Mount Kilimanjaro
Mountain Kilimanjaro is found in the northeastern part of Tanzania in the African continent. It is the highest mountain in Africa and a dormant volcano. The highest peak of the mountain is snow-capped and with the largest free-standing volcano. The mountain is made up of three peaks or volcanic cones which include; Mawenzi, Shira, and Kibo.
History of Mount Kilimanjaro
The Kibo peak is the highest peak on the mountain and the first group of people to reach the peak was in 1889. The mountain also consists of five vegetation zones with different flora and fauna. During colonial times, the mountain Kilimanjaro was turned into a game reserve by the German colonialists and then later the British took over until the country gained its independence. The game reserve was later gazette into a national park in 1973 including the whole mountain. In 1987, there were threats to the montane forests which were the buffer zones for wildlife at that time.
The World Heritage Organization played a greater role in extending the park to all the montane forests. In the same year 1987, the park was named the UNESCO Heritage Site. The mountain Kilimanjaro has seven hiking summits that offer the best thrilling adventure for travelers on their safari to mountain Kilimanjaro. The mountain hosts over 4.8 million indigenous tree species. There are over 25000 people annually who tend to hike the mountain.
What to do in the mountain Kilimanjaro? Activities
While on your Tanzania safari, there are a variety of activities that the travelers can engage in several safari activities. These include among others but are not limited to the following.
Hiking of the mountain
This is the primary activity that every traveler wishes to do when they visit the mountain. Though the activity is challenging, the travelers who tend to hike the mountain are usually given guidelines about the hiking. Then those who usually conquer to hike up to the Uruhu or Kibo peak celebrate upon reaching there. Usually, the hike involves the porters and the game rangers who usually ensure the safety of the clients during the hike.
Primate trekking
The Mountain Kilimanjaro is one of the places in Tanzania where travelers can easily see the primates in their natural habitats. The primates that are usually seen include baboons, blue monkeys, black-faced monkeys, and many others. These kinds of primates are usually so playful and usually take the traveler’s property who usually tracks them. This is among the key activities that travelers can do while on a visit to the Mountain Kilimanjaro.
Birding
The mountain is a birder haven since it is home to over 750 bird species. During the hiking of the mountain, the hikers will hear different sounds of the species in the forests. The bird species are usually tropical bird species and these species include; Narina trogon, silvery cheeked hornbill, trumpeter hornbill, African pygmy kingfisher, African bee-eater, and many others. Usually, birding in the mountain is difficult since the mountain is so large to conquer while birding.
Chala Crater Lake tour
The Chala crater lake is the only crater lake found within the Mountain Kilimanjaro at its edge and also one of the deepest lakes in Tanzania. The lake has green lousy waters since it has no outlets. The travelers on their Tanzania safari usually have scenic views of the lake and also camp at the crater rim. During the safari to the lake, you also do the swamp walk as you see different wildlife.
Game viewing
During the safari to the Mountain Kilimanjaro, the mountain is located within a savannah park. During the Safari to Tanzania, you will be able to explore the wildlife in the park through the wildlife game viewing. In the game viewing, you will see different wildlife like the big five in the park and other wildlife including giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, and many others. The game viewing will involve the use of the 4×4 safari van which will offer you a close encounter with the wildlife.
What is the best time to visit Hike Kilimanjaro?
The mountain is accessed throughout the year by travelers on their Tanzania safari. The best season is the dry season since the mountain has the best views and also the vegetation is short where you can easily track the wildlife within the area. The mountain can also be visited in the wet season since there is less traffic of the travelers in the mountain.
Where to stay in Mountain Kilimanjaro?
Usually, most of the travelers who visit Kilimanjaro come purposely for hiking and trekking to the Kibo peak. The accommodation option that travelers usually choose is camping. This is because, in the mountains, there are no lodges and hotels for travelers to rest in. Camping is done in designated places that the authorities will have organized for them. The other form of accommodation facilities are the huts that are on the other routes of the mountain and these huts are meant only for resting. Other facilities include hotels, lodges, and homestays.
These facilities are located within the park and in the other areas near the park. They include; Kibo Lodge, Kilimanjaro Mountain Resort, Kilima Moja Lodge, Marangu Hotel, and Aishi Machame Hotel.The homestays are usually in the communities around the mountain Kilimanjaro and these include the Marangu village homestay, Materuni village homestay, Machame village homestay, Mbahe village homestay, and many others.
How to access Mt. Kilimanjaro?
Mountain Kilimanjaro is accessed by both road and air transport to reach the starting point of the mountain. By air, you will use a domestic flight from either Kilimanjaro International Airport or Dar el Salam International Port to the park. Kilimanjaro International Airport is just 45 kilometers away from the mountain. By road, the mountain is accessed by the road through the seven routes and all the routes have easy access to the mountain. These routes include; Rongai, Machame, Londorosi, Lemosho, Kilema, Mweka, and Umbwe.
