A Wild Encounter: Visiting the Arusha Giraffe Centre

If you’re looking for a meaningful and memorable wildlife experience while in northern Tanzania, make time for a visit to the Arusha Giraffe Centre. Nestled just outside the city, this hidden gem offers an ethical, educational, and up-close encounter with some of Africa’s most iconic and endangered animals — giraffes.

A Mission with a Purpose.

Unlike many wildlife interactions that prioritize tourism over animal welfare, the Arusha Giraffe Centre is founded on conservation and community. With giraffes facing increasing threats from habitat loss, poaching, and human-wildlife conflict, this center is working hard to reverse that trend by supporting the repopulation of these gentle giants.

Currently home to four giraffes, the center acts as a sanctuary where the animals are protected, monitored, and part of a wider initiative to grow and eventually reintroduce healthy giraffes into safe, natural habitats.

Educating the Next Generation

One of the most inspiring aspects of the Arusha Giraffe Centre is its commitment to education — not just for international visitors, but for the local community as well. Tanzanian youth and school groups are frequently hosted here, learning about giraffes, conservation, and the importance of protecting their country’s rich biodiversity.

It’s a powerful way to inspire future conservationists and foster a culture of respect and care for wildlife. The Journey There Be prepared for a bit of adventure just getting to the center — the road is bumpy and rugged, winding through rural terrain that’s as beautiful as it is rough. It’s all part of the experience and adds a sense of off-the-beaten-path discovery.

A sturdy vehicle is recommended, and a sense of humor doesn’t hurt either.

A Half-Day Well Spent

This is the perfect half-day trip from Arusha — whether you’re at the beginning of a safari or simply want a peaceful break from the bustle of town. Once you arrive, you’ll be rewarded with serene surroundings and the rare chance to come face-to-face with giraffes in a responsible and respectful way. The giraffes are calm and used to human presence, offering incredible photographic opportunities.

Whether you’re snapping selfies or capturing wide-angle shots with Mount Meru in the distance, it’s hard to take a bad picture when you’re standing next to a towering, spotted giant.

Final Thoughts

The Arusha Giraffe Centre is more than just a photo op — it’s a conservation hub, a community project, and a testament to the importance of ethical animal tourism. If you care about wildlife, enjoy learning, and want to support something meaningful during your travels, don’t miss this unforgettable experience just outside Arusha.

Travel tip: Wear sturdy shoes, bring your camera, and prepare for some bumpy roads. The journey is worth every jolt

Wearing my custom outfit from Yimba Fashions:

For more tips on Tanzania, watch my Tiktok here!

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Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro Tips

Mount kilimanjaro tips

Mount Kilimanjaro – Tips For Climbing The Rooftop Of Africa

I loved trekking Mount Kilimanjaro so much, I’ve done it twice!

If you’re the adventurous, outdoorsy type you will LOVE this trip.

Read: MOUNT KILIMANJARO GROUP TRIP HIGHLIGHTS: 7 DAY MACHAME ROUTE

Both years while hosting the trip with my company Wanderlust Group Trips we had one of the best guides in the business: Remmy. He has summitted over 500 times and has been working as a head guide on Kilimanjaro for almost 20 years. He works for the company Monkey Adventures but also has recently started guiding his own trips with his company Tastics Safaris. If you’re able to do the trip with Remmy, it will make all the difference on your trek! He’s amazing. After two years of trekking with him, I consider him a dear friend and cannot recommend him highly enough! Reach out to him through Tastic Safaris if you can.

So here are some helpful tips compiled with what I’ve learned from Remmy after summiting Mount Kilimanjaro two times successfully!

(P.S. At the end of the blog post, I’ve included my entire packing list!)

1. Don’t skip taking the altitude meds

With this level of elevation, I wouldn’t even consider skipping altitude medication. There are no adverse side effects of the medication. It will do nothing but help you, especially if you have a strong reaction to the altitude.

2. You can buy altitude pills over the counter in Arusha without a prescription for very inexpensive (cheaper than the states!)

You can buy pills in your home country but often it involves making an appointment and it can be a lot more costly than purchasing them in Tanzania. When you land in Arusha, you can easily enter any pharmacy (just ask your taxi driver to stop) and purchase altitude pills over the counter instantly for just a few dollars.

The prescription you would get at home would most likely be Diamox. In Arusha, you’ll be picking up the generic: ACETAZOLAMIDE.

