Climbing Kilimanjaro Tanzania

The first day of the trip will be devoted to getting to Kilimanjaro, which is not a short journey, as we have to fly halfway across Africa. The first flight will be to the island of Zanzibar. We won't stay there for long but will immediately fly to Kilimanjaro airport, and from there, we will go to our hotel in Moshi. We will arrive in the evening, so we will have some time to walk around the town, try local dishes, and see how the people of Tanzania live.

Walking around Moshi, you will feel that Tanzania is very different from the countries we are used to, just like the rest of Africa. Let us tell you some interesting facts about Tanzania. This country is located in the eastern part of Africa and is bordered by the Indian Ocean in the east. It is a business card of Africa, as it has the most beautiful nature with all climatic zones and the most significant number of animals, birds, insects, plants, and marine life on the entire continent.

The official languages of Tanzania are English and Swahili, but despite this, almost no one speaks English here, except for people working with tourists. The country's population speaks 120 different languages. Tanzania boasts the best beaches in Africa and the world—these are the beaches of Zanzibar. They often receive awards from various tourist ratings. This is only a small part of the information about the country, but be sure, Tanzania will surprise you!

Today, we start our ascent to Kilimanjaro. We will be transferred to the western entrance to Kilimanjaro National Park - Londorosi Gate in the morning. After obtaining mountain permits and registration with the rescue service, we will continue our trip to the beginning of the hiking route - the Lemosho trail. After arriving at the trail, we have lunch and start climbing. We walk through the jungle to our first camp at an altitude of 2895m, where we will spend the night in tents. Our camp is called Big Tree, and a whole family of monkeys can wake us up with a roar, but seeing them in the wild, walking between the tents, is the experience of a lifetime.

This will be your first day at such an altitude, so we recommend that you follow the following instructions:

• stay away from caffeine;
• drink 3 liters of water daily (it is better to drink a little, but often);
• In case of signs of altitude sickness, take a tablet of Diacarb and Panangin. These medicines are in the guide's first aid kit.

We will have a delicious dinner in the evening and gather in a friendly circle.

We wake up to someone knocking on our tent and inviting us to breakfast. Every morning, we will have hot water to wash ourselves and a gourmet breakfast prepared; we think you have never eaten pancakes with jam at an altitude of 3000 meters. After breakfast, we walk along a path leading out of the jungle to a savannah with tall grasses, heather, and volcanic rock covered with “lichen beard” - these are specific organisms that look like moss and are epic. We will climb through the hills and cross several springs to reach the giant Shira plateau, once a volcanic caldera.

Before moving on to the Shire Hats camp, we will stop at the Simba camp, where we will have lunch. Last time, we were served real burgers, and we were just blown away by how much the cook and the whole team tried to surprise us!

We will spend the night at an altitude of 3850 meters, so at night, you may feel uncomfortable acclimatization. Therefore, be attentive to your condition, and at the first sign of altitude sickness, contact the game's guide.

Oh, and we almost forgot, tonight we will be able to enjoy the incredible starry sky.

After breakfast, we start a very important acclimatization training. We leave the Shire Hats camp at 3850m and move to the Lava Tower, which is called “Shark's Tooth.” It will be quite high because we will climb to 4689 meters. Here, we will have lunch and rest for 1-2 hours.

After a rest, we will continue our trek and descend to Barranco Camp 3962 m. On this side of Mount Kilimanjaro, fog often forms when we descend. We will pass cross-shaped trees and walk along narrow serpentine paths. As a result, we will have a view of the famous Barranco Wall, which impresses us with its size and steepness - the next day, we will climb it, but it will be tomorrow. We will spend the next night at the Barranco camp. As always, the local team will prepare us a gorgeous dinner. Maybe it will be bolognese, baked fish, and tiramisu with pineapple for dessert. Here on Kilimanjaro, at an altitude of 3970 meters, it is possible to cook something delicious. After dinner, we rest, and although we end the day at the same altitude as yesterday, this day is very important for our body because it will help us prepare for climbing to the summit.

It's hard to believe, but this is already the equator of our ascent and the fifth day of the trip. After breakfast, we will start climbing the Barranco wall. It is important to walk very slowly and try to let the porters pass because just imagine that you are walking with a small backpack, and the porter is carrying 15 kg on his head. Throughout the trip, our team admired the work of the porters, they did a great job.

Today's trek is very short. Everything is planned so that we will rest and gain strength. In four hours, we will be at Karanga camp. At the camp, we will have a fantastic lunch and go to see the top of Kilimanjaro. This camp offers an amazing view of the peak. There will be another acclimatization hike for two hours towards Barafu camp, but this is subject to good weather.

Our tents will be set up overlooking Kilimanjaro. Until sunset, we will be able to watch the peak hide in the clouds and reappear. When the stars appear, the sky will become fabulous.

Today, we have to make the last trek to Barafu camp, the closest camp to the summit. The transition takes about 4 hours, and the set will be very smooth. There will be a lot of stones around us, almost no plants, and the height will be felt. There is a huge antenna near the camp, and there is even a connection there, so you can make some stories before and after the climb.

After we arrive at the camp, we go to bed and get as much rest as possible. We will be woken up for dinner around 18:00 and given a final briefing. Immediately after dinner, we recommend packing your backpacks and preparing your equipment. We rest until 23:00, and then we will climb Kilimanjaro.

At an altitude of 4572 meters, we set up camp, rested, enjoyed dinner, and prepared for the day of summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro. Today, it is important to have a good rest and sleep.

Dreams should come true, and today they will! We wake up at 23:00, have a very light dinner, and at 00:00, start the assault on the peak of Kilimanjaro - Uhuru Peak, 5895 meters. The climb is technically simple, but the altitude is a more serious problem. Throughout the climb, each pair of participants will have a guide to monitor their physical and moral condition.

The path to the top will lie between the Rebmann and Ratzel glaciers. Then, we go to the edge of the Stella Point crater at an altitude of 5756 meters, where we will stop for a short time and be rewarded with the most beautiful sunrise you can see. Of course, if our pace is faster than average, we can meet the sunrise at Uhuru Peak, the highest point of Mount Kilimanjaro and the African continent. It will be extraordinary, and the most pleasant moment will be when we spread the flag of Ukraine on the top. Yes, we did it, we did it, and now we can confidently say that each of us is a candidate for a chance to become a member of the Seven Summits Club, but we will tell you more about that later.

We will descend from the top via a different route. We will go down to the Mweka Hut camp site at 3063 meters, stopping at Barafu camp for lunch on the way.

In the evening, when we descend to Mweka camp, we will enjoy our last dinner on the mountain and a well-earned sleep.

Time is passing very quickly. We have recently started the route, and today, we will say goodbye to the mountain and return to civilization. But there is good news: the camp where we spent the night is located in the rainforest, and when you wake up in the morning, you will feel relieved by the lower altitude and very happy that you have reached the top. We don't like using the word “conquered” because it's pretentious. You need to understand that the mountain let us in and, fortunately, let us go =)

This breakfast can already be started with coffee, so after a delicious breakfast, we continue our descent to the gate of Mweka Park to get our certificates, which will prove to your friends and acquaintances that you have been to Kilimanjaro. You will also be able to leave your impressions of the climb in the general journal of the mountain.

From the park's gate, we will walk to the village of Mweka, where we will be met by a transport that will take us to the hotel in Moshi. The day will be very busy, so in the evening, we will gather with our team in a local restaurant to celebrate the successful ascent.

We woke up at our hotel in Moshi, Zanzibar, where we were waiting for today. So, we flew out in the morning to spend more time on this magical island.

There is much to say about Zanzibar, but we will tell you only the most exciting things. There are many beautiful beaches with fine white sand and azure water. We chose Paje Beach for our vacation because it has a rather quiet and peaceful atmosphere without too many tourists and vendors.

On the island, we will have a free program, so everyone will have time to devote to themselves and relax as they like. You can play volleyball, sunbathe, swim, go diving, snorkel, and look at the ocean life. In the evening, we will gather at a local restaurant for dinner, where we will taste lobster. Lobster prices are very reasonable here =)

Waking up in Zanzibar is a pleasure! The last time we were in Africa, in Morocco, we tried surfing in the Atlantic Ocean, and this time, it will be the Indian Ocean. Windsurfing is very popular in Paje, and the water is very warm. We recommend taking an instructor because it can be difficult to learn how to control the sail.

After windsurfing, we will also have something to do: walk in the jungle among ferns and vines, visit spice and coffee plantations, and explore the depths of the Indian Ocean. And this is just a tiny part of what you can do in Zanzibar.

Today, we will experience the true flavor of the island, which we fall in love with at first sight because it is a corner of the earth, cut off from the land and hidden in the Indian Ocean among coral reefs, white sand, and the rich cultural heritage of Africa.

Today we will have an exciting program because we will walk in Stone Town. The city is built of white stone, hence the name “Stone Town”. Stone Town is interesting because it mixes many different cultures: Portuguese, Arabic, Persian, Indian, British, and African. Walking through the streets of this city is like finding yourself in the workshops of artists, carpenters, or masters of leatherworking and weaving. And all this is complemented by the velvety aromas of Indian spices and Arabian coffee.

We will swim to the turtle's island. They will be happy to see us and stretch their long necks for a treat. You can also go to the Freddie Mercury Museum if you don't know; he is from Zanzibar. Time will pass very quickly here, and after sunset, we will visit the waterfront square of Stone Town - Forodhani Gardens. Local fast food will start working here, and dozens of street food stalls will be laid out: fried squid, octopus, shrimp, baked fish, chicken and lamb, vegetable dishes, fresh fruit, or sugar cane juices - you will want to try everything!

When we have tasted everything to our heart's content, we will realize that tomorrow we will have to say goodbye, although today is today, and we should celebrate!

Time is running out very quickly, and our adventure is coming to an end today. It will be a pity to say goodbye to each other, but in case we want to get together again, we have a common chat that will last forever. The Internet should not disappear. =) So let's all become friends on social networks and promise to like each other's photos. Besides that, we have to arrange the next adventure together!