Kilimanjaro - Lemosho Route and Safari: Tanzania

Our Clients’ Reviews

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Average Review Rating: from 8 reviews.

Simon Lynch

KILIMANJARO - LEMOSHO ROUTE AND SAFARI

Written October 2012
The trip was very well organised, and the accomodation was great throughout. We were incredibly well looked after on the mountain and the safari.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Seeing the top of Kilimanjaro for the first time when the cloud cleared on the 3rd day of the climb was incredible.
Reaching Stella Point at the crater rim and looking back over the clouds below us and rising sun.
Seeing a pride of lions sheltering under a tree from the heat of the sun after returning from a hunt, 17 lions and cubs preening and cleaning, amazing!
What did you think of your group leader?
Musa, our leader on the climb was amazing! He was so attentive to everybody in the group. His knowledge of the mountain and the climb was second to none. He organised our huge group of porters and guides with ease and always made to time to speak to people individually to see how they were getting on.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Make sure you train well before you go, and have a comfortable day pack that you have got used to before you go.
You also need to pack for all weather conditions. From suncream to waterproofs and a scarf and gloves, the weather is very changeable.
Take a Poncho! It doesnt need to be anything expensive, just something that will go over a rucksack on your back and can be left open at the front to keep you cool while walking. The first few days can be quite wet, half the battle with getting through these days is staying dry. I hired a poncho when I arrived, and was the only one in a group of 11 to use one. Some of the group wearing expensive waterproof coats ended up getting very wet, and wished they had a poncho instead!
Stay positive on the mountain is vital. Yes it is very hard, but if you keep your spirits up when it gets tough, you'll get to the top!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The whole trip was amazing. It was without a doubt the hardest thing I have ever done, but the most incredible experience at the same time. The group cameraderie is so cool, everyone in our group really gelled and it helped a great deal.
The porters and guides are inspirational! They work soooo hard almost 24/7 to make sure you are well cared for and that they give you the best chance of getting to the top, we certainly wouldn't have made it without them!
Kirsty Baxter

KILIMANJARO - LEMOSHO ROUTE AND SAFARI

Written October 2012
This was just a fantastic trip. I cannot fault the organisation of the Kilimanjaro climb itself - it was just perfect. I am also very glad that I booked through Exodus, which uses the The Africa Walking Company as its local operator. They had the best camping set-up that we saw on the mountain, particularly the much appreciated toilet tent! The guides and porters were universally good and seemed to provide that little bit more than the other operators on the mountain. The safari was also excellent - the only negative point was that we were meant to have a group leader to meet us and drop us off at the airport, but it seems like he could not allocate the time. The safari drivers did a great job getting us to the right places and making sure we saw all our 'wish list' (!) of animals, however, and mostly made up for the lack of group leader. It was an excellent and satisfying trip all round.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
1. Making it to the top of Kilimanjaro. The final day of climbing was tiring and a bit chilly, but was absolutely worth the effort.
2. Seeing my first families of elephants, lions and hippos, and then seeing cheetahs, a leopard and crocodiles. The vervet monkeys and baboons were also great!
What did you think of your group leader?
Musa, our Chief Guide on Kilimanjaro, was superb. He was intelligent, humerous and quietly observant throughout the trip, with a complete understanding of British traits! He had a really lovely manner and ensured that any issues were identified and dealt with as soon as possible. He also spent a lot of time developing the other guides so they had the full range of skills needed to be a Chief Guide in the future. He was the perfect choice for the role.
Our group leader on the safari was the complete opposite. He didn't meet us on the first day of the safari and left the drivers to sort out our divided luggage. On the final day, he did come to meet us, but decided belatedly not to take us to the airport (where we could have done with some explanation about forms and queues). The drivers, as I said above, did their best to make sure his absence did not impact on us, however.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
1. Make sure you take the full packing list as the layers are definitely needed on the final morning's climb to the summit. Bring your gaiters as they help keep the mud (if you are unlucky enough to get rain) off your laces, which is welcome when you get to camp and can relax again.
2. Ensure all your kit is water-proofed inside your main bag, as it rained for our first 4 days and the bags (and contents) did get wet despite the additional cover added by the tour company.
3. Ensure you have a rain cover for your day sack and good-quality waterproofs.
4. Our packing list only said 2 x 1 litre water bottles - bring 3 or preferably a camelbak and 2 extra bottles.
5. Don't bring water purification tablets as the water is purified for you on the mountain.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I would absolutely recommend booking through Exodus! It is a little bit more expensive than most other comapanies, but it was definitely worth it. The Africa Walking Company is a great local operator and we ended up in a lovely group of people. I would say that Exodus could personalise the emails it sends out after booking and before the trip - they were too generic and left you searching around for specific information on the Kilimanjaro trek (not just all treks) and little was mentioned on the safari organisation. Apart from this and the guide problem on the safari, the trip went perfectly and I will now have great memories that will be with me for life.
Gary Snow