It works as a diuretic. It helps you make more urine and to lose salt and excess water from your body. However this means you’ll be needing to pee more while on the mountain. So always take it early in the morning instead of at night. That way, you will hopefully be able to sleep through the night without waking up to pee constantly. Your sleep is SO important on this trip. You will need to be well rested for the trek.

3. The porters are incredible and make everything possible. Tip them WELL!

Ask ahead of time for tipping guidelines and have cash ready. Our group tipped $200-$300 a person for all the guides and team of porters! It’s amazing how much they do for you!!

And sadly, working as both a guide and a porter has shockingly low pay, often only a few dollars a day. And once you see how much they do, how many hours they work and how much physical labor is involved… you’ll want to tip them well I’m sure of it!

We gave our tips when we got back to the hotel after the trek so we didn’t have to bring cash with us on the trail. But confirm with your tour operator what they prefer!

Here is a copy of tipping guidelines from Monkey Adventures:

Mount Kilimanjaro standard tipping guidelines

Although larger tips are always appreciated by our staff, they will be extremely grateful if you follow the guidelines for tipping given below. These amounts given below are for the whole group. For e.g, the whole group tips USD 15 to the cook per day. So these costs will be divided amongst the whole group.

• Senior guide : $20 – 25 per day from the whole group
• Assistant guide : $15 – 20 per day from the whole group
• Cook : $12 – 15 per day from the whole group
• Waiter : $10 – 12 per day from the whole group
• Porter : $8 – 10 per day from the whole group
• Summit porter : $12 – 15 per day from the whole group
• Toilet crew : $10 – 12 per day from the whole group

Crew for various group sizes

To calculate tips, it’s important to understand how large your support team is going to be. Below we have listed the crew size from Group of 1 to 10.

• Group of 1 – 1 Senior Guide, 1 Cook, 3 or 4 Porters
• Group of 2 – 1 Senior Guide, 1 Assistant Guide, 1 Cook, 6 Porters
• Group of 3 – 1 Senior Guide, 1 Assistant Guide, 1 Cook, 9 Porters
• Group of 4 – 1 Senior Guide, 1 Assistant Guide, 1 Cook and 12 Porters
• Group of 5 – 1 Senior Guide, 2 Assistant Guides, 1 Cook and 15 Porters
• Group of 6 – 1 Senior Guide, 2 Assistant Guides, 2 Cooks and 18 Porters
• Group of 7 – 1 Senior Guide, 2 Assistant Guides, 2 Cooks and 21 Porters
• Group of 8 – 1 Senior Guide, 3 Assistant Guides, 2 Cooks and 24 Porters
• Group of 9 – 1 Senior Guide, 3 Assistant Guides, 2 Cooks and 27 Porters
• Group of 10 – 1 Senior Guide, 3 Assistant Guides, 2 Cooks and 30 Porters

Expected tip amounts per client for some common routes and group sizes.

To help you calculate, here are the tip amounts broken down for each crew member

These numbers were provided by Monkey Adventures but can be applied to any Kilimanjaro trek. Check with your company upon booking if they have suggested tipping guidelines. You can read more about tipping on Mount Kilimanjaro through Monkey Adventures here.

4. Machame route (7 Days) gives you days to acclimatize and has the highest success rate

There are multiple routes to choose from but I love the Machame Route. The hiking days are long but enjoyable.

It also has the highest success rate because on day 4, you hike up to the Lava Tower for lunch then sleep at a lower altitude which really helps your body adjust.

5. Always have your rain gear ready and accessible on your day bag

The weather can turn on Kilimanjaro in a moment. Most packing lists will suggest a poncho and rain pants. However during my two treks, I found having a rain jacket, waterproof hiking boots and a waterproof bag cover was enough.

That being said, I wouldn’t suggest doing the hike during the rainy season.
Aim to hike Kilimanjaro during dry season:

• Beginning of December – beginning of March
• Late June through the end of October

I did both my treks during July and the weather was lovely!!

6. You will be well fed but have snacks for between meals & summit night

All your food is provided on the mountain by your chef and crew of porters.
However, you’ll probably still want some snacks from time to time.

Keep a few protein bars and snacks in your bag for each day.

Sometimes if your group is hiking more slowly, it may push back what time you get to camp and will end up hiking on an empty stomach until you get to camp. Always have a protein bar handy!

You’ll also want snacks for summit night. Most likely, you will leave around midnight and hike all through the night and the next morning. I also suggest putting liquid IV in your camelback.

7. Pack good sunglasses, sunscreen and SPF chapstick

The sun will be intense. Both times I have hiked Kilimanjaro, people got severely sunburnt.

Don’t forget to put sunscreen on your hands especially if you’re using trekking poles. Some of the ladies fried their hands quite badly.

The worst for me, by far, was my lips! They were so burnt and dry. They peeled terribly after summit night. This was partly because it’s so dusty heading down the mountain after the summit. So make sure you have multiple SPF chapsticks on hand.

And I would also advise bringing a bandana to cover your nose/mouth for the descent. You will be ingesting a lot of dust otherwise.

8. Hand and toe warmers for summit night

For me, the worst part of my first summit night was my cold fingers and toes. They were miserably cold.

The following year, I was determined not to make the same mistake.

I brought enough hand and toe warmers for me + everyone else in the group! Happy to report, I was warm enough the second year.

These hand warmers are the exact same ones I use and recommend.

9. Keep technology close to your body on summit or it will freeze

Camera batteries and cell phones will likely freeze on summit night if not handled properly.

You’ll want to take your camera battery out and keep it close to your body heat. I personally hiked with my GoPro and camera battery in my sports bra. Both made it all the way to the summit just fine.

For my phone, I kept it off and only turned it on when I wanted to record something. And I kept it in a case that had a string which wrapped around my neck/body so it was inside my coat and close to my body heat.

Cold drains your batteries much faster so be mindful of that!

10. Learn how to use night mode on your phone- the stars are CRAZY BEAUTIFUL

The stars on Mount Kilimanjaro are simply stunning. It’s such a clear view of the night sky with very little light pollution.

Before your trip, try googling and make sure you know how to use your night mode on your phone. If you have anything after an Iphone 13, you should be able to get some great shots especially.

11. Having a positive attitude is EVERYTHING.

Tell yourself it will be hard but you can do hard things.

This will be a challenge. Embrace that parts will be difficult but you can do it!

12. Pack biodegradable wet wipes so you can wipe yourself clean at your tent each night

You may also want a small bar of soap. After multiple days on the trail, you will want to be able to freshen up!

The porters will bring water to your tent for washing but it’s nice having wet wipes.

13. Prepare to take it SLOW. Or as the locals say “pole, pole”

Because of the altitude you’ll be hiking slowly. It’s not a race. And any experienced guide will not let you go quickly. You’ll be surprised how differently you have to hike at such high altitude. It’s all about taking slow, steady, small steps.

14. Rent gear in Moshi

For both years, I have rented gear from AT Geartz in Moshi.
I didn’t want to fly with a sleeping bag and for the second year, I was flying from a warm destination and didn’t have a summit jacket.

AT Geartz will drop off the gear at your hotel if you’re staying within Moshi. Both years I stayed at Lindrin Lodge before the trek which was a great option!

You can also go to their store in Moshi and pick which jacket or pants specifically you would like to wear for the trek. If they drop off a wrong size, you can go into the store to swap for free or try on other gear.

You can get a 15% discount at AT Geartz with code: MONKEY15

15. Invest in good quality hiking socks (+ Warm ones for summit!)

I personally use and love Darn Tough socks.

But you’ll want a warmer pair of socks for summit night- my feet froze the first year!! I wore my regular day hiking socks on summit night and it was a very cold night. My toes were numb for hours and it wasn’t fun.

The second year, I wore double wool socks and it was much better. Keep in mind, it will make you more cold if your shoes are stuffed too tight.

16. Schedule to start your trek on a weekday to avoid weekend crowds

The first year I went we started our trek on a Saturday and it was certainly more busy.

The following year we started on a Monday and often felt like we were the only people on the mountain for many hours at a time!

I never felt like the weekend crowd was too much but if you’re looking for more solitude, try scheduling to start on a week day.

17. No special training or skills are required.

People of average fitness can do this trek! It’s hard but amazing!!!

The slower you hike, the better you’ll acclimatize. A good guide will actually prevent you from hiking fast.

Mount Kilimanjaro Tips

18. My Kilimanjaro Packing List

Here is everything you’ll need for a successful trek.

Your bag weight matters so do not overpack. I can’t stress this enough. Plan to rewear a few shirts and pants. And cut any unnecessary items.

Typically you’ll want to carry between 2-3 liters of water during the day. Any more will be way too heavy!

