Activities in Mount Kilimanjaro
Activities in Mount Kilimanjaro: Mt Kilimanjaro the African highest mountain and the world’s highest free-standing mountain. The mountain is located in the Northern part of Tourist city Arusha just a few kilometers from Kilimanjaro international airport. Found along Arusha Moshi highway before you reach Moshi town. Kilimanjaro mountain floats in a wreath of clouds overlooking the lower Kenya Amboseli national park. Amboseli makes part of the greater Mount Kilimanjaro national park echo system with diverse habitats.
Mt Kilimanjaro national park covers a total land area of 1,688 square kilometers with all the surrounding montane forest belt which is above 1,820 meters above sea level. This is one of the most visited national parks in Tanzania third to Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater respectively. The park was declared a game reserve in 1921 and designated as a forest reserve in 1973
The park is gifted with a lot of nature with both fauna and flora, a wide range of animals are found in the park-like grey duiker, bushbuck, tree hyrax, cape buffalos, forest elephants, blue monkeys, bushbabies, and many more animals. Kilimanjaro national park has different tree species from the lower slopes of the mountain to the highest bamboo land.
Activities in Mount Kilimanjaro are influenced by the wide habitats found at the park from the pastures and bushlands of the local Maasai people that leave around the park. The melted ice from the peak of the mountain provides water sources in the streams that nourish the belt of the tropical rain forests at the park that attracts large herds of Forest Elephants.
With the great attractions found in Mt Kilimanjaro national park, each part and camp in Mt Kilimanjaro national park has specialized activities like Bird watching, nature walks, Game drives that include off-road game drives, night game drives, village or cultural safaris, adventure and hike to the peak of the mountain. below are some of the Activities in Mount Kilimanjaro:
Bird watching
When you are planning for your challenging trip to the African highest mountain, be ready that you will be received by songs of different forest birds that are found across the park. Mount Kilimanjaro has a record of over 750 bird species hence making it one stop destination for birders. The great birders take advantage of hiking Mount Kilimanjaro as they kill two birds using one stone. They do birding as they enjoy the hiking of the Kilimanjaro as well, birding is one of the Activities in Mount Kilimanjaro that has contributed a lot in attracting tourists to this mountain.
Kilimanjaro national park has endemic bird species that cannot be seen in any other place in the world. Ethereal bird calls echo welcomes you to the Park as they flutter through the tree canopy at the tropical forest found in the park.
The guests start enjoying the birding and viewing of the birds just at the relaxing and acclimatization of the weather. Most birds sing and play around the hotels with high chances of seeing beautiful tropical birds species that Africa has. The park is a home of different African bird species that jungle around the mountain. The most common sited birds are: Turacos which have more species like Hartlaub’s Turaco, Schalow’s Turaco, Violent Crested Turaco, Rose Turaco and many more, Narina Trogon, Silvery-Cheeked Hornbill, Trumpeter Hornbill, over 30 species of Cuckoos like Emerald Cuckoo, Klaas Cuckoo, Lark-Heeled Cuckoo, white brown Coucal and many more. Kingfishers like African pygmy kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, and others, bee-eaters, African Pitta mention but a few.
The birders take more forested and scenic routes that take longer days to reach to the peak as they enjoy more birding en-route and every time they rest they do birding around the camping zone.
Animal viewing
Mt Kilimanjaro national park is a home of over 30 animal species spread to different habitants and the vegetation zoning. Animal viewing is one of the most common Activities in Mount Kilimanjaro. The park inhabits both small and big game like Bushbabies, Dik-dik, Duiker, Bushbucks, Forest Elephants, Hyenas and many more. Guest who are not sure of their fitness most times come to the park for animal viewing only, escorted by the park rangers they move around the park to look for these animals. On a lucky day one can easily spot the rare leopards at the park, hyenas, buffalos, baboons, Mongoose, and others.
Primate trekking
Primate trekking is one of the key Activities in Mount Kilimanjaro, the mountain is a home of different primate species like Baboons, Blue Monkey, Black-faced Monkey, and others found at the park. These are found swimming at the tree branches and sometimes come cloth to the guests as they like playing as snatching food staffs from the bags of the guests.
Visiting of the Chala Crater lake.
The Chala crater lake is found at the edge of Mt Kilimanjaro inside the high crater rim is one of the largest lakes found at the mountain. Guests enjoy the scenic specular view of the crater lake. The Chala Crater lake covers 1.6 square miles is the sightseeing site with its incredible waters which range in color from turquoise to emerald green depending on the time and weather of the year. There are some camps around the lake where visitors can enjoy viewing the lake at their own tents or tour around the swamp.
Hiking to Uhuru peak
It is everyone’s dream who come to do ant Activities in Mount Kilimanjaro to hike up to the peak. Celebrations always follow every successful hike to the peak, depending on the fitness of the guests one can choose which route to take from the 6 hiking Routes of Mt Kilimanjaro. The hiking routes include Machame route, Rongai route, Shira Route, Lemosho Route, Marangu route and Umbwe Route route. Hiking to the top of the mountain can take from 6 days to 8 days depending on the fitness and the route the guest chooses.
We give our guest guidelines to follow and this has made our 100% record in all our hiking safaris to Mt Kilimanjaro. With the help of our experienced guides and potters we make sure every guest reaches to the summit and comes back safely.
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