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#1
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Climbing Kili
Hi all,
I'm about to book up a climb of Kilimanjaro, and I've spent a while firing off e-mails to all the usual operators. What kind of thing should I be looking for in a decent climb operator? I've been told to look out for ones which are TATO, TTB registered, or have a TALA licence, how can I check these out? One of the companies i've come across is GMTanzania (http://www.gmtanzania.co.tz). Has anyone done tours with these guys before. I'm particularly interested in how they compare to Africa Travel Resource who seem to get decent write-ups from everyone. Other than these two, any other mid-range recommendations? Thanks in advance! |
#2
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Climbing Kili
I'm about to book up a climb of Kilimanjaro, and I've spent a while firing
off e-mails to all the usual operators. What kind of thing should I be looking for in a decent climb operator? I've been told to look out for ones which are TATO, TTB registered, or have a TALA licence, how can I check these out? You could check out the Tanzania Tourist Board website which lists some of the more reputable operators. I went through this whole rigmarole recently for a trip I'm undertaking in February. I contacted around twenty operators directly in either Arusha or Moshi and was pleasantly surprised by the courteous and speedy responses I received. Taking into consideration prices, itenerary and first-hand reports and recommendations I have decided to book with 'Good Earth Tours' (www.goodearthtours.com). They are well-established and have an offices in both Texas and Tanzania. I have heard nothing but good about this outfitter - check out some of the threads on the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree - Africa branch.Also be aware that a minority of operators are disreputable - they don't usually last long but often change names - I would go with an established company. Research the routes and look for an operator who'll take you on your preferred choice - most are flexible - the Rongai route is a great option if you don't want to be part of the herd as it's rarely used.Make sure you understand what is and what isn't provided - water/tents/meals, etc and be aware of the 'tipping' culture - this will be on top of the quoted prices.Decide whether you're going to arrive at Nairobi or Kili Intl - most outfitters will arrange transfer to Moshi or Arusha at no extra cost. Incidentally, I can recommend an excellent book on Kili which describes all the routes, has recommendations on what to take along and has guides to all the local towns - it's by Henry Stedman - called 'Kilimanjaro - a trekking guide' or something like that. Anyway, it's in the Trailblazer Publications series and I got mine from Amazon - it's been invaluable in planning the trip. Hope this helps a bit. |
#3
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Climbing Kili
I'm about to book up a climb of Kilimanjaro, and I've spent a while firing
off e-mails to all the usual operators. What kind of thing should I be looking for in a decent climb operator? I've been told to look out for ones which are TATO, TTB registered, or have a TALA licence, how can I check these out? You could check out the Tanzania Tourist Board website which lists some of the more reputable operators. I went through this whole rigmarole recently for a trip I'm undertaking in February. I contacted around twenty operators directly in either Arusha or Moshi and was pleasantly surprised by the courteous and speedy responses I received. Taking into consideration prices, itenerary and first-hand reports and recommendations I have decided to book with 'Good Earth Tours' (www.goodearthtours.com). They are well-established and have an offices in both Texas and Tanzania. I have heard nothing but good about this outfitter - check out some of the threads on the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree - Africa branch.Also be aware that a minority of operators are disreputable - they don't usually last long but often change names - I would go with an established company. Research the routes and look for an operator who'll take you on your preferred choice - most are flexible - the Rongai route is a great option if you don't want to be part of the herd as it's rarely used.Make sure you understand what is and what isn't provided - water/tents/meals, etc and be aware of the 'tipping' culture - this will be on top of the quoted prices.Decide whether you're going to arrive at Nairobi or Kili Intl - most outfitters will arrange transfer to Moshi or Arusha at no extra cost. Incidentally, I can recommend an excellent book on Kili which describes all the routes, has recommendations on what to take along and has guides to all the local towns - it's by Henry Stedman - called 'Kilimanjaro - a trekking guide' or something like that. Anyway, it's in the Trailblazer Publications series and I got mine from Amazon - it's been invaluable in planning the trip. Hope this helps a bit. |
#4
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Climbing Kili
I went last year with 'World Odyssey' who organised everything from the UK,
and were flexible and efficient. On the ground we used 'The Africam Wlking Company' who were excellent, and treated their staff veyr well on top! Check out our trip at http://www.tomalin.org/charles/tanzania/index.htm Good luck. "jhiker" wrote in message om... I'm about to book up a climb of Kilimanjaro, and I've spent a while firing off e-mails to all the usual operators. What kind of thing should I be looking for in a decent climb operator? I've been told to look out for ones which are TATO, TTB registered, or have a TALA licence, how can I check these out? You could check out the Tanzania Tourist Board website which lists some of the more reputable operators. I went through this whole rigmarole recently for a trip I'm undertaking in February. I contacted around twenty operators directly in either Arusha or Moshi and was pleasantly surprised by the courteous and speedy responses I received. Taking into consideration prices, itenerary and first-hand reports and recommendations I have decided to book with 'Good Earth Tours' (www.goodearthtours.com). They are well-established and have an offices in both Texas and Tanzania. I have heard nothing but good about this outfitter - check out some of the threads on the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree - Africa branch.Also be aware that a minority of operators are disreputable - they don't usually last long but often change names - I would go with an established company. Research the routes and look for an operator who'll take you on your preferred choice - most are flexible - the Rongai route is a great option if you don't want to be part of the herd as it's rarely used.Make sure you understand what is and what isn't provided - water/tents/meals, etc and be aware of the 'tipping' culture - this will be on top of the quoted prices.Decide whether you're going to arrive at Nairobi or Kili Intl - most outfitters will arrange transfer to Moshi or Arusha at no extra cost. Incidentally, I can recommend an excellent book on Kili which describes all the routes, has recommendations on what to take along and has guides to all the local towns - it's by Henry Stedman - called 'Kilimanjaro - a trekking guide' or something like that. Anyway, it's in the Trailblazer Publications series and I got mine from Amazon - it's been invaluable in planning the trip. Hope this helps a bit. |
#5
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My wife and I just returned from Tanzania where we booked a Kili climb and
Serengeti safari with Roy Safaris. It is not the largest company, but they were very good in all ways. Good vehicles, superb guides, good food, good prices, etc. My wife made it to the top. I got HAPE and had to be evacuated. In the face of adversity the guides were on top of it with safety and courtesy of primary concern. When I returned to town the entire office came in on an off day to greet me and give condolences. We traveled with a group of 11 friends. Every person in the group was more than happy with Roy's company. On Kili, and on safari, the guides were incredibly perceptive to the environment and encyclopedias of information. They do not have the best web page and are a bit slow on email responses, but that is the nature of technology in much of Africa. Have a great trip! "Rub1sco" wrote in message ... Hi all, I'm about to book up a climb of Kilimanjaro, and I've spent a while firing off e-mails to all the usual operators. What kind of thing should I be looking for in a decent climb operator? I've been told to look out for ones which are TATO, TTB registered, or have a TALA licence, how can I check these out? One of the companies i've come across is GMTanzania (http://www.gmtanzania.co.tz). Has anyone done tours with these guys before. I'm particularly interested in how they compare to Africa Travel Resource who seem to get decent write-ups from everyone. Other than these two, any other mid-range recommendations? Thanks in advance! |
#6
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My wife and I just returned from Tanzania where we booked a Kili climb and
Serengeti safari with Roy Safaris. It is not the largest company, but they were very good in all ways. Good vehicles, superb guides, good food, good prices, etc. My wife made it to the top. I got HAPE and had to be evacuated. In the face of adversity the guides were on top of it with safety and courtesy of primary concern. When I returned to town the entire office came in on an off day to greet me and give condolences. We traveled with a group of 11 friends. Every person in the group was more than happy with Roy's company. On Kili, and on safari, the guides were incredibly perceptive to the environment and encyclopedias of information. They do not have the best web page and are a bit slow on email responses, but that is the nature of technology in much of Africa. Have a great trip! "Rub1sco" wrote in message ... Hi all, I'm about to book up a climb of Kilimanjaro, and I've spent a while firing off e-mails to all the usual operators. What kind of thing should I be looking for in a decent climb operator? I've been told to look out for ones which are TATO, TTB registered, or have a TALA licence, how can I check these out? One of the companies i've come across is GMTanzania (http://www.gmtanzania.co.tz). Has anyone done tours with these guys before. I'm particularly interested in how they compare to Africa Travel Resource who seem to get decent write-ups from everyone. Other than these two, any other mid-range recommendations? Thanks in advance! |
#7
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Congrats on your decision to climb Kilimanjaro!