Mount Kilimanjaro Tips

Let me know in the comments what other questions you have!

Best of luck on your trek, you’re going to love it.

Interested in other high altitude treks? Add the Inca Trail to your bucket list!
26 TIPS FOR TREKKING THE INCA TRAIL TO MACHU PICCHU

The post Mount Kilimanjaro -Tips For Climbing The Rooftop Of Africa appeared first on The Wanderlust Rose.

20 Photos To Add
Ngorongoro Crater To Your Bucket List

Along with the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater is one of the top areas to safari in Tanzania.

I have now visited on 3 separate trips and will continue to bring my group trips back to Tanzania if you’re interested in joining! (Follow Wanderlust Group Trips on Instagram for updates.)

Here are a few of my favorite images I’ve taken while on safari in Ngorongoro Crater. As always, all images are shot with my Canon 90D.

There are several luxury lodges in the area but I have always opted to camp. The wildlife around camp makes this an absolutely unforgettable experience. We often have a herd of wild zebras roaming around our campsite. (I have an image of this included below!) If you’re looking for a great locally owned tour operator, I suggest Travel Africa Safari Agency.

And you’ll want to make sure you do a sunrise game drive here, it’s truly spectacular.

Watch the highlights from my 2023 Tanzania group trips here:

Shop my safari wardrobe here!

More on African safaris:

• A COMPLETE GUIDE TO SOUTH AFRICA’S LUXURY SAFARI PARK: GONDWANA GAME RESERVE
• 20 PHOTOS TO PUT SERENGETI NATIONAL PARK ON YOUR BUCKET LIST
• BIG 5 AFRICAN SAFARI- 7 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
• 20 PHOTOS TO PUT TANZANIA ON YOUR BUCKET LIST

NGORONGORO CRATER

The post 20 Photos To Add Ngorongoro Crater To Your Bucket List appeared first on The Wanderlust Rose.

20 Photos To Put Serengeti National Park
On Your Bucket List

The Serengeti is one of my favorite places on earth.

This national park in Tanzania is the basis for the movie the Lion King and famous for being home to thousands of big cats.

It is one of the best safari destinations in the world.

I have now visited on 3 separate trips and will continue to bring my group trips back to Tanzania if you’re interested in joining! (Follow Wanderlust Group Trips on Instagram for updates.)

Here are a few of my favorite images I’ve taken while on safari in the Serengeti. As always, all images are shot with my Canon 90D.

Shop my African safari Amazon storefront here.
It includes a lot of the clothing I personally pack for going on safari!

More on African safaris:

• A COMPLETE GUIDE TO SOUTH AFRICA’S LUXURY SAFARI PARK: GONDWANA GAME RESERVE
• BIG 5 AFRICAN SAFARI- 7 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
• 20 PHOTOS TO PUT TANZANIA ON YOUR BUCKET LIST

The post 20 Photos To Put Serengeti National Park On Your Bucket List appeared first on The Wanderlust Rose.

20 Photos To Put Tanzania On Your Bucket List

My recent trip to Tanzania was beyond anything I could have imagined. We started out with a 4 day/3 night safari with Travel Africa Safari Agency that exceeded my expectations entirely. I cannot say enough good things about this experience or the tour company we used. Then we reached the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro with Monkey Adventures on the epic Machame Route. Again, it was equally as amazing.

Overall, it left me with the feeling that perhaps, Tanzania is my favorite place I have ever been. And I most certainly need to come back.

So here are 20 favorite photos from the two amazing weeks spent exploring this unforgettable country!

I currently shoot with a Canon 80D.
I mostly used my 35mm lens or my 200mm zoom lens on safari.

You can see the full lion’s attempt to bring down the zebra on my TikTok here.

For more on my trip to Tanzania, check out my highlights video here:

Shop my Tanzania essentials here:

Merinol Wool Hiking Socks

Buy Now

LED Beanie Hat with Light

Buy Now

Hiking Boots

Buy Now

Animal Print Suit

Buy Now

The post 20 Photos To Put Tanzania On Your Bucket List appeared first on The Wanderlust Rose.

Mount Kilimanjaro Group Trip Highlights

Mount Kilimanjaro Group Trip Highlights –
7 Days Machame Route 

Hands down, this trek is the hardest thing I have ever done. 

A true test of mental and physical endurance. 

But I am so proud of this amazing group of 14 travelers who joined me on this trek of a lifetime in an attempt to summit the tallest free standing mountain in the world, the rooftop of Africa! 

