Kilimanjaro - Lemosho Route & Zanzibar: Tanzania Trekking Holiday

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

Average Review Rating: from 7 reviews.

philip joinson

KILIMANJARO - LEMOSHO ROUTE & ZANZIBAR

Written February 2012
A never to be forgotten experience. A great group to travel with, coupled with great guides. We met as fellow treckers and left as firm friends, bonded by the joint experience. The guides really make the trip, with their knowledge, sense of humour and the feeling that you are in really safe hands.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
It has to be walking back to Stella Point from Uhuru Peak, it suddenly hit me that we had done it! After all the preparation, going to the gym, worrying about what to take, whether or not a Yellow Fever innoculation was neccessary....We had done it! I became a bit emotional, but I put that down to the lack of oxygen up there.......
What did you think of your group leader?
Joseph...Great guy. I dont think we appreciated just how good he was until summit night, then he shone through. Very capable guide, as the three assistants were too. I'd follow them anywhere.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Take plenty of one dollar bills for tips. This starts at Kili International. If your hiring a Duvet Jacket, it takes up almost as much room in your Kitbag as your sleeping bag does, so beware. However, I dont think I could have done without mine, its very cold in the evening and early mornings. I had a base layer, fleece and Paramo Alta 2 jacket and was shivering. I swapped the jacket for the Duvet, and was fine. On the internal flight to Zanzibar, the weight limit is 15Kg. We all had 20Kg as per the trip notes. We were preparing to leave some cases behind when the pilot stepped in and agreed to take all the weight. The African Walking Company rep said he'd never heard of a problem before, but we'd heard stories in the hotel beforehand and were expecting trouble. One to watch. Having said that, I believe that these sort of issues are part and parcel of travelling in Africa, and they give you talking points when you get home.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Dont think about it, just do it!
Exodus Response
The weight limit on this trip is 20kgs (as per trip notes) on the internal flight to Zanzibar for Exodus passengers, instead of the usual 15kgs. Unfortunately on this trip a new staff member with the airline did not realise this, however this was eventually rectified by our staff before our passengers boarded the plane.
Nick Nikolsky - Trip Manager

- Exodus Staff
amanda 0'neill

KILIMANJARO - LEMOSHO ROUTE & ZANZIBAR

Written January 2012
An amazing adventure to the roof top of Africa and then a well earned rest in Zanzibar.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The trek was absolutely amazing from the beginning too the ardous climb to Stella Point and Uhuru Peak. I loved watching the shooting stars and satelites at the camps and can not thank the guides and porters enough for supporting me to make my dream a possibility. The emotions on reaching the top was overwhelming especially as i thought at one point i wasnt going to make it, altitude vomiting!!. The climb up the Barranco Wall was also good fun and amazing to watch porters skip past you with so heavy loads. Zanzibar, beach was paradise.
What did you think of your group leader?
Joseph from the African walking company is an amazing chap and so are his brilliant supporting guides, Dixon, Damion and George.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
pole pole, will get you to the top as well as listening to the guides. 8 in our group and we all got to Stella point and 6 to Uhuru Peak, the 6 to Uhuru peak did not take diamox, we all felt the altitude and 2 of us was vomiting. It was exhausting but we got there. My platypus froze even when insulated, take 3 one litre tins to make sure you have enough water. The advice for the nail brush is spot on and i would also say take a sun block for lips, i badly burnt mine and suffered. Double check weight allowances for luggage as we had a problem at airport when flying in light weight plane (fab) from arusha to zanzibar, limit is 15kg and not 20kg as indicated in trip notes. luckily for us the piolt overheard us and assisted as we nearly had to leave a suitcase behind!!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
An amazing adventure and i would highly recommend this trip.
Nicola Cullen

KILIMANJARO - LEMOSHO ROUTE & ZANZIBAR

Written December 2011
A trip that allows for a huge sense of achievement!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Getting to the summit of Kilimanjaro on a windless, sunny day and seeing the clouds below you! The views can be absolutely breathtaking! The sense of achievement of the last 6 hours of climbing 1100m doesn't really hit you until you get back to the hotel a few days later!!
What did you think of your group leader?
Henry was absolutely awesome! I have done several high altitude treks before and no other guide has shown such dedication to their responsibilities, making sure that you are fit and healthy every morning, and that you don't have any aches or pains or headaches at the end of the day. He ensured that we drank our mandated 3 L of liquid a day, and I am sure this helped immensely against altitude sickness.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Make sure that you have a good level of fitness, but remember nothing can really prepare you for the altitude and the final slog in the dark. Read the trip notes and kit list carefully, and ensure that you double bag all your stuff to keep it dry. Walking poles are essential on the climb/slip down. Take the advice of your group leader and his team - they have done this climb many a time! On the trek, look up! Don't stare at your feet all the time - you'll miss great scenery! And don't worry if you have a bad day, feeling poorly or slow or that the summit is unachievable....we all had a day like that in our group, but we all kept morale up and made it! Take clothes and kit that you are happy to donate to the porters - they are desperate for new clothes and equipment!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The whole group got to the summit, including a 68 yr old lady! We were all looked after extremely well by Henry, Wilfrid, Ricardo and the rest of the team and owe so much to their commitment and encouragement! The few days on the beautiful island of Zanzibar allowed me to take stock of the achievement, whilst lying by the pool drinking cocktails. There is plenty to do on Zanzibar, and it is a nice way to finish the Kili experience. If you want a challenge - this is the one! It will test your physcial and mental mettle, but you will come back elated and with a personal sense of achievement!
Gordon Thomson
KILIMANJARO - LEMOSHO ROUTE & ZANZIBAR

