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The endless plains of east Africa are the setting for the world's greatest wildlife spectacle the 1.5 million animal ungulate (wildebeest) migration. From the vast Serengeti plains to the champagne colored hills of Kenya's Masai Mara over 1.4 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebra and gazelle, relentlessly tracked by Africa's great predators, migrate in a clockwise fashion over 1,800 miles each year in search of rain ripened grass. ...By July the countless herds have amassed along the swollen Mara River a final barrier from the short sweet grasses of the Masai Mara. Sometimes the crossing place they have chosen is shallow allowing the majority of animals to pass safely. In other areas the waters boil with drowning wildebeest and slashing crocodiles. Between July and October the wildebeest reside in the Mara .... Read more >>>>>

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Our itineraries includes activities for the whole family, i.e. game drives, Balloon air safaris, walks, cultural exchanges, and plenty of time for swimming and exploring. Journey with your family through the most spectacular game parks of Kenya into the immense, remote wild lands of the Maasai Mara. Follow the seasonal migration of wildebeest, beautiful landscapes and thousands on birds in Rift Valley Lakes .Accommodation is offered in well selected lodges or campsites for the very adventurous families where they will witness the most extraordinary dramas of the African wilderness. Read more >>>>>

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8 days ,mount, Kilimanjaro climb Machame Route

Trekking duration: 6 Days ; Total hiking distance: About 100 km on the most scenic Mount Kilimanjaro trek

Day 1: Arrival - Arusha

Travel from Nairobi to Arusha on board a Shuttle bus or pickup from Kilimanjaro Airport – transfer to a hotel for an overnight stay

Day 2: Machame Gate (1490m) - Machame camp (2980m

Hiking time: 7 hours | Distance: About 18 km's | Habitat: Montane forest

Your day starts early with a briefing, followed by breakfast and a 45-minute drive from Moshi (910m) to the Machame village (1490m). The guides and porters prepare and pack the supplies and your equipment in the village. You will receive a lunch pack and you can also buy mineral water in the village. Depending on the condition of the road, it is possible to drive from the village to the Machame gate, but if not, the muddy 3 km walk will take about 1 hour to complete. After registering at the gate office, you start your ascent and enter the rain forest almost immediately. There is a strong possibility of rain in the forest, which will transform the trail into a very soggy, muddy and slippery experience. You will have a welcome lunch stop about half way and will reach the Machame camping area in the late afternoon.

Your porters (arriving at the camp site long before you) will have erected your tent on your arrival. In the evening the porters will boil drinking and washing water and the cook will prepare dinner, before you retire to your tent for the night. Night temperatures can already drop to freezing point at this campsite

Day 3: Machame camp (2980m) - Shira camp (3840m)

Hiking time: 6 hours | Distance: About 9 km's | Habitat: Moorland

You rise early at Machame camp and after breakfast you climb an hour or so to the top of the forest and then for 2 hours at a gentler gradient through the moorland zone. After a short lunch and rest, you continue up a rocky ridge onto the Shira plateau. By now you will be able to see in an easterly direction, the Western Breach with its stunning glaciers. You are now due west of Kibo and after a short hike you will reach the Shira campsite at 3 840m. The porters will boil drinking and washing water, before serving dinner. The night at this exposed camp will even be colder than the previous night, with temperatures dropping to well below freezing,

Day 4: Shira (3840m) - Lava Tower (4630m)-Barranco camp (3950m)

Hiking time: 7 hours | Distance: About 15 km's | Habitat: Semi desert

The route now turns east into a semi desert and rocky landscape surrounding Lava Tower, where you reach an altitude of 4630m after about a 5 hours walk. Lunch is served in a designated area before ascending the rocky scree path to Lava Tower (4630m). Definitely, the toughest day so far. It is normally around this point, where for the first time, some climbers will start to feel symptoms of breathlessness, irritability and headaches. After lunch you descent again by almost 680m to the Barranco camping area and after reaching the high altitude of 4600m at Lava Tower, the true acclimatisation benefit of this day becomes clear. This descent to Barranco camp takes about 2 hours and offers great opportunities to take some beautiful photographs of the Western Breach and Breach Wall. The camp is situated in a valley below the Breach and Great Barranco Wall, which should provide you with a memorable sunset while you wait for the preparation of your dinner,