Read: MOUNT KILIMANJARO -TIPS FOR CLIMBING THE ROOFTOP OF AFRICA

I’m beaming with joy and pride as I type this but all 14 of them conquered the mountain. It wasn’t easy but what an adventure we had! 

So here’s a quick recap of the unforgettable days we shared on Mount Kilimanjaro. 

Day 1

I had arrived in Tanzania one week prior to safari with Travel Africa Safari Agency and was so excited to welcome everyone to Lindrin Lodge when they started arriving in Moshi, Tanzania. 

Tessa and Christina were the first to arrive so we did an incredible coffee tour before lunch. 

That afternoon, the rest of the crew began arriving! We had a welcome meeting and a thorough gear check from Monkey Adventures to make sure everyone had the necessary gear to safely and successfully make it up the mountain. (You can see my packing list here!) 

Our head guide for the trek, Remmy, greeted us warmly and the group was super impressed to learn that he had summited over 500 times in his career already! 

After an included welcome dinner at the lodge, we went to bed early to rest for the start of our hike.

Day 2 

In the morning, we were picked up after breakfast to head to the Machame Gate where we would meet our crew of about 50 porters and guides! 

It takes a massive team to get a group of 15 safely up the mountain. We would be climbing to a staggering 19,341 feet. And all the food and gear like the tents has to be carried along the route from the start. Not only do the porters bring all the necessities but also, so much of the fun!

Whether it was singing to us every morning or warmly greeting us each day.. they make the trip so special! 

After a delay at the gate due to the Wi-Fi connection being down, we eagerly got started on our hike! 

We passed through the iconic Kilimanjaro gates and entered into the first habitat: the Montane Forest! 

It was damp but not rainy as we climbed.

The first day we hiked 7 miles and it was fairly steep uphill. 

The day ended at Machame Camp, approximately 6,000 feet above sea level. 

Day 3 

The next morning we were woken up by Gideon, the porter in charge of bringing us coffee or hot coco in bed. I know I speak for everyone when I say this was such a highlight!

This kind man woke us up every day with a gentle “morning, how did you sleep? Coffee? Tea?” 

We all joked how impossible it would be to go back to regular life where Gideon wasn’t there with his calm, sweet voice and coffee brought to us in bed. 

We packed up our things and headed to the mess tent where Gideon and the crew then served us breakfast.

After breakfast, our whole crew sang for us! Little did we know it would be the first of many times.

There was only 3 miles of hiking to do today but it was steep and Remmy estimated with all the uphill scrambling it would take us 5 hours. 

So after breakfast we set off!

This was one of my personal favorite days. We climbed above the tree line and looked down over the clouds for the first time. It was such a surreal feeling!!

We could see Mount Meru rising in the distance. The views were simply spectacular. 

It was a challenging hike but a ton of fun. I couldn’t stop taking pictures of Mount Meru or the fluffy clouds below us! 

That night we camped at Shira camp which is at 12,600 feet above sea level. After we settled into camp, some of us went to check out a viewpoint overlooking camp, it was beautiful.

The stars that night were totally surreal!

Day 4 

Day 4 is why the Machame Route has the highest success rate of any of the trails.

It’s a day specifically designed to start acclimatizing us.  We would ascend to an elevation matching base camp for lunch then descend again to sleep at about 13,000 feet. It’s super helpful in terms of dealing with altitude sickness and seeing how our bodies would react. 

So we departed at a slow and steady pace uphill for several hours until we saw the Lava Towers in the distance where we would be having our lunch. 

We got a group photo with the sign and spent about 1.5 hours at this high altitude before continuing on to camp.

Some of the group got headaches or nausea being at such high elevation for the first time. But as we reached camp, the symptoms mostly lifted. 

Barranco Camp is an absolutely beautiful campsite overlooking the clouds. We had another fun group dinner before heading to bed! 

Day 5

Woken up again by Gideon with coffee in bed  (what a delight!) we had breakfast, did our daily oxygen level checks and the porters sang for us before leaving. 

Today we would conquer the Barranco Wall which involves a lot of “monkey business” as our head guide Remmy called it. Which meant we would be scrambling over rocks, handing over ledges and generally feeling like kids on a huge playground. If you have a fear of a heights, moments of the Barranco Wall may be scary for you. 

