DAY 1

Transfer from Moshi or Arusha to arrive at Londorossi gate for registration formalities. Get transferred by vehicle to the climbing starting point which is located 12 km further from the gate. Have lunch before initiating the hike. Climb steadily through the rainforest while spotting animals like bufallos and elephants. The path leads to Mti Mkubwa camp for dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 2

Trek out of the rainforest into the low alpine zone to reach Shira ridge. Have lunch enroute and proceed with climbing to arrive at Shira Camp in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay at the camp.

DAY 3

Climb through the Shira plateau for a full day providing a chance for acclimatization. Rest for a while at the tower and wait for the lunch. Start descending the tower and finally arrive at Baranco hut for the dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 4

Start a steep climb up the top Baranco wall which is 4200Mamsl for acclimatization for few minutes. Continue with the trail to reach Karanga Hut 3995Mamsl for the lunch and a long rest. Rest and have refreshments while waiting for dinner.

DAY 5

Trek out of Karanga camp to reach mweka junction 4500Mamsl.Proceed with the hike to join mweka trail which finally leads to Barafu hut. Take as much rest and water upon arrival to prepare your body for the final summit. Dinner and overnight at the campsite. Its recommended to sleep early by 19:00.

DAY 6

Wake up around 23:00 for adding more warm clothes and headlamps.Leave the camp and start summiting by midnight into the glacial zone.The path leads to Stella point 5756Mamsl.Have time for the sun rise pictures and a short rest for 5 to 10 minutes while having water or hot tea at Stela point.For the climbers who have experienced AMS are advised to start descending, however for those interested can take a round trip along the crater rim to reach Uhuru Peak 5895Mamsl.Proceed by descending from the summit, have a short rest to the base camp again for 2 hours. Have some branch, repark your gears and start to descend to mweka hut 3100M amsl pole pole through mweka route.

DAY 7

After a hot breakfast, continue hiking through the beautiful green forest to arrive at Mweka gate.Take time to show gratitude to the crew by tipping guides, cooks and porters.Get awarded with certificates whereby golden certificates are given to hikers who reached Uhuru peak and green certificates for Stella point hikers.Retreat back to Mweka village for a drive to Moshi town for resting or airport for a flight back at home.

DAY 8

Leave at 8:00 and drive to Serengeti for about 5-6 hours. Have lunch upon your arrival and go for an afternoon game drive while exploring the vast plains of Serengeti. In the evening, transfer to the booked hotel for an overnight stay.

DAY 9

Leave for a day game drive in the Serengeti plains. Game viewing to spot Big Five, hippos, elands, zebras, antelopes and others. Break for a picnic lunch and proceed with game viewing till late evening. Transfer to the booked hotel for overnight stay.

DAY 10

Leave for a full day game drive to witness The Great Migration where thousands of wildebeests, zebras and Thomson gazelles migrate to Maasai Mara in search for fresh pasture and water. Explore the plains while tracking the migration with predators like lions awaiting. Break for a picnic lunch and proceed with game drive till late afternoon. Drive back to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 11

Leave for Oldupai Gorge, an anthropological site holding remains for the first human. Have lunch enroute and proceed with the drive to Ngorongoro. Arrive in the late afternoon and transfer to the booked hotel. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

DAY 12

Start descending down the Ngorongoro Crater, the largest unbroken caldera which is a home to a variety of animals and bird species. Game drive in the crater to spot Big Five, elands, buffalos, jackals and thousands of flamingos. Break for lunch at a picnic site and proceed with game drive till late afternoon. Ascend out of the crater and transfer back to the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.

DAY 13

Checkout of the hotel and drive to Nainokanoka village. Take a short walk to the maasai bomas. Get a chance to learn and see their cultural practices and tradition including local dances and making of handicrafts. Break for a picnic lunch and drive back to Arusha.

Kilimanjaro Climbing Packing List

Kilimanjaro climbing is one of the adventurous tour activity that one shouldnt miss. However to make it more entertaining, its required to pack the right and necessary equipment.
The following list will be of a great help:-

Clothes

Trekking Equipment

Accessories

Electronic devices

PRICE INCLUDES

PRICE EXCLUDES

Kilimanjaro is the tallest free standing mountain on earth and the highest mountain in Africa. It stands at 5895 m above sea level making it unique by providing a challenging and interesting climb.
The mountain is one of a kind since it passes through five different climatic zones. The trek is challenging though worth it since it provides an accomplished feeling standing at the roof of Africa.
The following guidelines will help trekkers prepare for the climb for higher summit success rate.