KILIMANJARO - LEMOSHO ROUTE AND SAFARI

Written September 2012
Experience of a lifetime,absolutely fantastic
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
seeing kilimanjaro in the background of the foothills,and thinking on thursday the 20/9/12 i will be on the summit of that massive rock.
What did you think of your group leader?
Florence was our group leader,you could not fault him,he would ask all the rite questions about how you were feeling,your welfare was his main concern,i cant praise him enough,all the other guides were exellent to,Solaman,Hudson,Freeman,Augustus,and David all the porters and Milton the cook,what a fantastic job he did feeding us,the food was top notch.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Go slowly,eat and drink plenty,tell your guides how you are feeling,and listen to them they no all the symptoms,i was lucky i ate and drunk like a horse and i had no altitude sickness .
Is there anything else you would like to add?
If you decide to book this trip you will be satisfied with the care and attention of the guides,the food,and the friendlyness of the very very hard working porters,just a name mention of the porters who made my trip special,Julious who took my pack and poles off me and showed me to my tent at the end of each day and then on summit day slept in my tent and looked after my belonings,Milton the cook for creating such a variety of meals and kept us all fed,Cast Florences brother,for bowls of hot water for washy washy and just a kind hearted lad,Fredie,Welhud,and all the other porters for making our trip fantastic.
David Ellis

KILIMANJARO - LEMOSHO ROUTE AND SAFARI

Written March 2012
The Kilimanjaro part of the trip was excellent. The guides and porters were superb, couldn't ask for more. For me the safari section of the trip was a bit long but again the guide was excellent and the accomodation was first class.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Reaching the summit at sunrise was special.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our group leader was excellent, he was very experienced.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you can, get the yellow fever vaccination and take the certificate with you. Since you transfer through Kenya the Tanzanian authorities ask to see the certificate on landing (although they let me through without one).
Is there anything else you would like to add?
During the safari we had an option to go on a night drive and a sunrise walking safari. The night drive cost $30 and the walking safari was $20, which weren't mentioned in the trip notes. I went on the sunrise walking safari which was a good experience, i would recomend it.
Terry Hughes

KILIMANJARO - LEMOSHO ROUTE AND SAFARI

Written March 2012
Exodus have been superb. Everything happened like clock work and we cannot thank the Exodus team enough. All the staff at Exodus, The African Walking Company both on Kilimanjaro and on safari, hotels, lodges, camp sites and Kenya Airways displayed excellent standards of customer service and have all made our trip not only spectacular but one we will remember for a life time. Our safari guide, Omari knows the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater like it is his own back yard. An incredible trip and experience. Our guide on Kilimanjaro, Naiman truly is a very special person. His team, Joseph and himself looked after us beyond what ever we could have expected. We are speechless. They were BRILLIANT.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
We can honestly say, after running 2 marathons, this was the toughest challenge of the 3 Continents Challenge. Each day we walked for approximately 6 hours, slowly walking higher and higher. After day 3 (we had reached 3,840 metres), we both started to feel mild altitude sickness. It comes on very quick and you just want to rest. We managed to acclimatise but on day 4 we walked to a height of 4,550 metres. We had been walking through rain forests and grass plateau's but now the terrain was rocky lava ridges. I did not feel too good and I also discovered I had a fear of falling over. I was ok with the height but if the terrain became very steep and uneven surfaces, I became very nervous.

We discussed with Naiman and he suggested I did not take any more malaria tablets and I had some Ibuprofen and Diamox to help me acclimatise. He told us, we were only suffering normal symptoms and we were a very strong group. I went to bed to sleep on it. We camped at 3,900 metres. The nights were now getting cold and were approximately -5. I woke in the morning realising the only way down was up and I had to overcome my fear. So yet again I faced a massive wall to climb. I had to keep going despite the fact it was now getting so tough. I had to rely on all my training, all my fitness and all my goals. I also had the most important person in my life by my side and together we would do it. So I started day 5 and quite literally had the biggest challenge of my life, to climb the Great Barranco Wall, a 300 metre rock face to take us to 4,200 metres. Each step was hard and I used my entire body strength to help me climb and overcome my fear. We made it and after 2 more days of climbing to reach 4,600 metres we rested to prepare ourselves for the midnight climb to the summit.