Despite my slight fear of heights, I absolutely loved it! It was one of my favorite sections. When we finally reached the top, the views were breathtaking! It was an incredible day. 

That night we camped at the gorgeous Karanga Camp at 13,250 feet. 

The stars were beyond anything you’d ever be able to see in town. 

Day 6 

Again we had our coffee in bed, daily oxygen/health check and songs from the porters to start our day!

This day would be our shortest day of hiking. We had a super scenic climb to base camp but it was only 2 miles. 

We could feel the oxygen thinning as we continued to climb. 

When we settled at the rocky base camp before lunch, we were all excited and nervous for the summit which we would begin that night at midnight! 

So after we had lunch, everyone went to their tents to try to get a mid-day sleep before the summit night. We were woken up for dinner at 10pm. We ate then nervously dressed for the summit. 

We would need many layers as temperatures drop drastically on the final descent up the mountain. 

So once we were bundled up with our headlamps, we began the summit at midnight…

Day 7

We nervously gathered at the mess tent at midnight. We all knew the coming hours would be tough but we didn’t know just how HARD it would end up being. 

Remmy gave us a pep talk and we set off! It was totally dark outside except for the brilliant stars and the glowing string of headlamps making their way up the mountain.

Other groups had started earlier and it was a strange and beautiful sight. We joined the countless lights attempting to make their way up the mountain before sunrise.

“Pole, pole” is a saying you will hear MANY times on Mount Kilimanjaro. It’s Swahili for “slowly, slowly.” Your guide will set the pace and gradually bring you up the mountain. It’s tedious but you simply cannot race up with the altitude. Even if you wanted to, there is no way you could rush up and still be able to breath. We felt like we were gasping for air even while climbing at our turtles pace. 

For 7 hours we climbed in the dark with just the head lamps… the air getting thinner and thinner.. the porters sang to us to try and keep our spirits high. It was a challenge to say the least. But the determination of my group was amazing! 

My fingers and toes were freezing. I felt like I couldn’t think straight from the altitude. No one spoke since we could barely breathe. My whole body felt sore but we kept climbing. One foot in front of the other.  Our guides were helping carry bags for anyone struggling with altitude and offering so much assistance.. we never could have done it without them! 

Eventually the sky began to turn pink. From high up in the clouds, we watched the sunrise. Tears poured down our faces. Not only was it a beautiful sight but if the sun was rising that meant we must be getting close to the top! Standing in the freezing cold watching that beautiful sun come up over the horizon was a moment I’ll never forget. I get chills just thinking about it now. 

We continued on until eventually, we saw the first sign….

Stella Point!

Again many of us burst into tears. The relief to be done with the worst of the climb, coupled with the beauty of the mountain.. we all cheered and hugged.

We took photos here and a quick break before preparing to continue on to the highest peak: Uhuru Peak at 19,341 feet high.  

We saw other climbers displaying serious signs of altitude sickness being rushed back down. A member of our group began to lose memory and had severely low oxygen so he couldn’t stay on the mountain long and had to be brought back down to safety. But I’m so proud of everyone for making it up! 

We later found out a group of 12 who did our exact same route only had 1 of the 12 hikers make it to the top. I’m convinced our super high success rate is because we had an AMAZING guide who knew exactly how to get us all to the top safely and successfully. 

Looking back on it, the last hour from Stella’s Point to Uhuru Peak became a bit of a joke amongst our group because we all seemed to turn into the walking dead. We basically looked like a horde of zombies stumbling along, struggling to talk or breath or function properly. 

When we FINALLY saw the Uhuru Peak sign… you guessed it.. more tears, ha!  Our guides began to sing the song of Mount Kilimanjaro as we drew closer and it was a totally surreal moment.  It was at 8:05am after hiking all through the night that we reached the highest peak on the “Roof of Africa”! 

You can’t stay at the summit long (both cold and altitude) so I took photos for everyone at the sign and we briefly celebrated our success, all hugging one another. What a moment it was!! I was just so damn proud of everyone. Despite people who struggled with altitude sickness early on in the trip, they soldiered on. Total warriors! 

What I think none of us were prepared for was the descent. Once we summited and got a huge second wind, we forgot about how much downhill climbing we had that day. 

Over 3 hours back down to base camp where we took a 2 hour nap and had lunch before continuing to descend the mountain until 7pm that evening. We were beyond exhausted. It’s one thing to summit a mountain in a day and another to also climb back down it once you’re spent. 

