Tanzania
The Muzungu’s top reasons to travel to Tanzania, the ‘soul of Africa’
It’s taken me a long time to visit Tanzania. There’s so much that is familiarly East African, yet so many charming delights that are uniquely Tanzanian!
Here are the muzungu’s top reasons for visiting Tanzania (click on the links for Tanzania tours)
1. Tanzania has 14 National Parks, 370 mammal species and over 1000 birds.
2. Overdose on wildlife viewing at Ngorongoro Crater. Experience the Great Migration on the Serengeti Tours” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener nofollow”>Serengeti, one of the ‘Seven Natural Wonders of Africa’ – watch it from a hot air balloon!
3. Tanzania is the base for hiking Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain
4. Relax on Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coast. Go diving!
5. Fly or take the ferry to the island archipelago of Zanzibar, famous for the islands’ white coral sand beaches
6. Tour the historical cobbled streets and Arab-influenced Stone Town, Zanzibar, celebrated for its film and music festivals. No trip to Zanzibar is complete without a spice tour!
7. Tanzania has seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the Serengeti, Selous National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and Stone Town.
8. Enjoy unusual fresh juices – such as coconut ‘madafu’ and custard apple
9. Explore the Selous, Africa’s BIGGEST game reserve!
10. Explore Dar es Salaam, East Africa’s second biggest port and a melting pot of African, Arabic and Indian influences.
“Jambo” – is the Swahili greeting for “welcome” which you will hear everywhere in friendly Tanzania.
The Great Migration of one and a half million Wildebeest traverse the Mara River twice yearly between the Serengeti in Tanzania and Kenya’s Maasai Mara. Game-viewing includes huge buffalo herds, thousands of antelope, elephant and giraffe.
If you’re going to the Serengeti Tours” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener nofollow”>Serengeti, treat yourself to a hot air balloon safari! It’s a huge adventure from start to finish. Get up at the crack of dawn to watch the balloon being inflated and jump in the basket, ready for the off. Watch the sun rise as your balloon moves silently across the savannah, following the wildlife below. It’s amazing what you can see up there! A champagne and breakfast in the bush are just one part of this fabulous experience.
One of Tanzania’s most popular attractions is the Ngorongoro Crater, known as “Africa’s Garden of Eden,” home to 30,000 animals including the rare black rhino and black-maned male lions.
This jaw-dropping scenery is under the most serious of threats. Tanzania presses on with hydroelectric dam on vast game reserve. “Stiegler’s Gorge dam on the Selous park, a World Heritage Site listed as ‘in danger’, will cause irreversible damage, say conservationists.” Read The true cost of the Stiegler’s Gorge hydropower project in Tanzania (2019).
An (avoidable) environmental nightmare beckons… despite “the excellent potential of solar and wind power options.”
Did you know…?
Swahili is the official language of Tanzania but English is widely spoken.
Watch my short video: my view from the cockpit! Flight between Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam.
We flew with Precision Air on their inaugural flight in 2017 between Dar es Salaam on the Tanzanian coast and Entebbe in Uganda (however Precision don’t currently fly that route).
Click here for reviews of 100s of Tanzania tours.
The future of travel in East Africa: Interview with Prof. Wolfgang Thome
Interview with Prof. Wolfgang Thome: travel post covid-19 in Uganda and East Africa
With over 40 years’ experience working in tourism and aviation in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, Professor Wolfgang Thome is uniquely placed to share his insights on the future of travel post covid-19 in East Africa and across the continent. If you want to know what is happening in tourism circles in Nairobi, Cape Town, the Seychelles or Lagos, Wolfgang is your man! (The above photo was taken at Kilimanjaro Airport in 2017. Pictured with us are fellow travel writers Solomon Oleny and Edgar Batte).
Travel has been impacted more than any other aspect of our lives. For some of us, that affects everything: our business, our lifestyle, our ability to spend time with close family. As we try and assess what the new normal looks like, I decided to ask Wolfgang his views. He is both a frequent traveller and in daily contact with airlines, hotels and tourism boards across Africa.
Overall, Uganda seems to be doing well with our approach to managing coronavirus. Do you think this will encourage tourists to travel to Uganda post covid-19?
Initially did Uganda indeed do very well based on the experience with past Ebola and Marburg outbreaks. Numbers kept stable but those responsible took their eyes off the ball with regard to truck drivers entering from Tanzania, Kenya and South Sudan. It took too long for them to take public input seriously and get off their high horses and institute checks before trucks were allowed to enter Uganda. What is needed is to restore public trust and confidence. ‘Beautifying’ numbers is a transparent ploy to make the country look better … yet, numbers are going up again, literally every day. We therefore have some way to go to demonstrate to potential visitors from overseas – when they are allowed to come in again without mandatory quarantine – that Uganda is safe and ready to host them.
What opportunities do you see for the Ugandan / East African tourism and travel industry post covid-19?
The main opportunity right now I see is in domestic tourism. Kenya has reached a domestic tourism percentage of over 55 percent (domestic tourists as a percentage of overall visitors). We in Uganda need to move towards such goals too. That said, discounting factors in Kenya for domestic tourists can reach 65 per cent off published rates and in some cases even more … so Uganda’s hotel and lodge operators need to take a leaf from that rebating level if domestic tourism is to truly take off. The present US Dollar rates quoted for hotels and lodges also need to go out of the window for Ugandans who want to pay in their own currency. Achieving this is possible but requires a major shift in mindset.
Read #MohammedHersi’s take on the future of the tourism industry – Post #COVID19 on Wolfgang’s website. Hersi is Chairman of the Kenya Tourism Federation.
Wolfgang, you are a speaker at a number of tourism events and exhibitions across Africa, notably AfriaDev in South Africa and Nigeria Travel Week. In your view, what is the future for big trade events like Magical Kenya and Uganda’s Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo?
I do regularly speak at major aviation and tourism events and trade shows across Africa. Unfortunately as of now, some eight such engagements have been postponed and cancelled this year. I do not see any major tourism event taking place this year and our hope is now based on 2021 and no secondary or tertiary Coronavirus infection waves.
When it comes to regional events does the Karibu – KiliFair excel as the largest such fair in Eastern Africa. The more local events like the Magical Kenya Travel Expo in Nairobi, the Swahili International Tourism Exhibition in Dar es Salaam or the Pearl of Africa Travel Expo in Kampala are focusing mainly on promoting their respective countries, which is of course why they were established. The big African tourism trade shows like the Africa Travel Week, which includes World Travel Market Africa, IBTM and ILTM, Indaba in Durban or We Are Africa in contrast promote many African safari and beach destinations and are therefore bringing larger numbers of exhibitors and trade visitors together from around the world.
What is the future for aviation travel post covid-19 in Uganda, East Africa and the African continent?
Brussels Airlines will resume European flights as of 15th of June 2020 and should be back in Entebbe, in combination with Kigali, from probably mid-July although no details are available, even for me, at this moment on how many flights they will launch with. The route to Bujumbura in Burundi is due to follow by mid-August. Kenya Airways intends to relaunch flights as of 8th of June and Safarilink and Jambojet, as soon as the Kenyan government lifts the movement restrictions in and out of Nairobi County, Mombasa County, Kwale County (Ukunda) and Kilifi County (Malindi). Please read my blog ATC News where I publish all the latest information about resumption of flights in East Africa and beyond.
At what point do you think we should reopen primate tourism and should there be limits?
While we wait for any scientific evidence on the possible virus transmission from humans to primates, is it better to err on the side of caution and not open tracking for gorillas, chimpanzees, golden monkeys and other primate species. As and when primate tourism reopens, will visitors obviously have to wear masks and may even need to be tested before being allowed to track. The timeframe for reopening depends on the advice of veterinarians and scientists and we ought to listen to their advice.
Will you be travelling this year? If so, where?
As I mentioned before, eight of my speaking engagements and attendances were cancelled while I cancelled two planned trips to Kenya between late February 2020 and now for obvious reasons: borders are still closed, air transport is not yet available and while the virus keeps spreading, in any country I may want to visit like Germany, Belgium, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana, I will not endanger myself nor my grandkids when I come home. This means that for all intent and purpose, regional and international travel for me will start again next year though I intend to use the time gained to step up travel across Uganda.
Tell us about a typical day in lockdown for you Prof.
A typical day includes my regular writing of articles and news items for ATCNews.org, the preparation of the daily #COVID19 updates at 6 am and 6 pm and, while the lockdown lasted, also a regular dose of humour under the headings #CoronaHumour #CoronaMemes.
During the day I spend as much time as I can find with my grandchildren. I take regular walks through the garden with my grandson in tow to show him birds, butterflies, insects, flowers and orchids and then devote time to cooking meals. If I cannot have a served Egg Benedict once in a while I just have to prepare them myself. What I have refrained from doing is participating in the tsunami wave of webinars and video conferences of which, when available, I read the summaries only to realise I did not miss a lot.
I hardly miss my once a week or once a fortnight trips into the city (apart from those Eggs Benedict at Kampala Serena Hotel and Mestil Hotel). I do check in regularly with key contacts via email or WhatsApp and so overall there was hardly any change in my day’s pattern compared to pre-lockdown days.
How will you proceed when the lockdown has been lifted?
Now that the lockdown has been lifted in a qualified way with the use of private vehicles possible again, I will nevertheless exercise utmost caution and restraint. My visits to the city will be far and few between while infection numbers in Uganda are still on the rise. I urge your readers to exercise similar caution and take extra care in their movements and interaction with others. Stay safe!
I hope to spend more time travelling around Uganda in the coming months. Note for example that Rainforest Lodge Mabira set to reopen on Monday 1st June 2020.
Who is Professor Wolfgang Thome?
Wolfgang is a prolific writer and blogger at ATC (Aviation, Tourism and Conservation) News. He is an aviation expert and has worked at a strategic level in tourism across East Africa for over four decades.
As lockdown eases, I will relaunch my popular ‘Introduction to Digital Marketing for Tourism’ workshops where we discuss: how hotel staff can encourage guests to write positive TripAdvisor reviews and check in on Facebook; tips for using Instagram and Facebook Business Pages; video marketing, Instastories, YouTube, Facebook Stories and WhatsApp status updates; email marketing and how to work with bloggers.
How we travel post covid-19 remains unclear but travel we will – in time. A big thank you to Wolfgang for keeping us up to date on the future of travel in East Africa. Remember to check out his blog ATCNews.org and follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
Tanzania bans plastic bags – travellers take note!
Tanzania bans plastic carrier bags – travellers take note!
Visitors to Tanzania should take note that the government has just announced the banning of plastic carrier bags, meaning you risk having them confiscated when you land in the country. The ban takes effect 1 June 2019.
The letter reads:
“Visitors to Tanzania are advised to avoid carrying plastic carrier bags or packing plastic carrier bags or items in plastic carrier bags in the suitcase or hand luggage before embarking on visits to Tanzania. Special desk will be designated at all entry points for surrender of plastic carrier bags the visitors may be bringing to Tanzania.
Plastic carrier items known as Ziploc bags that are specifically used to carry toiletries will be permitted as they are expected to remain in the permanent possession of visitors and are not expected to be disposed in the country.”
Tanzania plastic carrier bag ban from 1 June 2019
“The government expects that, in appreciation of the imperative to protect the environment and keep our country clean and beautiful, our visitors will accept minor inconveniencies resulting from the plastic bags ban,” said a statement from the Vice President’s Office.
This is a good development for environmental protection in Tanzania. Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda all have similar laws banning the use of single use plastic bags or ‘cavera’. Enforcement however differs across the region. In Uganda, the plastic bags were first banned in 2009.
Rwanda is particularly strict on enforcing this ban and does indeed remove any carrier bags found on visitors travelling to the country. (I know, it’s happened to me). Kenya too is reporting success in removing the bags from circulation but in Uganda implementation is hit and miss. One excuse I heard is that all the alternative (cloth) bags have “been exported to Kenya because they need them!” What is Uganda doing about this? We are handing out plastic carrier bags again! Let’s hope Tanzania implements the law strictly and serves as a better example.
How to climb Mount Kilimanjaro – Tales of a Novice Climber
How to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, a personal account by Apollo Makubuya from Uganda.
Is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro on your travel bucket list? I love hiking, but there’s a lot more to it than just being fit, as the Muzungu found out when I climbed (the comparatively low!) Mt. Elgon in Uganda.
Thanks to guest writer Apollo Makubuya for sharing your humbling Kilimanjaro experience! Apollo is a lawyer and fellow Kampala Hash House Harrier. Tales of a Novice Climber was first published in Uganda’s Sunday Vision newspaper. All rights reserved.
Apollo writes:
At the stroke of midnight, we were startled by loud bangs on the door.
It was the mountain guides who excitedly rushed in the dormitory-like room, flashing tiny torches strapped around their heads. John, the chief guide announced it was time to start our final ascent to the summit of Kilimanjaro.
In fact, John’s midnight call shouldn’t have come as a surprise: once we had reached Kibo Base Camp, he had briefed us on what to expect.
Yet, for Isaac and I, the call seemed untimely and invasive. Firstly, because we were exhausted from two days of climbing from Marangu to Mandara and later on to Horombo Base Camps. We were desperate to catch some sleep and to recover. Secondly, because of the high altitude and the cold, I felt sick. In our dreary state, combined with the deep anxiety about the final climb, the lack of sleep and the darkness that surrounded us, the call to get out of bed was sad news – but we had little choice, we had come so far. We also had a deep desire to reach the summit.
Without further procrastination, we had to quickly get up and brace ourselves for the ascent. John’s insistent directives that we “eat or drink more water” floated past us: the only thing we could think of taking was more Panadol.
Surprisingly, once outside, I felt a lot better and ready for the climb. At this stage of our climb up Kilimanjaro, it was just me, Isaac, John and Alan. The rest of the porters were to stay behind and await our return.
Before we set off we huddled and asked God to guide and protect us on this invincible journey.
The idea to climb a mountain was one I have had for some time. I was never clear which mountain it would be.
Once, I’d driven to the base of Mount Meru. This increased my interest in mountains. So, when Diana asked me to join an excursion she was planning to Kilimanjaro, I was quick to say yes, and to recruit Isaac on the team.
The challenges associated with climbing any mountain, let alone Mount Kilimanjaro – especially the need for special climbing gear and training in a high altitude environment – only dawned on me much later.
My casual approach to the affair was partly because I had been physically active in the weeks before the climb. However, as the date for the climb approached and I gathered more information, it was clear that we needed to acquire and carry a whole range of things including woollen hats, upper body layers, fleece jackets, gloves, rain parka, long underwear bottoms, wool pants, rain trousers, tights, heavy wool socks, hiking boots, sleeping bags, head lamps, walking sticks, rucksacks, water bottles and a whole host of ointments and medicines.
While Diana seemed to have her act together, Isaac and I made a last minute effort to get these items in Kampala. The only problem was that no single shop in Kampala sells winter or mountain gear! Our only recourse was to get the stuff from Owino – a downtown second-hand clothes market – via Sula, Isaac’s old friend. Sula’s efforts to find this gear in Kampala were both impressive and hilarious. Impressive – because for about $100 he came up with so many bags, jackets, gloves and woollen hats that you would never expect to be in Uganda. Hilarious – because he bought stuff like bulky full-length woollen jackets that were clearly incompatible with mountain climbing. But, thanks to his efforts, we were saved from the exorbitant rates that the mountain guides charge for the same used items at Moshi.
We set off for Kilimanjaro on Friday and started the climb at Marangu Gate (1,970m) the next day, with a team of ten porters. Led by Albert and John, the porters carried the food, water and cooking equipment necessary for our stay on the mountain. We hikers carried lighter loads – cameras, rain jackets, water and snacks.
On day one we enthusiastically trekked for about four hours through thick montane tropical forest belt from Marangu Gate to Mandara Base Camp. The guides had to occasionally restrain us from moving faster, advising that we should go pole pole i.e. slowly. As some form of initiation or cleansing, we were pelted by rain as soon as we started the trek, so it was a relief to reach Mandara Base Camp (2,700m) late afternoon. The camp, encircled by thick forest alive with Blue Colobus monkeys, was nothing much to write home about; neither was the food – popcorn, biscuits, pasta and cabbage soup – nor the crammed bunk beds in the triangle-shaped green tin-roofed cabins that we shared. For bathing, we were each provided with a small plastic bowl of warm water.
Thus on day two, we were eager to get on with a seven-hour hike that passed through open and scenic heath and moorland of the Kilimanjaro. The vegetation was completely different from the previous day, the route more hilly and jagged. The pace was thus slower and the conversation limited. We crossed several bridges with small rivers rapidly flowing downhill. For the first time we saw the peaks of the mountain in a distance. This increased our adrenaline.
On their descent, we greeted – with a simple Jambo – other climbers and laden porters. Knowing what I know now, some of those Jambo were a form of sympathy for what they knew lay ahead for us. Climbing Kilimanjaro can be a life and death affair. At least ten people die annually trying to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. About 30% of those who attempt it fail because of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) that hits randomly – regardless of sex, age or fitness.
The day’s trek ended at Horombo Base Camp (3,720m). Here the temperatures were markedly cooler and the environment more serene. For some reason there was more activity and movement of guards, porters and climbers. As was the routine, we quickly checked into our triangular black-roofed cabin and later to a small dining hall. At dinnertime, Diana declared her wise decision to rest the next day in order to acclimatize more. No amount of persuasion would dissuade her, yet Isaac and I were keen to finish the climb in five days so that we could visit the Ngorongoro Crater before returning home to Kampala. In the end, we sadly agreed to split our team and leave her behind with Albert.
In spite of the exhaustion, I struggled to catch any sleep that night. The tight and unfamiliar sleeping bag did not help.
At about 9.00 a.m. on day three, Isaac and I set our eyes on Kibo Base Camp. John, our new chief guide, set the pace for yet another seven-hour trek. As we moved along we noticed yet another drastic change both in the vegetation and the temperature. At this height we were seeing the clouds below us and it felt as if we were at once floating and walking. Our pace was even slower. The need for the wool jackets, gloves and scarfs was rising. Short and sparse green shrubs and giant alpine palms replaced the lush moorland. The landscape was filled with huge ancient-looking rocks covered with moss. At about 2.00 p.m. we stopped briefly for a sandwich at a place between Mawenzi and Kibo peaks called “The Saddle.”
The hike thereafter was in a barren alpine desert. It was a tough walk in the wilderness. No life, no vegetation at all. All we could see were endless miles of hilly grounds with brown/reddish sandy soils and rocks. A drab sight. The melancholy was heightened by stories of descending climbers who had given-up on the climb and not “summited”. The sight of scampering porters evacuating a dazed climber on a stretcher – also known as the “Kilimanjaro Taxi” – did not help lift our spirits.
By the time we reached Kibo Base Camp (4,700m) we were completely knackered. Staring at us was Gilman’s Point, one of Kilimanjaro’s peaks. The point was so high above us, and the air so windy and hazy, that it was impossible to tell how on earth, we were going to reach the top. Opposite us was the chiselled Mawenzi peak standing at 5,149m. But if the Horombo Camp was cold, the Kibo Camp, perched on top of aged mean-looking rocks, was freezing! In no time we were ushered in and locked up in a dormitory structure. Isaac just crashed on top of his bunk bed in a sleeping bag – complete with shoes, gloves, scarf and jacket. Without any heating, it felt colder in the room than it was outside. I was shivering from deep inside and my head was throbbing. No amount of ginger tea could warm me up. Yet, John had said, we had just a few hours to rest before we started the final climb at midnight.
I did not rest, especially because when the “chef” served us our last meal – before the final ascent, my stomach refused to hold it. So, as I lay nauseated in my sleeping bag, I dreaded the moment that John and the rest would come for us. Many difficult thoughts were whizzing in my mind:
“Shall we make it?
How did I end here?
Could I have prepared myself better?
Will the headache get worse?”
As those thoughts ran in my mind, there were loud knocks on the door. It was John and Co. The moment had arrived. Feeling like a zombie, I sat up and started dressing up in several layers of T-shirts, sweatshirts and a jacket for the upper-body and the same number of layers for the lower body plus Sula’s two pairs of thick knee-high stockings.
The final climb from Kibo Camp to Uhuru (Mount Kilimanjaro’s highest peak) ordinarily takes five hours. The ascent starts at night so that one can see the sunrise from the peak – or so we were told. I suspect though that the real reason for this timing is to avoid the terrifying sight of steep slopes and heights ahead of climbers.
We began the ascent in slow motion, heads bowed, clutching the special walking sticks. For the first few hours, as if in a funeral procession, we moved slowly in the dark and in total silence. It felt eerie. Once we passed the Indian and William Points, completely out of the blue, my stomach stiffened and I started throwing-up again. I sat down to stabilise and got up after a few minutes. Strangely after the episode I felt stronger and got a second wind. In jest, John said “it’s good to get rid of the bad stuff.”
It wasn’t funny.
Far ahead of us we saw moving lights. We thought they were moving stars. But it was another group of climbers using a different route. Although it was good to know that there were others on the trail, we were discouraged because they seemed to move much faster. With stars on my mind, and about three quarters up the mountain, I had another attack. I sat on a rock and went through the motions.
