The first night was… “ok”. As “ok” as a night could be, starting early in the morning, at 25 °C (77 °F) room temperature, and after having had this many new impressions. But, never mind, because: The excitement regarding the upcoming hike of Mount Kilimanjaro and a cup of coffee showed remarkable results against fatigue and tiredness.

Erasto arrived at Ambureni Coffee Lodge around 10 in the morning. After a briefing regarding the program for the day we went through our equipment. From the first moment on, Erasto took his role as a guide very seriously, which Timo and I appreciated a lot. He was always responsive, and showed sincere interest in creating a unique experience for us. All that, without even having seen Timo and me before. We had not even paid for the tour yet.

The discovery of Arusha

The car drive to the center of Arusha took us around 30 minutes, even though the distance was not overly large. The time it took to arrive simply extended due to road conditions, occasionally interesting traffic routing and the fact that people were driving at walking pace continuously (at least it felt like that). Once we arrived in Arusha, Timo and I noticed: The city is busy, colorful, little touristic and a bit unorganized; authentic I would say (I know, I am from Germany and thus maybe a little bit biased). Moreover, Arusha is a relatively safe city and Tanzania a relatively safe holiday destination for tourists.

Our first stop brought us to Barclays Bank, where our first little challenge was waiting for us.

„May I have your passport, please?“

Well… yes, of course… if it wasn’t for the fact that it was back in our room at the lodge. Accordingly, passport was the keyword, and the challenge to get money without it. But why would it even be a problem not carrying our passports with us? It’s, because you can only withdraw US dollars at the bank counter in Tanzania if you provide a (valid!) passport. As we had agreed with Erasto for a price in USD, we consequently wanted to withdraw USD at the counter. ATMs generally only provide Tanzania Shillings. What now? Hakuna Matata! No problem, it’s alright. We simply convert USD into Tanzania Shillings and withdraw these at the ATM.

What came next was probably the longest session of my life at an automatic teller machine.

It resulted from several factors:

1. The exchange rate USD to TZS (Tanzania Shillings) beginning of March 2017 was at around 1 : 2,200;
2. The maximum amount, which can be withdrawn each time you insert your card, is only as high as 400,000 TZS (which is not even 200 USD);
3. We needed considerably more than 1,000 USD per person!

At this point, I will leave the exact calculation to everyone him- or herself. I only want to tell you that much – I was extremely happy once we finally arrived at a nearby restaurant for lunch.

Chicken and rice – yummy!

Just like in Thailand, in Tanzania people simply know how to prepare grilled chicken. These are then served together with rice or potatoes, different dips or gravy, veggies and other side dishes. Super delicious! Timo and I told Erasto we wanted to eat authentic food in a little touristy place. The restaurant “Uzunguni City Park”, where we lunched together with Erasto, our co-guide Amos and our driver Chris, was well attended. Consequently, Timo and I were the only tourists far and wide. The price level of Tanzania is well below the Western European, but varies noticeably, depending on where you order something. Here you find a comparison of the US’s and Tanzania’s GDP for a better understanding. We ended up paying about 4 USD for half a chicken including side dishes and a soft drink.

We went back by car to the lodge, where we had the rest of the afternoon to relax, swim and pack.

Once more we raised the question:

What do we really need up at Mount Kilimanjaro, and what can stay in the lodge?

„Everything“, would be a reasonable assumption, that’s what we brought it for. However, you will only take one part of your luggage up the mountain, the other part stays in your hotel. Here’s what happens with regards to your equipment: You leave your home country with one large travel backpack (ca. 60-80 liters in volume) and one smaller daypack (ca. 30-40 liters in volume). Instead of the larger travel backpack, however, you can also take any type of travel bag or suitcase. For your hike, you will only take the smaller daypack with you. The larger travel backpack (respectively suitcase) remains in your hotel because of its weight and bulkiness.

The night before your hike begins you repack the things you brought in your travel backpack into other bags given to you (usually you take less than you brought in total, as worn clothes or perfumes are of no use up the mountain). During your hike from camp to camp you do not need to worry about these bags. They are carried by your porters. Your daypack, however, you usually carry yourself. Before and during the tour, Erasto gave us valuable tips on how to best prepare our luggage. We have summarized these tips in our checklist. There you also see what Timo and I finally took with us.

If you prefer not to buy all your equipment yourself, you can also rent items such as hiking poles, sleeping bags and mattresses. We felt that options for rental were limited, though. In any case you should consult with your travel agent before your hike. Thus, you get an idea for the availability of and extra charge for the equipment you need for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

Dinner, and off to bed!

Timo and I had dinner in Ambureni Coffee Lodge. We went to bed only shortly after, as the following day was the first day of our hike and supposed to start reasonably early. Finally, one important remark: try to abstain from alcohol the last days before and especially during your hike as alcohol hinders your body to adjust to the height properly. For us, this worked out more or less well, and we couldn’t help it but to share one local beer! We come from Germany and thus ask you for forbearance…

Our trip: Day 1 → Day 2 → Day 3 → Day 4-7 → Day 8 → Day 9-10 

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Day 7 of the hike: Mweka Camp (3,100 m) to Mweka Gate (1,640 m) and return to Arusha

The remaining way from Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate was easy to walk and only a few hours long. Thus, other than the days before, we got up a little later.