Written October 2011
If you have considered Kilimanjaro I would strongly recommend it. It is tough and challenging but well worth it! Chilling out in Zanzibar afterwards is a great reward for your efforts.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Reaching the crater rim was very emotional after a long slog from base camp but the porters are truly inspirational. They do a great job, in sometimes very difficult conditions, for very little reward. They have a great spirit and really seem to be enjoying what they do!
What did you think of your group leader?
Straton and his assistant Diglan were excellent. We were a small group so had plenty opportunity to chat to them about the mountain and their own lives which gave a great insight to their culture. Straton and I covered many topics during the walk including football, politics, religion, the economy, education, health services alternative energy sources etc..................
Straton and Diglan were very attentive but not obtrusive. They always kept an eye on us and made sure we were OK and kept us well informed.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Expect to get wet; the weather can be changeable. Make sure you pack all your gear in dry bags inside your kitbag otherwise it may get wet! Wear sunscreen; you will burn if you don't even if it's not sunny!
Don't take too many clothes; just keep wearing dirty ones; no one will mind!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Couple of points about Zanzibar
Some of the transport arrangements were a bit vague. Drivers didn't seem to know when they were coming to pick us up for transfer to Stone Town or the airport. Hotel reception were able to sort this out for us but it might be worthwhile having the appropriate telephone contact numbers in the trip notes which most travellers refer to on a daily basis.
The trip notes may lead to you to believe that there will be some sort of guided tour of Stone Town when you arrive there but you need to organise that yourself! Also the trip notes say dinner is included in Stone Town but it wasn't and we had to settle the bill for that separately.
These were minor issues and did not detract from our enjoyable experience in any way but may help future travellers
Liz Openshaw

KILIMANJARO - LEMOSHO ROUTE & ZANZIBAR

Written July 2011
The organisation of the trip and the attentiveness of all the staff involved was first class. At no time were we left when we needed assistance. The guides and porters looked after our welfare at all tmes and ensured our security. Very reassuring in an unfamiliar envronment and country. They all showed good humour and a genuine interest in us as people taking an interest in our country and culture.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Too many to choose - seeing the huge effort put in by the porters as they lugged our equipment and baggage up the mountain without complaint.
What did you think of your group leader?
First class - very well informed, with good English and excellent patience while trying to teach us Swahili! He kept us fully briefed with a watchful eye over our health.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Read the trip notes fully and make sure you hire one of Exodus's wonderful mattresses! And don't forget the Diamox...
Is there anything else you would like to add?
This was my dream of 20 years, and every step was worth it!
Freya Koepping
KILIMANJARO - LEMOSHO ROUTE & ZANZIBAR

Written March 2010
We actually had quite a few issues with most of the flights and transfers (cancellations, overbooking etc.), but the Kilimanjaro section of the itinerary, which was operated by African Walking Company, was truly amazing. The local guides and staff were friendly, knowledgeable and safety conscious. Since I'd done no altitude hikes before, Kili seemed like a good "amateurs' choice" to get started. I'm glad I went a bit overboard on the fitness training though, as the altitude was pretty tough to handle without fitness issues to add to the misery! The views of the glaciers from below were quite awe-inspiring, although unfortunately all we saw from top was very thick cloud and snow.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Can't say the summit was that inspirational at the time (mainly just cold, tired and struggling to breathe), but it's a nice feeling to have done it. I'll have to go back and do it again sometime to see the sunrise.
I think the highlight was the barranco wall climb, really good fun and gave fantastic views of the mountain.
Oh, and the Cessna for the flight to Zanzibar, love small planes!
What did you think of your group leader?
He wasn't exactly the life and soul of the party, but was clearly very knowledgeable, and that was much more valuable to me on the day of the final ascent. The assistant guides were a bit chattier.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Bring a nailbrush - sounds trivial, but the black dust will be lodged firmly under your nails, you can't wash it off and personally the sight of it really started bugging me!
After 7 days camping with no shower you'll smell anyway, so you might as well bring less changes of kit - one member of our party seemed fine with just two sets of everything.
The only thing not to save space on is socks. Pack both thick hiking socks and liners/lighter pairs - I brought 14 pairs and used them all.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The final ascent wasn't the hardest thing I've ever done (although a lot of people said it was), but it was hard to stay motivated once we knew we weren't going to see a sunrise at the top. I think it's doable for anyone of average fitness and determination, barring major altitude problems.
Zanzibar was nice, but a bit too hot, and I think once we got back down the mountain I'd have preferred a few days of no transfers and just some relaxation by the pool at Moivaro Lodge instead - if I do it again I'll either book no extensions, or a few days safari.
Wendy Fuller

KILIMANJARO - SHIRA ROUTE AND ZANZIBAR

Written July 2009
I'm actually short of words to describe how fantastic the Kilimanjaro part of this trip was. I didn't make it to the top (it seems my body is quite keen on oxygen) but if they phoned me up and told me I had to do it again I would jump for joy! Awesome. Zanzibar was lovely but nothing compared to the Kili trek.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
I couldn't pick one moment that stands out as inspirational - there was something every day. It sounds a bit pathetic but, getting out of the tent each morning and seeing the vast silent wilderness around you and spending the day walking in it - just you and your guides - for me it was exquisite.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our group leader was fantastic - and his second in command - they were both friendly, fun and knowledgeable. I felt completely confidence in them at all times - and there are times out there when this is hugely important!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Baby wipes and thermals! Washing is tricky and the nights are unbelievably cold (colder than you are imagining right now!).
Is there anything else you would like to add?
If there is any tiny part of you that is considering this trip - do it - or at least just the Kili trek. It is spectacularly fantastic! I want to do it again!