Climb Kili & Safari Reviews

Climbing Kilimanjaro with Climb Kili was an incredible experience and I would highly recommend climbing with them to anyone looking to embark on this adventure. We were a two person group and did the 7 day Machame route but ended up completing it in 6 days (which was our decision coupled with our guides assessment), with both of us making it to the summit. Our guides, Manny (Emmanuel) and Steve (Stefano) were inspiring, knowledgeable, kind, and instrumental in our trip to the summit. Our team of porters and our cook (Stratton) were also incredible. Stratton cooked better meals on the side of the mountain than I can at home! The tents and sleeping bags were comfortable and warm, the private bathroom tent was a luxury at the campsites, and we were well fed and hydrated throughout our journey - I especially appreciated the warm tea and popcorn snacks everyday! This was one of the best experiences of my life and the preparation, organization, energy and support from the Climb Kili team made it possible!

Singing the Praises of Climb Kili ! Review of 8-Day Small-group Lemosho Kilimanjaro Summit Trekking Reviewed 1 week ago Friends of mine that I met doing the Everest Base Camp/Gokyo Lakes Trek in Nepal in November of 2022 offered me the chance to joint them to attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro in September of 2024. I distinctly recall saying after Nepal - never again, but immediately said "Hell, yes" to their invitation and contacted Tiffany at Climb Kili, the tour operator my friends had chosen, to get on-board. I found Tiffany to be readily available to answer questions (not sure when she sleeps given some of the time stamps on her responses to my many questions sent to her by email !), and whether I called in, or emailed. I had most of the equipment from what I took to Nepal, so easy-peasey from that point of view and just needed a few things such as a mattress pad (they give you a foam pad, but my old, arthritic bones needed something more !), pee-bottle (who wants to go outside multiple times each night to visit the toilet tent (and yes, you really, really want to go with a company that offers the toilet tent - the outhouses smell from yards away !), and small rechargeable tent light (so you can find that pee bottle in the middle of the night !). Followed essentially the same training regimen as for Nepal, and felt that would be sufficient to see me through. The Mrs. declined to go, but did suggest I go on safari while in Tanzania, so I contacted Tiffany and she set that up for me as well - a 3 day safari where they fly you out to the start and you drive back through the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire. Not sure how the Toyota Land Cruisers they use for the safaris survive the pounding they take, but kudos to Toyota and whoever the mechanics are that keep the vehicles roadworthy - no shortage of washboard and pot-holes ! Gideon was the Tour Guide and he was amazing ! Answered all of my many questions, was very willing to talk about the safari, the business side of things, life in Tanzania, and his own life. He got us from park to park safely, and was excellent at divining where the animals were, and putting us in great position to see them. Post-safari, we had a day to prepare our kit, meet with Rick of Climb Kili, and our Head Guide, Raymond, to discuss the trek, take a last shower, and enjoy the comforts of a bed. Bright and early Saturday morning, with great excitement, we set out on our 8-day Lemosho route trek to the summit of Kilimanjaro ! I cannot say enough about our Head Guide, Raymond, our two Assistant Guides, Jackson, and Norbert, Simon (our wonderful cook), and the rest of the Climb Kili crew (22 in number) that supported the six of us as we made our way along the Lemosho route, enjoying not just a full moon, but a "Super Moon" ! Five of the six of us successfully summited Kili (the oldest member of the group, at 74, decided that he had supported his spouse throughout, but the "juice wasn't worth the squeeze" in terms of what it would take from him to summit, so he waited at Kosovo while we went up and back. There were times while slowly making our way up the mountain, starting at midnight, that I wondered if he was the wise one amongst us, but the sense of accomplishment when I made it to the top after 6 hours made it all worthwhile (lets not talk about that over 9,000 feet in quad/knee crushing descent still to be accomplished before we got to Mweka Camp about 6 pm that same day, having been up and mostly on our feet for 18 hours !). Our food was wonderful, our camp sites as good as there was available, the toilet tent was a godsend, and the constant support and encouragement from the Climb Kili crew all combined to make this a very tough, but very rewarding lifetime experience ! Thank you Climb Kili ! Date of experience: September 2024