Mental And Physical Preparation

A clear mind is most crucial for the climb. A good mental preparation will provide higher summit success rate. This is through listening to what the guides tell you and having a positive mind since you are on vacation.
However physical preparation is not to be set aside. Prior to the climb, its important to do physical exercises including taking long walks with a backpack. Also to do lung exercises to help you breathe normally in reduced levels of oxygen.

Acquire The Right Trekking Gears

Its important to pack the right clothes which are to be used through different climates on the mountain.
Consider the following before packing:-

Being Aware of AMS

(AMS) Acute Mountain Sickness is a pathological effect on humans caused by high altitude effect resulting in lower oxygen levels which makes it hard to breathe normally.
It has several symptoms like headache, dizziness, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea and rapid heart rate. However being physically fit does not guarantee a hiker not getting AMS since anyone can have it.
The following are to be done so as to avoid AMS:-

Taking It Slow

On the mountain, it is important to walk slowly since its not a race but rather a holiday. Walking slowly will help hikers acclimatize properly and avoid exhaustion.

Maintenance Of Personal Hygiene

Its important to know that you will not shower while on the mountain.
You need to consider:

Personal Hydration

Its recommended to drink lots of water while on the mountain. This will help giving you strength and reduce fatigue. The amount that is recommended is 5 liters a day.

Summit Preparation

The last day of the climb is very challenging and takes a lot of walking hours hence its required to do preparation. Take time to allow your body to rest prior to the summit. Also drinking lot of water will provide your body with strength and energy to move on.
Above all, its required to sleep very early the day before summit so as to avoid exhaustion.
Climbing Kilimanjaro provides you an amazing feeling especially standing at the roof of Africa. To make it more adventurous, one may opt for a wildlife safari in the national parks or a beach vacation in Zanzibar.

ALTITUDE SICKNESS

Sometimes called mountain sickness, altitude sickness is a group of symptoms that can strike if you walk or climb to a higher elevation, or altitude, too quickly.

WHY IT HAPPENS?

The pressure of the air that surrounds you is called barometric pressure. When you go to higher altitudes, this pressure drops and there is less oxygen available.

If you live in a place that located at a moderately high altitude, you get used to the air pressure. But if you travel to a place at a higher altitude than you are used to, your body will need time to adjust to the change in pressure.

Any time you go above 8,000 feet, you can be at risk for altitude sickness.

TYPES:

There are three kinds of altitude sickness:

SYMTOMS

You might have:

Symptoms usually come on within 12 to 24 hours of reaching a higher elevation and then get better within a day or two as your body adjusts to the change in altitude.

If you have a more moderate case of altitude sickness, your symptoms might feel more intense and not improve with over-the-counter medications. Instead of feeling better as time goes on, you will start to feel worse. You will have more shortness of breath and fatigue. You may also have:

If you develop a severe form of altitude sickness like HAPE or HACE, you might have:

WHO GETS TO?

Anyone can develop altitude sickness, no matter how fit, young, or healthy they are -- even Olympic athletes can get it. In fact, being physically active at a high elevation makes you more likely to get it.

Your chance of getting altitude sickness depends on a few other things: how quickly you move to a higher elevation, how high you go up, the altitude where you sleep, and other factors.

Your risk also depends on where you live and the altitude there, your age (young people are more likely to get it), and whether you have had altitude sickness before

Having certain illnesses like diabetes or lung disease does not automatically make you more likely to develop altitude sickness. But your genes could play a role in your body ability to handle higher elevations.

TREATMENT

If you get a headache and at least one other symptom associated with altitude sickness within a day or two of changing your elevation, you might have altitude sickness. If your symptoms are more severe, you will need medical attention.

Your doctor might listen to your chest with a stethoscope or take an X-ray of your chest or an MRI or CT scan of your brain to look for fluid.

Knowing the symptoms of altitude sickness will help you seek treatment early, while the condition is still mild. The most important treatment for any level of altitude sickness is to go down to a lower elevation as soon as possible while remaining safe.

If you have severe altitude sickness, you will need to be taken down to a lower elevation right away -- and it must be lower than 4,000 feet. You will have to see a doctor as soon as possible and you may need to go to the hospital.

If you have HACE, you might need a steroid called dexamethasone. If you have HAPE, you will need supplemental oxygen and may need medications, as well as moving to a lower altitude.

PREVENTION

The best way you can lower your chance of getting altitude sickness is through acclimatization. That means you let your body slowly get used to the changes in air pressure as you travel to higher elevations.

You will want to climb to higher altitudes gradually. Going slowly helps your lungs get more air through deeper breaths and allows more of your red blood cells to carry oxygen to different parts of your body.

Some of the basic guidelines for acclimatization are: