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Mount Kilimanjaro National Park

From the Serengeti to Zanzibar, Tanzania has more than its share of African travel icons. None, however, surpasses Kilimanjaro, whose snow-capped Uhuru Peak is the highest point on the continent. Rising in breathtaking isolation from the dusty scrubland along the Kenya border, Kilimanjaro, when measured from 900m base to 5,895-metre peak, also ranks as the tallest free-standing mountain in the world.

Scenically, Kilimanjaro can be something of a non-event, spending most of its time with its head shrouded in cloud. But when this veil lifts, typically in the late afternoon, it’s difficult to imagine a more inspirational sight than this distinctive snow-capped outline towering a full 5km above the likes of Moshi or Arusha National Park.

For hikers, the so-called Roof of Africa – its upper slopes protected in a 755 sq km national park – is one of the world's most accessible high summits, reached via a sequence of vegetational zones spanning everything from tropical forest to arctic waste. The ascent requires no expertise, but nor should it be underestimated - sub-zero temperatures and giddying altitude changes will test anybody’s physical and mental resources, and a successful ascent is for many the achievement of a lifetime.

 

Vegetation and habitats

Wildlife

Activities

Getting there

Where to stay

Nearby places of interest

Vegetation and habitats

• Below 3,000 metres, jungle-like montane rainforest consists of tall hardwood trees draped in epiphytes and lianas.

• Above 3,500 metres, the pastel heathers and ample wildflowers of the lower moorland zone give way to a bleak lunar landscape dotted with surreal stands of giant lobelias and senecios.

• The Alpine zone above 4,000m receives just 250mm of rain annually, and ground temperatures might fluctuate from 30ºC to sub-zero in the course of a day, resulting in a low floral diversity dominated by mosses, lichens and other hardy species.     
  

Wildlife

• Kilimanjaro is not primarily a wildlife destination, but black-and-white colobus and blue monkeys can be seen in the forest, which also supports elusive populations of elephant, buffalo, leopard, bushbuck and the endangered Abbott’s duiker.

• At higher altitudes, you’re more likely to see tracks and droppings than actual wildlife – though two exceptional records above the 5,000 metre contour involve a frozen leopard discovered in 1926 and a pack of African wild dogs observed in 1962.
  

• The forest supports a profusion of birds, most audibly silvery-cheeked hornbill and Hartlaub’s turaco. The limited range of species at higher altitudes includes ‘high altitude specials’ such as Alpine chat and scarlet-tufted malachite sunbird.       

Activities

• The most popular activity is an attempted hike to the summit, which requires a minimum of five days using the Marangu Route, the most popular and easiest option, but also the most crowded and ecologically compromised.

• Increasingly popular are half-dozen other ascent options, including the very scenic Machame and Rongai Routes, which are uncrowded by comparison to Marangu, but also costlier.

• Extending the expedition over six or seven days will significantly reduce the risk of altitude-related illness, which is the most usual reason for an ascent being aborted.

Getting there

• Kili climbs run through the year, but Dec-Feb offer the driest and warmest conditions, with above average visibility. July-Sep are also relatively dry but not as warm.

• You can arrange a road transfer to any park entrances from Moshi, the nearest major town, or from Arusha. However, most tour operators include all transfers in the price of the hike.
  

• Guides and porters are mandatory, and it is strongly recommended that all climbs are arranged through a reputable and accountable local or international operator – the savings associated with arranging a hike ‘on the street’ are minimal compared to the increased risk of something going wrong.

Where to stay

• Moshi has a full range of accommodation from basic local guesthouses to established tourists hotels, with snow-capped Kilimanjaro towering above the northern horizon.
  

• Good hotel accommodation in more rustic surrounds can be found at the villages of Marangu and Machame, close to the eponymous trailheads.

• On the mountain itself, the options boil down to basic hutted accommodation or camping.

Nearby places of interest

• Visitors with no ambition to climb Kilimanjaro (or who want to acclimatise first) could do worse than spend a couple of days exploring the lush forest and lovely waterfalls on the breezy foothills around Marangu, where several pleasant country hotels offer scintillating views of the peaks in clear weather.
  

• Turquoise Lake Chala inhabits a sheer-sided extinct caldera on the eastern footslopes of Kili – it’s a stunningly beautiful spot, but swimming in the invitingly clear water is inadvisable due to the presence of crocs.    

Checklist of conspicuous and noteworthy mammals: leopard, common eland, Abbott’s duiker, Harvey’s red duiker, common duiker, bushbuck, African elephant, African buffalo, bushpig, yellow baboon, blue monkey, black-and-white colobus, vervet monkey, tree hyrax, red forest squirrel.