PORTABLE TOILETS

We at Voice Of Africa Adventures recommend clients rent this toilet as most of the toilets in the mountain are dirty during high season. This rental requires an extra porter to carry it and clean it every day. This porter is paid more by us because carrying it is not an easy task. The renting price is $130 USD per whole trip per person or group (this price is for renting and a salary for an extra porter).

 WHAT IS THE BEST TIME TO CLIMB KILIMANJARO? 

Kilimanjaro can be climbed throughout the year.

January to March are the best months with mild temperatures and almost no clouds in the morning and late afternoon. The main rainy season starts at the end of March and lasts until the end of May ( this is the lowest season). June, July, August can be cold but visibility is usually very good. Temperatures rise in September and October, November and December usually have perfect visibility in the night and morning. Short rains during the day and thunderstorms in the late afternoon are common.

You are responsible for bringing your own gears. Below is a gear needed on your climb.

On your climb we will provide you with breakfast, lunch and dinner. We pride ourselves on the quality of the food our team are able to provide while out on the mountain according to your requirement. With a year of experience our teams of cooks are also able to take a very good care of those of a special requirement such as vegan, vegetarian, dairy free and gluten free diet. If you have any other special dietary requirement please let us know in advance and we will provide accordingly.

Apart from you, the mountain crew who accompany you are the most important people in Kilimanjaro. A good mountain crew will deliver an unforgettable summit – climb for all climbers. Experience is important to our crew, we have guides, cooks and porters who have been hiking Kilimanjaro well for over one hundred times– that experience is invaluable. Our guides are well trained, passionate and well knowledged on the flora and fauna of Mountain Kilimanjaro, and have gone through different First Aid courses in case of any emergency on the mountain. They are also very good at spotting altitude sickness and know what to do once it is spotted.

Visa and  Mastercard    are widely accepted in Tanzania , but note that American Express and Diners club are not accepted. In certain places, cash will be the only acceptable method of payment. Travelers  should not rely on traveler’s cheques as these are not accepted in Tanzania .

The US dollar is always the best currency to carry and its important that the bank notes you bring have been printed after the year 2006, as older notes are  often not accepted.

Tipping is of course discretionary, but is an expected part of the way in which business is done in Tanzania. It counts as an expression of gratitude to those who – hopefully have made your experience an unforgettable one and enable you to directly reward those people.

We realize that both the process of giving tips and knowing how much to give can be difficult, so we provide the following guidance.

At the end of the climb, it is a good idea to hold a “Tipping ceremony” after breakfast on the last day the team gather and start singing some of the Kilimanjaro songs and after client/clients can have words to say to the crew and a leading guide will speak on behalf of the crew.

Tips can be placed in an envelope and given to the lead guide, who can distribute them to the crew (it is advisable to announces total amount in front of the group, so that all crew member are aware of how much is to be distributed) it is recommended the client can give from 250 US$ – 300 US$ per person per whole trip. An alternative method which mostly trekkers prefer is to give individual tips to the crew members, in which case the following amount can be used to guidance.

• Chief guide $ 25US per day/per group
• Assistant guide $20US per day/per group
• Mountain chef $15US per day/per group
• Mountain porter $8-10 US per day/per group

Giving more is also allowed. The above figures are only for guidance and can of course be varied at the trekker’s discretion. Gift of clothes, boots etc are also appreciated.

Altitudes are generally defined as follows:

• High altitude 2,400m to 4,200 [8,000ft-13,800ft]
• Very high altitude 4,200m-5,400m [13,00ft-17,700ft]
• Extreme altitude  above 5,400m  [17,700ft] [Uhuru Peak 5,895m-19,340ft].

It is likely that all climbers will experience some form of mild altitude sickness during their Kilimanjaro climb  [sometimes severe symptoms]. Some of the common symptoms are nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, headache, tingling in the toes and fingers. These mild forms are not serious, and will disappear as you descend to a lower elevation.

• Ibuprofen     
• Acetaminophen or paracetamol
• Throat lozenges
• Band Aid 
• Mole skin
• Insect repellent  
• Alcohol- based hand sanitizer
• Bandage and tape
• Malaria pills[talk to your doctor]
• Antibiotics[talk to your doctor]
• Prescription drugs[talk to your doctor]
• Diamox[talk to your doctor]
• Diarrhoea  medicine
• Blister treatment
•  Tweezers

Passport, yellow fever certificate, Tanzania visa, medical insurance, address book, airline tickets, cash, and credit cards.

If you miss some of the gear, we have an option of renting them here.

The pack/ duffel bag that the porters carry is limited to 15 kg (35 pounds). Extra luggage will require an extra porter at $100 US per trek.