We reached the summit at Uhuru Peak on day 7, Thursday 23 February at 06.50am. Our bodies and fitness were put to the test on Summit Day when we climbed for 7 hours while temperatures fell to -12.

It was an incredible feeling to not only have done this amazing challenge but to have completed the 3 Continents Challenge. But the story does not end there and whilst at Uhuru Peak, I asked my girlfriend, Teresa to marry me by proposing with a ring I had carried for the last 7 days. The great news is she said YES.
What did you think of your group leader?
There was a team of 18 staff to help and assist us including our chef, Johnson, Waiter, Stanley, Assistant Guide, Joseph and our leader and Head Guide, Naiman. We would like to say, without the incredible patience, team work, encouragement and determination of these guys, we would not have made it. They looked after us beyond belief. We had fantastic food, lots of fun and Naiman is with out doubt the most incredible person we have ever met.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Although you will have to overcome many things you may never have encountered before in your life, relax and enjoy every moment. It is a life changing experience and reaching the summit is mind blowing! We also suggest be prepared, take all the advice you can before you go and listen to those who have done it. Exodus can give you all the answers so do not hesitate to ask questions.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
In 2008 I started to plan the 3 Continents Challenge. In February 2012, one year after I had started my training, I was ready to start my final and third challenge, to climb and reach the summit of Uhuru Peak on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

I have had a great time so far and achieved some personal bests; The Virgin London Marathon, Sunday 17 April 2011, 4 hours, 49 minutes, 29 seconds. The ING New York City Marathon, Sunday 6 November 2011, 4 hours, 13 minutes beating my London time by 36 minutes.
In June, thanks to my Just Giving page, I met a beautiful lady called Teresa. We started dating and Teresa decided join me for the final part of my challenge.

Over the winter months Teresa and I were busy training and preparing for the trip. To start training again was tough enough but to maintain the training has been the toughest part of the challenges. After aches, pains, tears and vaccinations, we were ready, fit and healthy.

So after over 800 miles (running), 800 litres of Highland Spring and 800 bananas, we climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 8 days. We left London on 15 February and started the climb on 17 February for 7 days. We chose to climb the Lemosho route which is a longer route but we knew the extra days would help us to acclimatise. No training could prepare us to know how well we would acclimatise, however the longer we were on the mountain, the better the chances we had to reach the summit. There was 3 of us on our trip, A soldier called David, Teresa and my self.

Friday 17 February Day 1. After flying from London and staying at a local hotel for a night we started the climb at a place called Londorossi Gate at approximately 2000 metres. After registration we started walking through the rain forest at the Lemosho Road Head. We slowly rose through the forest seeing monkeys and many different birds. It was warm (28 degrees) and sunny. Our porters carried all our kit, tents and food on their heads. Each one had a specific job. We carried back packs with any personal items and extra clothing rain wear. We reach our first camp at 4.30pm (Lemosho Forest Camp, 2750m). We arrived to find our tents are put up, snacks and hot chocolate and even a clean private toilet for us. We had an excellent evening meal and Naiman breifed us for the next day. After prayers we were in bed by 9pm.

We were woke at 6.30am with hot tea or coffee and water to wash. After an amazing breakfast we set off through more rain forests. The track was now becoming steeper and narrower as we walked up and down. Again it was sunny and a temperature of about 18. We saw more monkeys and birds and soon walked out of the forest and onto moorland.

We saw Chameleon on the moorland and had some amazing views across the plains. Although we stopped frequently, we had decided not to waste our camera batteries as the low temperatures we would start to experience could affect our battery life. We came across lots of dead white butterflies who were being blown up the mountain by the wind. They were dying because of the altitude. We climbed over the Shira Ridge to reach the Shira Plateau. This was our next camp site, Shira One (3550m). Again we arrived to find our tents are put up, snacks and hot chocolate. Another excellent evening meal and after Naiman breifed us for the next day and our prayers we were in bed by 9pm again. The night temperature dropped for the first time below freezing (-5), however we were warm in our tents.

Again we woke at 6.30am and after tea, washing and breakfast we set off over moorland and volcanic rock. We came across fresh buffalo and jackal droppings. It was Sunday and we were able to climb up to Shira Cathedral, a large rock surrounded by spire formations. At the summit (3750m) we said prayers. We then reached our next campsite, Shira Hut (3840m).

After day 3 (we had reached 3,840 metres), both Teresa and my self started to feel mild altitude sickness. It comes on very quick and you just want to rest. We managed to acclimatise but on day 4 we walked to a height of 4,550 metres. We had been walking through rain forests and grass plateau's but now the terrain was rocky lava ridges. After climbing the Great Barranco Wall and taking time to acclimatise, we reached the summit at Uhuru Peak on day 7, Thursday 23 February at 06.50am. Our bodies and fitness were put to the test on Summit Day when we climbed for 7 hours while temperatures fell to -12.