But this group kept each other motivated and laughing and inspired until we reached our final camp, Mweka Camp at 10,150 feet. 

Here the oxygen felt so full. We could breathe normally again! Any symptoms people were experiencing subsided. We had one last dinner at camp and passed out, totally exhausted. 

Day 8

The next day, we woke for breakfast and began the remaining 3 hour climb back down to the exit gate. 

Once again, we were in the rainforest.  Beautiful views but this time, it was rainy. (We were so fortunate the rain held off every other day of our trek!)

As we descended, we swapped stories and Remmy told us tales from his hundreds of summits. 

At long last, we saw the exit gate! We had done it!! 

We waited inside while Remmy got our official certificates printed.  

Sadly, it was then time to say goodbye to our amazing crew of porters. They sang for us one last time. It was such a special moment. 

We took the Monkey Adventures bus back to Lindrin Lodge where we could finally shower after 7 days on the mountain! What a relief. 

That night, we had our farewell dinner and I put together a little awards ceremony for the group. Remmy presented everyone with their certificates while we all laughed and reminisced about the highs and lows of the week. 

Day 9

The following day, some people flew home while others went off on safari. 

Thank you so much to Remmy and the team at Monkey Adventures for making this possible. We couldn’t have done it without our porters! And we were so blessed with a warrior group of travelers. So grateful for each and everyone of you for making this trip what it was!

Shop my Mount Kilimanjaro essentials:

Backpacking Poncho

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Hydro Flask

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Merinol Wool Hiking Socks

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Hydration Bladder

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Mount Kilimanjaro Group Trip Highlights

To join a group trip, check out the “Travel With Me” section!

Past group trips include: dog sledding in Minnesota, Southwest USA, Sail Croatia, backpacking the Superior Hiking Trail, Christmas in NYC, Iceland, Morocco, Turkey, Ireland, and more!

Mount Kilimanjaro Group Trip Highlights

Mount Kilimanjaro Group Trip Highlights Mount Kilimanjaro Group Trip Highlights

The post Mount Kilimanjaro Group Trip Highlights: 7 Day Machame Route appeared first on The Wanderlust Rose.

Mount Kilimanjaro Packing List:
Everything You Need for the Trek

After successfully reaching the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro in July of 2022, I have totally fallen in love with this trek. I can’t recommend it highly enough!

Read: MOUNT KILIMANJARO GROUP TRIP HIGHLIGHTS: 7 DAY MACHAME ROUTE

Here is a list of the essentials required for the Kilimanjaro trek. Most of it can be purchased or rented in Moshi if you forget anything or are unable to fly with all of your gear.

Basics

• Towel
• Soap
• Camera
• Toothbrush
• Spare batteries for camera, headlamp
• Face cloth
• Toilet paper

Summit gear (wear on summit night)

• Gore-Tex, Microtex or K-Tech Trilaminate jacket
• Gore-Tex, Microtex or K-Tech pants
• Fleece jacket
• Fleece gloves or Themal glove liners (use as inner for Gore-Tex mittens)
• Gaiters
• Fleece balaclava or Thermal balaclava
• Thermal top
• Thermal long johns
• Thermal socks
• Sunglasses with UV protection
• Head torch
• Thermal flask

Trekking gear (wear between camps)

• Rain suit or poncho (mainly used in the rain forest)
• Hiking boots or cross trainers
• Short pants
• Tracksuit pants
• T-shirt
• Sun hat (peak caps do not offer enough protection)
• Woolen socks
• Fleece beanie
• Water bottles

General gear & equipment

• Waterproof Day Pack (20L to 40L, carried by the trekker)
• Waterproof Duffel Bag or Waterproof Backpack (60L to 100L, carried by the porter, max 15kgs)
• Walking stick (adjustable)
• Sleeping Bag (Comfort Rating of -5° celsius)

Recommended medication

• Malaria
• Altitude sickness
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Cold and flu
• Muscular sprains

All this gear and more can be rented from local rental gear shops.

Renting Gear for Mount Kilimanjaro

You can check the prices for the rentals from one of the local rental shop’s website, which specialize in renting gear required for the trek. https://atgeartz.com/  

ATGear is a local company in Moshi.

If you want to rent gear online with them, you can get 15% off using code:  “MONKEY15”

Check out other high altitude treks I’ve done here:

The post Mount Kilimanjaro Packing List: Everything You Need for the Trek appeared first on The Wanderlust Rose.