Kilimanjaro Safari.

Safari highlights:
- 13 days Kilimanjaro climbing and wildlife safari.
- 3 nights fly-in safari extension to Maasai Mara.
- Departure dates: customise departure dates for groups of four or more people.
- Minimum of four persons..
- Specialist Mountain guide.
- Luxury 4WD safari Land Cruiser vehicles.
- Unlimited game drives.
- Amboseli National Park.
- Mount Kilimanjaro Park.
- Masai Mara eco-system - 1, 500 sq km's wilderness.
- Large herbivores and predators. 

Introduction.

Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and also the world’s highest freestanding mountain rising from 1000m to a towering 5896m at Uhuru peak. Three extinct volcanoes namely Shira, Mawenzi and Kibo form the Kilimanjaro. Shira is hardly recognizable as a volcano since only the giant caldera floor forms the Shira plateau at about 3200m. At the Mawenzi on the other hand only the parts of the caldera walls are left in form of steep bare rocky peaks with the highest being Hans Meyers peak at 5149m. Only experienced technical climbers may attempt an ascend. Kibo is the youngest and most majestic of the three. The caldera is still intact and at the ash pit and fumeroles of smoke can occasionally still seen as a reminder of a very active volcanic history.

Kibo which can be attempted by any experienced hiker also forms the rooftop of Africa with Uhuru peak as the highest point. A trekking exploration of the mountain reveals the rich vegetation which consists of cedar, podo and wild olive on the lower northern and western slopes while on the wetter lower eastern and southern slopes, giant camphor, fig trees, ferns lines and epiphytes are a common feature. The tree line is at about 2800m followed by moor land up to 3800m. From there a rocky moonlike landscape, the alpine dessert, stretches all the way up to the permanent ice. Kilimanjaro offers the hiker the unique opportunity to experience all climatic zones from the hot tropical climate on the equator to the hostile arctic climate on Uhuru peak in a span of less than a week.

Detailed Itinerary.

Day 1:
You will be met at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and transferred to a hotel in the Karen subburb of the city. The rest of the day can be spent at your leisure. Mbango Safaris vehicle and driver/guide will be available for visits to and around Nairobi. Evening briefing with your guide.

Day 2:
Drive from Nairobi to Amboseli National Park with a picnic lunch en route, a game drive through the park may reveal Kilimanjaro peering through the clouds. The park is home to a healthy elephant population, you are also likely to see lion, cape buffalo, a variety of plains game, and countless species of birds. After the game drive, we come to our private camp situated within the Amboseli ecosystem. This camp is not only a welcoming oasis for us, but also serves to incorporate the Masai people to work towards preserving their pristine land for wildlife and visitors.

Day 3:
Early morning game drive will unveil a completely unique view of the park and its wildlife. We will look for traces of the previous night's activity, as well as explore further into the park. We return to camp for lunch and a siesta. In the afternoon we may embark on a short walk and sort gear for the mountain.

Day 4:
Drive to the roadhead, passing through the border into Tanzania. After a picnic lunch we begin the hike up through Kilimanjaro's lower forests, this will take up the entire afternoon. Our first camp is located at 8,000 feet, just above the tree line.

Day 5:
This is a long hiking day that will take us on a traverse across the northern moorlands of the mountain. We will have a hot lunch along the way. In the afternoon, our trail will gently rise towards the northern shoulder of the second highest peak, Mawenzi. We will reach our camp at an altitude of 11,800 feet late in the afternoon.

Day 6:
This is essentially an acclimatisation day. A short hike directly up to our campsite brings us to the base the north face of Mawenzi. The rest of the day will be spent relaxing in camp, with the possibility of an afternoon acclimatisation hike in the vicinity of the camp. Altitude of the camp is 13,600 feet.

Day 7:
After breakfast we begin the long morning hike across "The Saddle" which links Mawenzi to the summit peak of Kilimanjaro, Kibo. The crossing of this moon-like landscape will take the entire morning. The Outward Bound Camp, at an altitude of 15,600 feet, will be reached in mid afternoon. The rest of the afternoon will be spent in the camp preparing for our attempt on the summit.

Day 8:
This is the longest day of the ascent. We will be awakened at around midnight and shortly afterwards we will begin the long climb to the crater rim of Kilimanjaro. This 2-mile journey will take approximately 6 hours to complete. Reaching the crater rim at Gilman's Point (18,600 feet) as the sun begins to rise. We will then continue clockwise around the crater to the highest point on the African continent, Uhuru Peak 19,340 feet. Weather permitting the summit should be attained at around 9.00 a.m. We then descend to Kibo Hut for lunch. The Saddle is then crossed in the afternoon, as we descend to our evening destination, our camp near Horombo Hut at 12,000 feet.

Day 9:
We descend the southern moorlands of Kilimanjaro which will take the entire morning and most of the afternoon. We will reach the National Park headquarters at Marangu in the late afternoon, thus completing our traverse of Kilimanjaro. We then drive for a short distance to the Kibo Hotel where we spend the night.

Day 10:
We embark on a scheduled flight to Maasai Mara National Reserve via Nairobi. Our vehicles will meet us at the airstrip and we’ll gamed-drive to our private camp in the Marausiara section of the Maasai Mara, located in the most remote part of the Mara. Wildlife abounds here, and no doubt we'll hear the roar of lions and the whooping call of hyenas while we sit around our campfire.

Day 11:
We enjoy exploring the wonder of the Mara via a 4X4 Land Rover or Land Cruiser, Kenya's game country at its best. The grassy plains of this savanna landscape are dotted with occasional trees and an ever-present abundance of wild animals, while distant mountains and escarpments break the line of the puffball African sky. Return to our private camp after morning and early evening game drives.

Day 12:
The variety of animals in the Mara is extraordinary and we are sure to find all the classic African species here, including the surprisingly graceful elephants and aristocratic giraffes. As one’s time fuses with the landscape, we sharpen our eyes to observe the game that had gone unnoticed when we arrived the day before

Day 13:
After a morning game-drive, we take a scheduled flight to Nairobi. Our vehicles will take us to the hotel, where dayrooms await. Evening transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airpot.

How to book a place:
In order to book a place on this holiday or do more inquiry please call us now on +254 20 211 24 33 / 4. Alternatively, fill our online booking form or you may email us: safaris@mbangosafaris.com  giving us your contact we will get back to you..