Day 5: Barranco camp (3950m) - Barafu camp (4550m)

Hiking time: 7 hours | Distance: About 13 km's | Habitat: Alpine desert

After spending a night at the Great Barranco Wall (a very imposing sight at first), you make your way up this awesome looking obstacle, which in the end normally turns out easier than what you anticipated. Topping out just below the Heim Glacier, you now appreciate just how beautiful Kilimanjaro really is. The route then heads down through the Karanga Valley over intervening ridges and valleys, and then joins up with the Mweka route. This is the preferred route down from the summit, so remember it. Turn left up the ridge and after another hour or so, you reach Barafu Hut.

The last water stop on the route is the Karranga Valley, as there is no water at Barafu camp. Barafu is the Swahili word for "ice" and it is a bleak and inhospitable camping area to spend the night. Totally exposed to the ever-present gales the tents are pitched on a narrow, stony, and dangerous ridge. Make sure that you familiarise yourself with the terrain before dark to avoid any accidents. The summit is now a further 1345m up and you will make the final ascent the same night. Prepare your equipment, ski stick and thermal clothing for your summit attempt. 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 some precious rest and sleep,

Day 6: SUMMIT ATTEMPT, Barafu camp (4550m) - Uhuru Peak (5895m)-Mweka (3100m)

Hiking time: 8 hours to reach Uhuru Peak | 7/8 hours to descend to Mweka | Distance: About 7 km's ascent - 23 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. You will head in a northwesterly direction and ascend through heavy scree towards Stella Point on the crater rim. This 6-hour walk to Stella point is for many climbers, mentally and physically the most challenging on the route. 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 will normally encounter snow all the way on your 2-hour ascent to Uhuru Peak. The time you will spend on the summit will depend on the weather conditions. Do not stop here for too long, as it will be extremely difficult to start again due to cold and fatigue. Enjoy your accomplishment and a day to remember for the rest of your life. The walk back to Barafu from the summit, takes about 3 hours. Here you will have a well earned but short rest and collect the rest of your gear, before heading down to Mweka hut (3100m). The route is not difficult and will take you down the rock and scree path into the moorland and eventually into the forest. The camp is situated in the upper forest and mist or rain can be expected in the late afternoon. Dinner and washing water will be prepared

Day 7: Mweka camp (3100m) - Mweka Gate (1980m)

Hiking time: 3 hours | Distance: About 15 km's | Habitat: Forest

After an early and well-deserved breakfast, it is a short 3-hour and scenic hike back to the Park gate. At Mweka gate you sign your name and details in a register. This is also where successful climbers receive their summit certificates. Those climbers who reached Stella Point (5685m) are issued with green certificates and those who reached Uhuru Peak (5895m) receive gold certificates. From the Mweka Gate you will continue down into the Mweka village, normally a muddy 3 km (1 hour) hike. In the Mweka village you will be served a delicious hot lunch!! You now drive back to Arusha for a long over due hot shower, dinner and celebrations!! Overnight at a hotel

Day 8: Departure

Transfer to Kilimanjaro Airport for your flight back home or continue with your safari schedule/travel back to Nairobi,

Tour Price: US$ 1,420 per person

Machame Trek price includes:
-Transfer to and from the base of the mountain
-Machame Route trek as per the itinerary
-Full board accommodation in tents whilst on the trek.
-2 nights hotel accommodations in Arusha before and after the trek and in huts on the mountain as per the itinerary
-All park entrance fees to include government taxes
-Service of an English speaking professional Mountain guide on the mountain, porters and skilled cook/s
-All services begin and end at Kilimanjaro Airport as per the itinerary
-Treated water on the trek
-Return airport transfers from/to Kilimanjaro Airport or Nairobi Return Shutle transfers

Machame Trek price Excludes:
-Tips, laundry, sleeping bags, drinks and climbing gears
-Medical evacuation, USD 30 per person value
-International flights and taxes
-Visas
-Items of a personal nature and any other extras not detailed in the above itinerary.
 


Mount Kilimanjaro
"Kili", as it is fondly called by those who have scaled it, towers 5,895 meters (19,340 feet) above the plains of Tanzania. It is the world’s tallest walkable mountain and therefore one of the most popular adventure treks offered by specialist trekking companies. First conquered by Hans Meyer in 1889, the Mount Kilimanjaro trek demands a good level of fitness together with strong determination and awareness of the dangers of altitude sickness, which prevents many people from reaching their goal.
Routes and Best Times to Climb Kilimanjaro
-Easiest options are the Marangu route and the Rongai route. The first is the most popular walking route up Kilimanjaro as it offers accommodation in huts rather than camping in tents.
- Harder options include the Machame, Shira, Umbwe and Limosho routes where scrambling is involved on several sections. All these longer trails require camping.
- When choosing a route, check the number of days trekking involved. A minimum of 6 days is advisable to include an extra acclimatisation day half way through the trek.
- Best times for Kilimanjaro trekking are January-March and Sept-October. Weather is more settled in the 753 square kilometre Kilimanjaro National Park in these high season months and the chance of summiting therefore much greater.

What to Expect when Climbing Kilimanjaro

- Experience four different ecosystems whilst ascending the mountain from vegetal rain forest and moorland heather on the lower levels to remote alpine desert and arctic glacier en route to the peak.
-Adopt the Swahili mantra "pole pole" – slowly, slowly – and stick to it! Taking things slowly whilst drinking plenty of water (4-5 litres per day) maximises chances of reaching Uhuru peak, the highest point on the mountain.
- Expect an early start on summit day. Most tours begin the "day" around midnight when the scree on "Kili" is still frozen and therefore much easier to ascend. Guides will move at an excruciatingly slow pace, toe to heel, toe to heel. This is totally necessary to ascend the steepest part of the mountain without succumbing to altitude sickness.
- It is common to experience slight nausea and a headache at heights above 10,000 feet but anyone experiencing extreme nausea, vomiting, dizziness, severe headaches, pins and needles and swelling of the limbs should descend immediately.
-Complete elation when reaching the summit and gazing at the majestic view below.
- A long walk or run down the scree slopes before descending to a lower camp to recover from the most gruelling day of the hike.

Choose the correct route, acclimatise well over several days and approach Kilimanjaro with respect and a strong "can do" attitude to make it to the top of the roof of Africa.
Best time to climb Kilimanjaro

The best time to climb Mt.Kilimanjaro is  in January, February, or September. January and February in Kilimanjaro are known for being warm and clear. There is relatively little rainfall during these months, which makes them an ideal time of year to climb.
Throughout the rest of the year one can still climb Kilimanjaro, but conditions are not as good. April and May can also be clear and somewhat warm, but often see heavy rain and snowfall. This is the rainiest season of the year on Kilimanjaro.
From mid-May to August, the weather in Kilimanjaro gets much colder.
In addition to January and February, September is the other best time to climb Kilimanjaro. While September tends to be cooler than the first two months of the year, there is still good visibility.

. ALTITUDE AND ACCLIMATIZATION
Altitudes are generally defined as follows:-
o High altitude 2,400m - 4,200m
o Very high altitude 4,200m - 5,400m
o Extreme high altitude above 5,400m (Uhuru peak is 5,895m)During the trek it is likely that all climbers will experience at least some form of mild altitude sickness. It is caused by the failure of the body to adapt quickly enough to the reduced level of oxygen in the air at an increased altitude. There are many different symptoms but the most common are headaches, light-headedness, nausea, loss of appetite, tingling in the extremities (toes, fingers) and a mild swell of ankles and fingers. These mild forms are not serious and will normally disappear within 48 hours.


OTHER HEALTH TIPS:
All contact lens wearers should take care to remove the lenses at night, as the eye needs to absorb oxygen from the atmosphere. The rarefied conditions of altitude reduce oxygen levels and in extreme cases a Corneal Oedema can develop.

EMERGENCY EVACUATION
In the event of an emergency on the mountain the rescue team plus one of the assistant guides will descend with the casualty to the park gate. At the gate the casualty will be taken care and the necessary arrangements will be done.

PHOTOGRAPHY
Cameras whether Video or film, need to be protected against the severe cold weather either in warm pouch or the interior pockets of your clothing. Do not keep in your backpack at higher elevations. A selection of lenses will aid the final results although weight and bulk will obviously influence your selection. A polarized or neutral density filter is recommended, as is slide film rather than print. Bring your own film as it can be hard to find and expensive in Tanzania. For digital equipment, check with the manufacturer's specifications for temperature range (especially battery life), water tightness and general hardiness.

Mountain Kilimanjaro climbing gear packing list

TREKKING BOOTS -Not plastic. Sturdy, waterproof, well broken in and high enough to support ankle. Wear them on plane in case luggage goes missing
SOCKS -3 thermal and some regular. Some wear a thin pair under a thick pair, rinse the thin pair at night and peg them to their pack to dry the next day
TRAINERS- For round camp
TREKKING TROUSERS - Not cotton or jeans. Fleece lined trousers are a good choice
WATERPROOF TROUSERS - A light pair that can be worn on their own or pulled over your trekking trousers is best
THERMAL UNDERWEAR -1 pair of synthetic long john bottoms and 1 or 2 tops
T-SHIRTS/SHIRTS - Not cotton but synthetic preferably with wicking properties
FLEECES- Absolutely essential. We recommend 2 light and 1 heavy fleece. Keeping warm on the mountain is about wearing lots of thin layers that can be pealed off as you get warm or put on as you cool down. Make sure fleeces all fit comfortably over each other
WATER PROOF JACKET - Gore-Tex is best. Try it on over your fleeces 1st
GLOVES - Fleece-lined is good, mittens over a thin thermal pair is best but not essential. A thinner pair for round camp is also a good idea.
SUNHAT - A wide-brimmed one is best. Try and get one that covers the back of your neck to protect against sunburn
SUNGLASSES - Must protect against U.V.
SLEEPING BAG - 3-season or 2-season with liner. Closed-cell sleeping mat provided
LARGE BAG FOR YOUR GEAR - The porters will carry this. Not one with a frame, the porters will carry it on their heads and it makes their job harder
DAY PACK - Making sure you’re comfortable walking long distances with it

TRAVEL BAG - For gear you don’t want on Kili. Kept safe until your return
WATER BOTTLES - Thermally protected, enough for 3-4 litres
WATER PURIFIERS - Iodine is best but try it for taste at home first (flavoured powder helps). We boil all water on the mountain but better safe than sorry
HEADLAMP - Bring spare batteries and a spare bulb
SUNSCREEN/LIPSCREEN . TOILET PAPER
PERSONAL HYGIENE ITEMS - Towel, toothbrush, toothpaste, wipes and alcohol-based hand disinfectant are useful. Soap & hot water is provided daily.
PERSONAL MEDICAL KIT - Antiseptic cream, plasters, knee supports, moleskin or compeed, Ibruprofen/Aspirin/Paracetamol etc, Imodium, rehydrating powder, throat sweets and insect repellent can all come in useful
TREKKING POLES – Very useful on the descent
CAMERA - Spare film/memory cards/batteries. A UV filter is needed for SLRs
PLASTIC BAG – For wet clothes.
CELL PHONE/SPARE BATTERIES - Check with your network provider for coverage. You can get signal across a lot of the mountain but it is weak in places

 

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