I felt dizzy. John and Isaac were visibly worried. Somehow this scared me more than anything else. I was in their hands. “Was this the dreaded AMS?”
A decision had to be made on whether I should return to the camp. But, AMS or not, returning to the camp was out of the question for me. I convinced myself that I would be ok. Encouraged by my resolve, the rest agreed to continue. Phew!
After this point, our pace reduced drastically, made worse by the snake-like path from the Hans Mayer Point.
We were moving in a zigzag way and making little headway. Every few minutes, we needed to sit down to catch some breath. Strangely Isaac tended to doze off each time he sat down. No amount of glucose could boost my energy levels. On the horizon we saw the sun rising ahead of us yet we had not yet reached the peak. We were behind schedule. The air was very thin and our breathing very hard. There is 50% less oxygen than at sea level here. Gilman Point was almost 100m away. The guides figured it would take us another 30 minutes. We needed to be there before the sun fully came out. The guides must have been irritated by our snail’s pace and constant breaks. In what seemed like an eternity, and after climbing one boulder after another, we literally crawled up to the top of Gilman’s Point (5,681m).
It was a most sobering experience. Isaac there first. John and I followed in a few minutes. Time check was about 6.30 a.m.: it had taken us six and a half hours to reach Gilman’s Point. The sun was fully out.
At the top, I found Isaac motionless on a rock with his head in his hands. The woollen hat covered his face. I wondered what was going on in his mind… He must have fallen asleep! He didn’t seem interested in anything else in the world, not even taking pictures. Apparently his camera had frozen. Thus while it was a moment of accomplishment it was not one of much jubilation. There was no energy for that.
At Gilman’s Point, we saw for the first time the entirety of the snow-capped peak of the Kilimanjaro with its gaping white crater plus the unbelievable glaciers that surrounded us. It was a “wowing” new, white frozen world. I could not take enough pictures and momentarily forgot the exhaustion and pain of getting there. After a few minutes it was time to stand up and get going to the next peak. But Isaac was to have none of that! Enough was enough.
I wanted to continue to the next peaks of Stellar (5,739m) and Uhuru (5,895m) – both of which were within sight – but the thought of leaving my man behind got me confused. So even though we agreed that I continue on my own, after walking a few steps in the snow towards the next peak, my legs became weak and I turned back.
It was an anti-climax.
I felt wholly drained. I soon caught up with Isaac to begin the descent. And what a perilous descent it was!
I cannot count the times each of us fell on the way down.
To increase the pace while saving energy, we tried gliding on some loose gravel but this led to even more falls. At one point Isaac fell and failed to get up. He was sick. It took at least ten minutes for him to revive. Clearly we had not reserved energy for the descent.
And while the Kibo Base Camp was in sight, it was like a mirage; it seemed to get further and further away as we approached it. We finally got there at 11.30 a.m. whereupon John told us to take two-hour rest before we pack up and leave for Horombo – some seven hours away!
Without any options and not wanting to suffer the “Kilimanjaro Taxi,” we left Kibo at about 2.00 p.m. and endured a repeat journey in the wilderness. On the way, we met Diana and Albert and wished them the best with a Jambo! (Both made it successfully to Uhuru the next day).
By the time we got to Horombo, we were finished. It was impossible to imagine how we would make it to Maranga the next day. Thankfully John and his crew negotiated for us to hitch a ride to Moshi town with the mountain guards after we had covered a few miles the next day.
We are lucky to live to tell the tale of an extraordinary, exhilarating and humbling climb to the top of Africa. Jambo!
Thanks Apollo for sharing your amazing experience. Apollo Makubuya is a lawyer and fellow Hash House Harrier. Tales of a Novice Climber was first published in Uganda’s Sunday Vision newspaper. All rights reserved.
Do you have any questions about climbing Kilimanjaro? Looking for a registered tour operator in Tanzania? I recommend SafariBookings.
Mt Kili Madness” – breaking cricket world records at 5,752 metres!
In other news, on 26 September 2014, Mount Kilimanjaro was the setting for the Highest-altitude cricket match, as recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. “Mt. Kili Madness” was played at 5,752 m (18,871 ft) above sea level, in a dormant volcano crater on Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Two of the African-based charities that benefit from “Mt. Kili Madness” include the Cricket Builds Hope and Tusk, the wildlife conservation charity.