Be aware that I am a partner in a Kilimanjaro climbing company so my views are clearly one-sided, but to narrow down the choices I suggest you decide on a route first and then find the company that best suit your budget and preferences. Having climbed the most popular routes I vote for the Western Breach route as the most spectacular and satisfying, especially if you camp on the crater rim. All climbing is done during daylight hours and the summit morning is a very pleasant 90 minute hike instead of the 7-hour ordeal through the freezing cold and darkness of most other routes. The summit success rate via the Breach is very high for many reasons. I assume you are climbing in Jan-Feb or Jul-Oct when the Breach is very do-able. I don't recommend it during the rainy months. If you like the Breach, then you have narrowed down the choice of companies considerably since few have the safety equipment necessary to do the Breach. Next you should visit http://www.hec.org/club/partners.htm to get an idea of which companies are serious about porter care. And then you can go on from there. For a clear description of the Western Breach route, you can go he http://www.go-kili.com/westernbreach.htm Good luck! Eben "None" wrote in message ... My wife and I just returned from Tanzania where we booked a Kili climb and Serengeti safari with Roy Safaris. It is not the largest company, but they were very good in all ways. Good vehicles, superb guides, good food, good prices, etc. My wife made it to the top. I got HAPE and had to be evacuated. In the face of adversity the guides were on top of it with safety and courtesy of primary concern. When I returned to town the entire office came in on an off day to greet me and give condolences. We traveled with a group of 11 friends. Every person in the group was more than happy with Roy's company. On Kili, and on safari, the guides were incredibly perceptive to the environment and encyclopedias of information. They do not have the best web page and are a bit slow on email responses, but that is the nature of technology in much of Africa. Have a great trip! "Rub1sco" wrote in message ... Hi all, I'm about to book up a climb of Kilimanjaro, and I've spent a while firing off e-mails to all the usual operators. What kind of thing should I be looking for in a decent climb operator? I've been told to look out for ones which are TATO, TTB registered, or have a TALA licence, how can I check these out? One of the companies i've come across is GMTanzania (http://www.gmtanzania.co.tz). Has anyone done tours with these guys before. I'm particularly interested in how they compare to Africa Travel Resource who seem to get decent write-ups from everyone. Other than these two, any other mid-range recommendations? Thanks in advance! |
#8
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Congrats on your decision to climb Kilimanjaro!
Be aware that I am a partner in a Kilimanjaro climbing company so my views are clearly one-sided, but to narrow down the choices I suggest you decide on a route first and then find the company that best suit your budget and preferences. Having climbed the most popular routes I vote for the Western Breach route as the most spectacular and satisfying, especially if you camp on the crater rim. All climbing is done during daylight hours and the summit morning is a very pleasant 90 minute hike instead of the 7-hour ordeal through the freezing cold and darkness of most other routes. The summit success rate via the Breach is very high for many reasons. I assume you are climbing in Jan-Feb or Jul-Oct when the Breach is very do-able. I don't recommend it during the rainy months. If you like the Breach, then you have narrowed down the choice of companies considerably since few have the safety equipment necessary to do the Breach. Next you should visit http://www.hec.org/club/partners.htm to get an idea of which companies are serious about porter care. And then you can go on from there. For a clear description of the Western Breach route, you can go he http://www.go-kili.com/westernbreach.htm Good luck! Eben "None" wrote in message ... My wife and I just returned from Tanzania where we booked a Kili climb and Serengeti safari with Roy Safaris. It is not the largest company, but they were very good in all ways. Good vehicles, superb guides, good food, good prices, etc. My wife made it to the top. I got HAPE and had to be evacuated. In the face of adversity the guides were on top of it with safety and courtesy of primary concern. When I returned to town the entire office came in on an off day to greet me and give condolences. We traveled with a group of 11 friends. Every person in the group was more than happy with Roy's company. On Kili, and on safari, the guides were incredibly perceptive to the environment and encyclopedias of information. They do not have the best web page and are a bit slow on email responses, but that is the nature of technology in much of Africa. Have a great trip! "Rub1sco" wrote in message ... Hi all, I'm about to book up a climb of Kilimanjaro, and I've spent a while firing off e-mails to all the usual operators. What kind of thing should I be looking for in a decent climb operator? I've been told to look out for ones which are TATO, TTB registered, or have a TALA licence, how can I check these out? One of the companies i've come across is GMTanzania (http://www.gmtanzania.co.tz). Has anyone done tours with these guys before. I'm particularly interested in how they compare to Africa Travel Resource who seem to get decent write-ups from everyone. Other than these two, any other mid-range recommendations? Thanks in advance! |
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