Coming down was quick and after spending our last night on the mountain (our porters sang local songs and cooked a traditional meal), we virtually ran the rest of the way down. In 2 hours 50 minutes we were back in rain forests. This has truly been an incredible story, life changing, meeting some amazing people and overcoming disabilities some people have to suffer their entire life. It has been so rewarding knowing our efforts can change someone's life for the better.

We believed in it and WE DID IT.
Phillip Oxenham

KILIMANJARO - LEMOSHO ROUTE AND SAFARI

Written February 2012
What a fantastic experience - the Lemosho route offers the opportunity to see 3 sides of Kilimanjaro and around every corner was a different landscape more inspiring than the one before. A key benefit of the Lemosho route is allowing the time to fully acclimatise over 6 days on the way up meaning a more relaxed walk - though never easy! The support provided by the African Walking Company was superb and nothing was ever too much trouble. Finishing the trip off with a safari was the perfect balance and a way for our success to slowly sink in - helped by a few beers around a camp fire in the middle of the Serengeti - does it get any better?
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Standing on top of Shira Catherdral and watching the clouds part to show Shira Needle and the valley beyond - appearing like a lost world.
What did you think of your group leader?
Charles from the African Walking Company was always calm, assured and encouraging. His knowledge of the mountain and the correct medication to take were crucial in all of the group successfully summitting without any problems.
Whilst our Safari guide was not the most communicative, you could not fault his ability to find the action. Within just 3 days we'd seen the 'big 5' including a real life kill and more birds and animals then we could have dreamed of seeing - never mind getting up close to.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
We climbed Kilimanjaro during February - the dry season - and completely under estimated the amount of dirt and dust which was around. At some of the camp sites it was blowing around and quickly everything became coated in a small layer of dirt. It wasn't a problem, but go prepared and take every opportunity to 'wash wash' and keep electronic gear, espcially cameras, covered.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I put off climbing Kilimanjaro for many years as the cost always seemed too high - especially when you add in the required equipment and injections - but is was all worth it and wish I'd just got on and done it sooner. Beware - once you've done one trip like this, it gets addictive!
Claire Seckington

KILIMANJARO - LEMOSHO ROUTE AND SAFARI

Written July 2011
An amazing 2 weeks, I loved the 8 day trek and would do it again, with stunning scenery/views and with good company, across both the group, guides and porters. The safari was a great introduction to safari and covered such a wide area (and animals!) in such a short period of time across the Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Just being on the trek was amazing in itself and being able to appreciate the scenery which changed every day as we crossed the different zones.
Getting to the top of the Baranco wall, which looks pretty awesome from the bottom!
Seeing the trail of lights making their way up on summit night and of course making it to the top of Kili in time for sunrise! Not to mention what I learnt about myself during the final ascent!
Seeing a cheetah chase from start to finish, although the gazelles escaped on this occaision!
What did you think of your group leader?
Our trek guide was Charles, supported by assistant guides Damasi, Hasheem and Senani. Charles was friendly, knowledgable, informative and always had our best interests at heart. We would receive briefings each morning and evening, from everything from where we were going, information on the Mountain and area, to what to wear. Charles was always asking us how we were, making sure that none of us were suffering from the effects of altitude sickness.
Charles and the assistant guides were a credit to Exodus and the African Walking Company. Damasi deserves a particular mention as he got me to the top of the mountain!
Gabrielle was our Safari guide and again could not be faulted in his knowledge or his ability to change a tyre twice in the space of about an hour!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
I am a single traveller, but yet again I joined a group which was well suited and easy to get on with and we have met up since returning to exchange stories.
Forget the sun tops, although a sun hat with a wide brim is a must! Although its warm during the day and a t-shirt and shorts (for the first few days at least) will be fine, it gets quite cold at night. Make sure you have plenty of warm clothing and hire a duvet jacket and sleeping bag for collection when you get there. I had a thermarest which was fine, but the hired mats also went down well with the rest of the group, as did the walking poles, although I did without.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
I would definitely recommend the 8 day trek along the Lemosho route, not only was it a stunning route, it was quiet with very few other trekers, at least until all the routes start to converge, it also gave you enough time to acclimatise and just enjoy the experience!
It has definitely been my best holiday yet and will prove very hard to beat! I read a review on the Exodus website before I booked which said, stop thinking about it and just book it today! I have to agree, do it today!!