12 Days Kilimanjaro and Masai Mara Wildlife Safari takes you Mt Kilimanjaro Hike and Masai Mara Safari. 12 Days Kilimanjaro and Masai Mara Wildlife Safari is ideal for travelers interested in exploring both Tanzania and Kenya while on holiday vacation.
On reaching the Kilimanjaro International Airport, you are welcomed and taken through a meet and greet session about the safari. After this session, you shall be transferred to Moshi town and check-in your lodge / hotel for relaxation, Dinner and Overnight. The Secret Garden Hotel.
It is between 3 and 4 hours of driving to reach Londorossi Gate the starting point for the climb. It’s an interesting drive through some remote country so keep your eye out for wildlife. Another few hours of formalities with the park rangers at the gate and you will be on the trail. The trail goes through the lowland forests where you’re likely to spot the large Colobus monkeys which are fairly common.
The first part of the days trek is fairly steep as you climb up out of the jungle and into the moorland ecosystem dominated by Giant Heathers and a variety of grasses and wildflowers. You will first reach Shira Ridge before the trail continues slightly downhill across the broad expanse of the Shira Plateau to Shira 1 Camp for rest and lunch. We then continue on to Shira 2 camp across the Shira Plateau, and are able to admire the Western Breach if the skies are clear. Today’s long day allows us more time to acclimatize at the higher camps with shorter days before our big summit day.
Leaving Shira 2 in the morning you climb towards the main peak Kibo, with the western glaciers clearly visible across the rugged high-altitude desert of volcanic rocks and boulders. The trail ascends to the Lava Tower site (15000 feet / 4600m) before descending back down into Barranco Valley. The area before the campsite is known as the “Garden of the Senecios”, which features many huge senecio plants as well as the shorter lobelia plants. Its 7 to 8 hours walking and the total ascent is only 110m total but having climbed much higher and dropped back down assists acclimatization.
Today consists of a challenging climb up the steep Barranco wall (some scrambling but not technically difficult), easily one of the highlights of the trek. You’ll be able to admire the majestic views at the top before dropping into the Karanga Valley where we will break for lunch and spend the second half of the day resting and acclimatizing.
Today we make our final push to Base Camp, and we see our longer early days paying off on this day. Arriving to Barafu at lunch time allows us to spend the day resting our legs and preparing for the big push to the roof of Africa. After a hearty dinner you will retire to your tents for a little shut eye before we begin our climb at midnight.
The day starts at midnight with the final push to the summit. It’s a cold and grueling six-hour hike to summit rim up a steep slope. The trail is doable but steep with many switchbacks. The summit rim is reached just about sunrise and it’s a fairly level hike around the rim to Uhuru Peak the ultimate summit and highest point in Africa.
Going down you will head back to Barafu Hut for a short nap and snacks before continuing down to Mweka camp (3068m / 10,065feet). One of the reasons for such a long day of trekking is to avoid problems with acclimatization and get you back down to a lower elevation quickly.
From Mweka campsite it is a 4 to 5 hours descent through the forest to Mweka gate to collect certificates and meet the vehicle. Return to Moshi for the night and to have a final farewell dinner with your guides. Dinner and Overnight at the secret Garden Hotel.
Breakfast in the morning then with luggage embark on transfer to travers the Tanzania-Kenya border to Masai Mara National Reserve. You shall transfer for a period of 8 to 10 hours enjoying views of the green terrain, bird species as well as lunch. After a while, you shall reach the park and proceed to check-in lodge for Dinner and Overnight. Mara Sopa Lodge.
Early morning breakfast then transfer to the park to enjoy a full Day Game Drive traversing various tracks in the park. You shall reach the park and transfer from one point to another while seated in a 4×4 wheel safari vehicle watching many wildlife animals wander around their natural vegetation habitat.
The wildlife animals you watch include; giraffes, eland, zebra, topi, kongoni, impala, Grant’s gazelle, Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Leopard and Buffalo etc. At mid day, break off for lunch then after proceed on another session of Game Drive watching wildlife then in the late evening, return back to your lodge for Dinner and Overnight. Mara Sopa Lodge.
Today, wake up have breakfast then continue to the park for a Game Drive watching many wildlife animals wander around their natural vegetation habitat. Wildlife animals you watch include; wildebeest, zebras, lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhinoceros etc. After the Game Drive, have lunch then transfer to the local Masai people who introduce you to their local culture, traditions and customs. They shall also take you around their Manyatta homesteads. After the encounter, proceed to check-in lodge for Dinner and Overnight. Mara sopa Lodge.
Have breakfast in the morning then proceed on an en-route Game Drive watching wildlife animals like black rhinoceros, elephants, buffaloes, lions, and leopards, cheetahs, antelopes, wildebeest, zebras, kudu, hippos, hyenas etc. Take many photos to keep then embark on departure to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to board your flight back home.
