Kilimanjaro Climb - Rongai Route: Tanzania

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 135 reviews.

Lucy Maher

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - RONGAI ROUTE

Written October 2012
Having recently returned from an amazing holiday in Tanzania I can't recommend the Kilimanjaro experience enough. Despite chronic altitude sickness thanks to the amazing dedication and support of wonderful guides I managed to peak. The Rongai Route was amazing however, if holiday time permits, a longer duration (Lemosho or similar) route would be recommended to help with acclimatisation. A great experience with a great group of people!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Watching sunrise from Gilman's Point and managing to smile for photos despite illness and exhaustion! Worth every little 'pole pole' step to reach the top.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our leader was Florence - he was mum, doctor, nurse and Mr Motivation for the group. His care for the group and his own team of porters and fellow guides is amazing. Looked forward to his wake up call to our tents every morning and after dinner pep talks to prepare us for the next day. Amazing genuinely caring man who kept morale going at all times.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Bring plenty of paracetemol/asprin to help ease the headaches & if guides recommend Diamox then take it as they know what they are talking about - trust them completely as no one knows the mountain as well as they do.
Hand warmers / thermal gloves for summit night as it doesn't take long for chill to set in when holding the walking poles. Hire the sleeping mat locally - you will need it as those mountain campsites are very rocky!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Undoubtedly the best holiday experience to date - following the week doing Rongai we treated ourselves to a relaxing week in Zanzibar and after only a couple of days on the beach and we were missing our time on the mountain! Book it now - you won't regret it.
Monica Rossi

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - RONGAI ROUTE

Written October 2012
Breathtaking! The whole experience has been wonderful and super organised since the very beginning. No doubt it's hard but very rewarding when reaching the top and see sunrise with a hot cuppa! And what a view!!! Fantastic support from guides and porters and considering our lives were in their hands I can't praise enough their wonderful work.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The hugs from everyone when reaching Gilman's Point and the summit! Even the guides made it feel it was their first time!
What did you think of your group leader?
What can I say, Florence was my God for the whole trip! I found him extremely helpful and very caring with everyone in the group...and always with a smile!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Keep drinking water and dont even try to walk faster, no chances:-))... just pack a nail brush and maybe for the ladies paint your nails black!

Sing a song in you head when feeling tired and overwhelmed, it helps when walking the long endless alpine desert! I found this the hardest part of the trek cause you can see Kibo camp in the distance but it's not that close.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Hakuna Matata! It's all in your head! Just pack your boots and go. A lifetime experience that you can only understand if you actually do it!
Jonathan Dorward

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - RONGAI ROUTE

Written September 2012
In a nut shell Fantastic, would recorrmend it to anybody !!!!!!!!
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Reaching Gillmans,Stella,and last of all Uhuru Peak unbelieveable,fantastic
What did you think of your group leader?
Abraham was brillant,he knew more about us than we did !! ( Health and Welfare )
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Think positive and listen to your Guides and trek Leader.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
The Porter crew were wonderful,it was great to be met at the end of your days walk and having rucksack taken from you and shown to your own tent.Just the personal touch made a difference.PS Hot juice would make a welcome change than - Tea,Coffee and Hot Chocolate.
Richard Carter

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - RONGAI ROUTE

Written September 2012
An amazingly emotional trip.The whole trip was brilliantly coordinated, the support team fantastic and the sense of achievement was immense. I would and have recommend this trip, if you are thinking about it, do it.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The sunrise on the ascent and the views from the summit.
What did you think of your group leader?
Abraham organised everything brilliantly.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Pack well, you will need less clothes than you think, but do have a change of clothes for the camp, even though you spend most of the day walking, I found changing in the evening really refreshing. Buy the best kit that you can afford, especially boots (the majority of the group had solomon boots). If you cant afford a decent jacket hire one, my son did and it was excellent. I would also recommend the hired sleeping bags, we did and weren't cold at night, some of our group brought their own and were cold. Be prepared for cold nights, once the sun drops below the horizon the temperature seriously drops it's near freezing most nights. Take the trip one step at a time, don't think about tomorrow just think about the walk till lunch, breaking it down really helped. My last bit of advise is to think positively. Your fitness will get you through each day, but mental toughness will get you to the summit.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
If you are even thinking about this trip, stop considering it and book. It really is as good as you hope.
Dawn Baker

