(all information provided by Zara Tours)
8 Day Mt. Kilimanjaro Climb (Lemosho) + 3-Day Safari
Lemosho Glades Route: An unspoiled, remote, little used and beautiful way up to the Shira Plateau. It can either be used to gain the western Breach route or followed by the Kibo south circuit to gain the easier Barafu route. This is one of the few routes where an armed ranger accompanies our groups, since there are still animals in the forest around the Lemosho Glades.
Day 1: Arrive at the Kilimanjaro International Airport, get picked up and transferred to the Springlands Hotel for overnight. Bed and Breakfast.
Day 2: Drive from Moshi to Londorosi Park Gate (2250m, 1.5 hours). From here a forest track requiring a 4WD vehicle leads the group to Lemosho Glades (2000m, 11Km. 45minutes) and a possible campsite. Walk along beautiful forest trails to Mt Mkubwa (big tree) campsite, (2750m, 3 hours).
Day 3: The trail gradually steepens and enters the giant heather moorland zone then crosses the Shira ridge at about 3600m to drop gently down to Shira 1 camp located by the stream on the Shira plateau (3500m, 5hours).
Day 4: A gentle walk across the plateau leads to Shira 2 camp on moorland meadows by a stream (3850m, 1.5 hours). A variety of walks are available on the plateau making this an excellent acclimatization day.
Day 5: The moorlands soon come to an end and the rocky path leads amongst outcrops to the Lava tower (this is optional if one is not taking the western breach) where there are good campsites (4600m, 5 hours) then continue to Barranco hut (3900m, 2hours).
Day 6: After breakfast we leave barranco ridge, walk up the barranco wall that ends up at the foot of the Heim glacier. Passing the barranco wall, walk along to Karanga valley (4 hours).
Day 7: Continue to the Barafu hut which is located at an altitude of (4600m) here we make camp, rest, enjoy dinner and overnight. The two peaks of Mawenzi and Kibo are to be seen from this position.
Day 8: Wake up very early, at around midnight, take some light tea with cookies, Start trekking to the summit, the Uhuru peak (5895m 8hours). Spend some time at the summit; Start descending to Barafu hut for brunch and some rest, then walk down to Mweka hut for dinner and overnight.
Day 9: After breakfast, walk down the Mweka Montane forest to the Mweka gate, board the already waiting vehicle and drive back to Moshi town- Springlands Hotel for overnight. Bed and Breakfast.
Day 10: Drive from Moshi to Lake Manyara National Park, which takes about 4 hours. After having a picnic lunch in Manyara, you start a late afternoon game drive, which is the best time to view animals in this park. When you approach it from the East Rift Valley escarpment looms on the horizon forming an impressive back drop to the lake. In the tall trees of the ground water forest, monkeys leap from branch to branch, on the escarpment elephants stand in the shade of a baobab. Other animals frequently seen are zebras, impalas, monkeys, giraffes, buffalos, hippos, and others. Overnight at the Highview Hotel – full board.
Day 11: Enjoy a half-day game drive in the Ngorongoro Crater. This is the best place in Tanzania to see black rhino as well as the prides of lion that includes the magnificent black-manned males. There are lots of colorful flamingoes and a variety of water birds. Other game that you may see includes leopard, cheetah, and hyena. Other members of the antelope family, and small mammals. Return to the Highview Hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 12: The drive from the Highview Hotel to Tarangire National Park takes three hours. This park is spectacular in the dry season when many of the migratory wildlife species come back to the permanent waters of the Tarangire River. Huge herds of wildebeest, zebras, elephants, elands and Oryx gather to stay in Tarangire until the onset of the rain when they migrate again to good grazing areas. Depart around 5 – 6 pm and return to the Springlands Hotel in Moshi – Bed and Breakfast.
Day 13: Checkout of hotel and transfer to Kilimanjaro airport for flight back home.
* Info provided by Zara Tours