ride a jeep along the picturesque foot of the mountain. A Land Rover or Toyota Land Cruiser with a lifting roof, specially equipped for video and photo filming, will take you through the tropical jungle like a breeze.
- Get acquainted with the life of the Chagga people, who grow the well-known coffee, maize and bananas in the territory called “Shamba”.
- Explore the surrounding area from the beautiful Uhuru Peak, the panoramas from which are guaranteed to be picturesque and luxurious.
- Climb on foot at least to the Gillman Point peak, the lowest on Kilimanjaro.
Marangu route or Coca-Cola route
It takes 5-6 days and is the oldest and traditionally the most popular. This is the only route that does not require camping. There are three mountain lodges along the way: Mandara hut (2700 m), Horombo hut (3700 m) and Kibo hut (4700 m).
Route Machame
The 6-7 day Machame route is gaining popularity, although it is considered more difficult than Marangu.
Rongai Route
Lasts 5-6 days and starts from the north side of Kilimanjaro. Despite the fact that the route is little known, the path promises to be exciting and interesting, with possible encounters with exotic African animals. It begins in the town of Loitokitok, which is why its second name is Loitokitok.
Umbwe route
5-6 days of the Umbwe route promise to be challenging in your trekking practice. Steep slopes, dense jungle, camp in the Kibo crater to somehow restore strength. If you follow the Barafu Trail, the campsite is called Barafu Campground.
Lemosho Route and Shira Plateau Route
Will take about 5-8 days. Not particularly popular due to the tough initial stage, and the start of the Shira Plateau trail can only be reached by 4WD truck or jeep.
Descent from Kilimanjaro
To regulate the number of people on each of the routes, the Kilimanjaro Park Authority (KINAPA) has introduced certain rules that determine the descent routes from Mount Kilimanjaro: those ascending from the south or southwest (i.e. the Mashame, Umbwe, Lemosho and Shira), must descend along the Mweka trail. And if you ascended the mountain from the southeast or north (i.e. via the Marangu or Rongai/Loitokitok route), you should descend via the Marangu route.
Climbing rules
Climbing Kilimanjaro does not require any special physical, much less technical, preparation, because the main reason for failure to conquer the peak is symptoms of altitude sickness. The prescription is Diamox (used for quick acclimatization), but it is better to check the reaction to it in advance.
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