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - RONGAI ROUTE

Written September 2012
A holiday with a difference. The memories of this mental and physical challenge will stay with me for a very long time. Great fellow climbers and fantastic guides, assistant guides, porters and (the very important) chef.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Hard to pick a specific moment. Reaching the summit is the obvious answer, but also the support from fellow climbers each and every day. Seeing the porters run past you up the mountain to the next camp carrying all the tents, bags, food, equipment... all done with a smile and cries of Jambo!
What did you think of your group leader?
Charles was excellent. He told us exactly what we needed to wear and carry for the next day, what to expect from the weather and terrain. He was also very conscience about checking for signs of altitude sickness and giving advice on how to deal with the symptoms, providing constant encouragement every step of the way!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
You will need less clothes than you think. One set for the daily climb and a clean set of clothes for the evening. Make sure you have enough layers and thermals as it gets very cold the higher you ascend. Bring lots of wet wipes. I hired a mat and sleeping bag (equipment was in very good condition and the sleeping bag was very warm) and brought along a Thermarest which provided a bit of extra comfort.
Take the advice of your guides. Drink plenty of water, eat lots to keep your strength up (the food was much better than I thought it would be) and take it slowly. In the end it will be down to your determination more than your fitness. Do whatever you can to reduce the risk of altitude sickness.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
This is the most demanding thing I have ever done. The summit ascent is very tough and it is as much a mental challenge as a physical one. My fellow climbers were a brilliant group of people. And I can't praise the support staff enough. All the guides and porters were amazing, and always welcomed me into camp with a smile.
If you are thinking of booking this trip - book it! You won't be dissapointed.
Susan Head

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - RONGAI ROUTE

Written September 2012
Possibly I hadn't given this trip the serious thought it required. I've climbed peaks before, well the three highest in the UK that is so how difficult could Kilimanjaro be! The daily walks were brilliant, the summit climb torture and the cold- well absolutely freezing.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
I had expected summitting to watch the sunrise at Gilmans Point to be the highlight of my trip; however the reality didn't quite match up to the expectation. I did suffer from the altitude on the way to the summit but with a lot of encouragement from a wonderful tent/room mate and the superb guide Shaban I did make it to Gilmans Point. After the long trek back down and resting in my now lovely warm tent toasting in the suns rays I thought about what I'd just achieved- reaching Gilmans and asked myself if I was disappointed in not reaching Uhuru Point. I realised that reaching the summit had become inconsequential as the whole experience of Tanzinia, the trek, the guides, porters and spending time with a group of wonderful people all setting out with the same goal in mind was a highlight that I won't be forgetting.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our group leader Abraham was terrific. He was a strong leader that we all felt completely confident with. He was very well respected by his team & I was grateful to have his expertise on the first trek of this kind I had undertaken. He was extremely observant of both trekkers and porters/guides and looked for opportunities to strengthen the skills of the guides at all times. We were exceptionally lucky to have not only Abraham but a fantastic team of guides and assistant guides in Seraphin, Nico, Shaban, Nemis, Julius and Marwa who I'm sure will develop into confident group leaders.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Don't underestimate the cold, it was freezing. Even in the hotel it was chilly as seemed to be misty a lot of the time. I didn't take a spare pair of trousers for the evenings around camp and really wished I'd had some comfy warm trackies. Do invest in decent warm base layers, it'll be money well spent! Experienced group trekkers dressed up for the last night at the hotel and were unrecognisable from their dusty trekking gear- a nice touch, I'll definitely be dressed to the nines on my last night next time!!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Stop dithering- book it. You won't regret it!
James Niblett

KILIMANJARO CLIMB - RONGAI ROUTE

Written September 2012
I look back on this wonderful holiday with a great sense of achievement and some pride. I consider myself a fairly fit 58 year old but overall this was the hardest physical challenge I have attempted.A friendly team of guides and porters who looked after us so well.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The highlight has to be the day we climbed to the summit on Killy. It was a long exhausting day starting at midnight and finishing some 15 hours later.
Ours was a small group of 7, mostly in their early 30's apart from my wife and I in our late 50's and it was great that we all bonded so well and encouraged each other to keep going when it got tough.
What did you think of your group leader?
Our guide was called Naiman and in his quiet, confident manner we felt that he was using his experience to look after our well being and make sure that we had the best chance of getting to the top of both Meru and Killy.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Follow the advice of the guides - they do know best!
Try to eat at all meal times, even if you don't feel like it and drink lots of fluids.
Do tell the guides if you are not feeling well, don't keep it to yourself. They will be able to advise you based on their extensive experience of altitude.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Tens of thousands of people climb Killy every year but it is not to be underestimated and we found that the climb up Meru was a very good way of acclimatising.
Not having been so far south in Africa before, this trip was a real eye opener. The country is beautiful and the people friendly.
The African Walking Company is the local partner for Exodus and they offered good advice on tipping of guides, cook and porters, which avoided any embarrassment.