Moreover, after breakfast there was a little surprise for us. Our entire team performed the traditional farewell ceremony, which stands for a successful climb. Be surprised!

Before leaving the camp, tips are given to the team. Tipping is a tradition in East-Africa and presents an important contribution for people to make a living. Thereafter we began our final stage. At first, we walked through moorland, which turned into an ever-lusher mountain rainforest. We saw different types of birds and monkeys – familiar companions, that we got to know the first day. Moreover, the air warmed up and was increasingly humid.

Shortly before lunchtime we reached Mweka Gate, and thus the exit of Mount Kilimanjaro National Park. Like in the other camps and at the beginning of our hike, we once more registered at the gate.

That was it, “check-out” of the National Park!

We thus had concluded our impressive journey, the 7-day hike of Mount Kilimanjaro. Yet, some more was about to come…

…lunch in Moshi!

Again, we asked our guide Erasto where to eat as authentic African food as possible. He proposed a restaurant in the center of Moshi. The drive from Mweka Gate to Moshi took around 20 minutes. It leads through banana and coffee plantations, past small mountain villages of the Chaga people (the third largest ethnic group in Tanzania), and down the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Once we arrived in Moshi, we indeed had typical East African food – polenta with meat, fish, different dips, and vegetables. Moreover, as a surprise Erasto had invited his wife to join. As a little souvenir, we each received a robe of the Masai tribe. The Masai represent one of the largest ethnicities of the more than 100 tribes of Tanzania, counting around 1 million members. In addition, they are one of the world’s most renowned tribes. Finally, mich also received a certificate for successfully having climbed the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

After lunch, we continued our way back to Arusha. The drive from Moshi to Arusha took us around another 2 hours, even if the distance is less than 100 km (60 miles). Along the way, we said goodbye to some of the porters, who had joined us during our trip. They came from different villages and cities in the region around the Kilimanjaro.

Hotel!

Back in the outskirts of Arusha, we first stopped at Ambureni Coffee Lodge. There we picked up the luggage we had not taken with us during our hike. Shortly after, we continued to another hotel in the city center. For our last night in Aruhsa, Erasto had organized a more centrally located accommodation. Even though our hotel was standard middle-class accommodation, we appreciated the two normal beds and sanitary facilities.

The remaining hours of the day we used for a walk through Arusha and an extensive dinner.

Departure day…

The next day, the day of departure had finally come. However, as our flight was only at 4 a.m. in the night from Saturday to Sunday we had all Saturday time to sleep in, relax, and for sight-seeing.

Erasto and our co-guide Amos picked us up at our hotel around noon. By then, we had already checked out and deposited our luggage in the hotel. We then drove together to an artists’ market. Like pearls on a string there was one shop next to the other. They all offered typical local Tanzania artwork, partially handmade, partially bought off third parties. I had expected many more tourists. As that was not the case, Timo and I enjoyed plenty of attention. However, we never felt people were obtrusive. It might have also helped that we had Erasto and Amos with us – two locals, who well know about the customs and habits. Generally, many parts of Tanzania, as well as some other African countries, are safe to travel for tourists.

Some negotiations and a couple of souvenirs later we went for lunch. And once more we had – tasty grilled chicken!

Timo and I spent the late afternoon on our own to discover some new parts of Arusha. The eastern part of the city seems to be a little neater than the city center. From Arusha Clock Tower, we walked a few more minutes further north, and finally arrived at a nice little bar. Via Via turned out to be a great place to relax and reflect upon our trip while having a cold drink. Right next to it was another artists’ market, which was considerably smaller and only offered handmade craftwork from local artists. You should definitely come and see for yourself!

Dinner, drinks – and back to Germany!

We returned to our hotel in the early evening, where Erasto picked us up shortly after. Our driver Chris, who we already knew from the first day, was also back with us. The four of us drove together with our luggage from the city center in the direction of the airport. However, as the night was still young, we didn’t go straight to the airport…

…but rather stopped to enjoy Arusha’s nightlife. Yes, it exists, and is not even much different from what we knew from Europe!

We drove to a place called Sky Lounge, a mix between bar and club, probably closest to an Irish Pub. A little later, Amos joined. We had snacks, drinks, and listened to partially exotic music as well as songs we were familiar with, and watched premier league soccer on TV. A very nice end to our journey!

Around 1 a.m. we left the place for the airport, because: Our plane was supposed to leave at 4 a.m., we thus planned to arrive at the airport at 2 a.m.; and 1 hour’s drive meant leaving the bar around 1 a.m. So far so good…

…if it wasn’t for the flat tire, in the middle of nowhere!

The ride to the airport went well and according to plan; except for when we got out of the car, all we could hear was a slight hissing: until the tire at the front right of the car was flat. What now? Hakuna Matata! We have a spare tire! A couple of minutes and a few simple grips later, Erasto and Chris had the car fixed. Thanks to a small buffer, we arrived at the airport at 2 a.m., ready to go back to Germany. Asante sana, Erasto, Amos, Chris, and everyone else who made this journey such an incredibly great experience for us!

Our trip: Day 1 → Day 2 → Day 3 → Day 4-7 → Day 8 → Day 9-10

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