My recent climb to Mt. Kilimanjaro with Climb Kili was superb. Hement Moshi, our lead guide, along with Lebo and Gabriele, the assistant guides, did an amazing job setting the pace so that we were well acclimated by summit night. They were very attentive to how we were handling the altitude, ensuring that all six of us in our group remained in good health. Because of this care, the great food provided for all meals and the help from all the support staff, all six of us successfully summited the rooftop of Africa in good spirits and good health. Our small group size of 6 was very conducive to an overall positive experience. Additionally, Climb Kili is permitted to use Kosovo as the base camp for summit night which reduces additional altitude gain and mileage compared to starting from Barafu (it makes a difference!). Tiffany from Climb Kili was always very responsive during the booking process and patiently answered all questions on short time. Thank you Climb Kili, Hement, Gabriele, Lebo and crew for making our trek to Mt. Kilimanjaro a very safe and memorable experience.

I did the 8 day Lemosho trek followed by 2 days of Safari experience. I was joined by my sister and 4 other amazing people whom I didn’t know until the morning of the hike. The group was well matched and the harmony with which the diverse group of us 6 came together with one goal made the trip that much more memorable. But the credit goes to the climb kili guide and group and the whole organization. Our three principal guides were absolutely amazing. The lead guide Herment was an experienced professional and kind person who was determined to make this trek successful and pleasant for us all. He handled the trek and the rest of the crew with absolute skilled hands and it was obvious he was respected by all and knew how to be the perfect guide for us and the perfect manager for the crew, a great cheerleader who would know how to encourage us when needed, inform us, and make sure of the safety and comfort of everyone. I consider myself so fortunate to have been with him and his crew. The weather was amazing. The hike very doable under the guidance of climb kili crew because the slow progress set us up for success from the very beginning. I am usually an impatient hiker and I know that if I had been allowed to do as I usually do I would have wore myself out and would not have made it. The hike is a steady trek up and it is not for the impatient or the person with little stamina. But absolutely doable. The summit day is the hardest day but I would say the most amazing transformative day. The feeling of accomplishment but more importantly the feeling of self reliance and appreciation of strength of oneself is unparalleled. Of course being off my phone for 8 days was a blessing that doesn’t come by in this day and age. I had it on airplane mode the entire time and the noise in my brain finally stopped and I found myself. As for the guides, they were kind, caring, invested in our success, vigilant, and overall worked so well together that it all looked seamless and effortless. The rest of the crew: amazing. The chef was magnificent with mad skills. The food was great and plenty and contrary to what they kept on saying that one might lose one’s appetite in high altitude, we had no problem gobbling up everything he cooked because it was delicious and plenty. He even had a surprise for me on my birthday! I was floored. The porters and the rest of the staff from the servers, the people who managed the tents and equipment all the way to the cleaners were such amazing professional kind and lovely people I felt like I was being taken care of a family I could have only dreamed of. I am a very self reliant and independent woman, and it was so refreshing to be taken care of so well by a group who seemed to do it out of the goodness of their hearts even though sure this was their job. I would have given three times the amount of tip that was recommended if I was allowed. I cannot emphasize how transformative this hike was for me as a busy 53 year old physician who is very much always in the throws of city life and family obligations. This was the greatest gift I could have given myself on top of the bonus of sharing it with my just as busy sister (so in regular life we have so little time for each other) and having gained a few additional exploring friends who were unknown to me prior to this trip. I am so please and so thankful for the wonderful experience I was given by the climb kili group and I was honestly missing my Tanzanian family the moment I set foot back in LAX! Thank you Herment et al.

Climb Kili created such a special experience for my friends and I. From bottom to top and back again, I felt comfortable and safe around all the Climb Kili crew members. The guides prevented me from falling during the steep and strenuous inclines and declines. The chef accommodated our group’s dietary needs and preferences and we were never hungry or thirsty. The toilet was practically glamping. Despite the challenge, we had an amazing time and it would be extremely difficult to find a better crew than Climb Kili. They have ruined all other tour companies for me.