Things to do in Mt Kilimanjaro : Tanzania’s Mountain Kilimanjaro National Park is located 190 miles into the southern hemisphere of the Kilimanjaro region. It covers an area of 1,688 square kilometers and is bordered by the city of Moshi, just subsequent to the northern border to Kenya. Mountain Kilimanjaro is included among the 7 Natural Wonders of Africa and was gazzeted as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The national park encompasses Africa’s tallest mountain. Famously known as the mountain of light, Mountain Kilimanjaro with its highest park at 5895 metres which is the highest point in the entire Africa.
Mt Kilimanjaro has five distinct zones including the artic zone which is filled with snow raging between the attitudes above 5000m. The southern part of the mountain region was gazzeted as a National Park in 1973, during the colonial times when Tanzania was still known as Tanganyika.
The Germans who were the colonial masters designated Mountain Kilimanjaro and the adjacent tree cover as a game reserve upto 1973, when it was classified as a national park by the Tanzania Parks Authority (TANAPA).
The park is home to over 500 animals’ species, 450 bird species and amazing flora that leaves you breathless. The animals in the park include but not limited to rhinos, elephants, zebras and many more
The Park is usually accessed both on road and air. Using road provides a more thrilling experience. One can get to Kilimanjaro National Park driving from Arusha through Moshi Town which is roughly a two hour drive. From Moshi, it is a 50 minute drive. The park is open to visitors all year round, though its gets its most visitors in the dry season which runs between June to October.
The activities done at this breathtaking park are:-
Conquering Kilimajaro
Conquering Kilimajaro; which literally means hiking the famous and pretty high mountain Kilimanjaro. This is one of the main activities carried out in Mountain Kilimanjaro National Park. Hiking this mountain is very adventurous because many animals can be seen on their way up. Hiking Mountain Kilimanjaro can take you approximately 5-9 days depending on the route. There are over five routes to the top. This activity is usually carried out in groups because it involves camping. As the saying goes,”the higher you go, the cooler it becomes “the mountain top is largely covered with snow and the temperatures keep dropping as the hiking gets higher so it’s advisable to carry cardigans.
Game drives
Game drives in the park. The park is gifted with all the African big five animals and other various animal species. Some of the animals in the park have been mentioned above can be observed through the scheduled game drive safaris. Tourists guided by rangers and guides get to glimpse at the animals in the park through these wildlife safaris. The tourist can get to view some notable physical features like the Chala Crater Lake and Shira Plateau.
Nature Walks
The nature walks are guided under heavly armed personnel because it gets you closer to the animals in the park. It’s very adventurous because the tourists get closer feel of nature.
Community Walks
Community walks on the other hand is to get more acquitted with the environment around Kilimanjaro national park including the very interesting masai people. These have a very interesting lifestyle and social organization that any tourist should visit. You can take these walks on your own or in a group with or without a guide.
These mentioned above are the major activities in the park, however every year and season more activities are added to the list to spice up the tourist’s time while at the park. Consult your tour operator for more on the activities.
