Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Tourism activities
Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Tourism activities, Approximately 35000 tourists visiting Mount Kilimanjaro National Park focus on summitting Mount Kilimanjaro to its Uhuru Peak, since it #1 peak standing highest than all other peaks in Africa. However, mount Kilimanjaro national park has varying attractions like waterfalls, hot springs among others. Kilimanjaro National Park offers numerous outdoor as well as numerous activities, all coupled with spectacular scenery in the list of 10 things to do in Kilimanjaro National Park.
Hike Mount Kilimanjaro
Reaching the top Roof of Africa, Uhuru peak on Mount Kilimanjaro is one beautiful dream that every mountaineer visiting Africa would love accomplish among other bucket list adventures. This trek usually ranges between 5 – 9 days depending on the route used for climbing to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, which comprises of breathtaking scenery. Better still, Machame & Marangu routes are the most popular. The trek up Uhuru peak is quite challenging, and is rather recommended only for professionals
Materuni Waterfall Hike and Swimming
Meturuni Waterfall is a picturesquely 90m waterfall found at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro. It takes a moderate hike of 90 minutes at $65 per person. The trek follows afforested trail along the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro to a water collection point that’s suitable for swimming. Visitors also pass through banana plantations, tiny footbridges, while you look out for monkeys, duikers, birds among other small creatures.
Kilimanjaro Coffee Plantation Tour
Mount Kilimanjaro’s base has fertile soil, which is ideal for coffee farming, because of the water melting from the ice-cold Uhuru summit. The coffee grown in this area is the ideal Arabica coffee, with a fresh taste and smooth texture. This coffee tour can be done enroute after the Kilimanjaro excursion, where you will have a cappuccino or americano brew. This tour allows you to walk around the farm, as you watch the coffee bloom in its season (especially in October & November), then after head for the roasting & grinding process until you enjoy the freshly brewed coffee as you come to the end of the tour.
Coffee roasting & processing offers fu experience because of the Chagga traditional songs and dance performances.
The local coffee industry, this is a direct way to support the Kilimanjaro coffee farmers as well as the industry. For those who will not be able to visit, we advise that you buy at least a packet of Arabica beans, to help support the farmers’ hard work.
Visit the Kikuletwa Hot springs for a dip
Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Tourism activities, Kikuletwa Hot Springs, aka Chemka hotsprings is located an hour drive southwest of Moshi. Heading for a dip at a cost of $95 per person is an ideal way of keeping away from the noisy crowd in town and its demands.
The Kikuleta hot spring is an ideal coolant after your Kilimanjaro climbing excursion. It offers an excellent way to wholly enter your exhausted body into the warm water, as you chill around with a couple of friends, while you enjoy the beautiful surroundings and spectacular bird species flying in the sky. You can also try out swinging out on the tree rope to discover the number of shapes formed when you fall in the water.
Head To Moshi Tour
At $30 per person sharing, you can opt to be driven around Moshi Town, to see what the capital of Kilimanjaro offers. This can be done before or after your trek, whereby you will cruise in the city to visit unique tourist gems, or just pop into any restaurant with a serene environment for a coffee while gazing at the impressive view of Mount Kilimanjaro. Places to entice your taste buds, include: The Coffee Shop on Hill Street, also known as the café in Moshi, Aroma Coffee House on Boma Road provides tasty meals, snacks, as well as vegetarian options, Honey Badger Lodge in Sranga located 6 km east of Moshi, among others. Apart from restaurants, other places to visit in Moshi include, the local crafts shop, the central market, Shah industries in Karakana, Mama Africa Gift Shop…
Hike the Rau Forest or go mountain biking.
Mount Kilimanjaro National Park Tourism activities, A 10km drive Northeast of Moshi, gives you the chance to choose from either 7 hr hiking excursion, along the luxuriant forest adjacent to the Mount Kilimanjaro slopes at $60 per person, or otherwise opt for 6-9 hour bike ride at $90 per person with Rau Eco & cultural tourism. This youth based enterprise offer visitors packaged mountain biking or hiking day trips through the Rau Forest, providing them with the chance to: learn how rice farmers live their daily lives in the rice paddies, ride through several villages like mnono and mabogini, spot colobus and bvlue monkeys, , visit the sacred site of prayer on a tree which is believed to have existed for now 197 years, spotting different bird species, tasting local banana beer and tasty food and lastly planting a tre to conserve the environment.
Take a guided walk around the Ngurdoto crater
A 40 minute drive North of Arusha to Ngurdoto crater allows you to explore a 4km wide caldera which comprises of scenic & tremendous plethora of wildlife. It is sometimes called the small Ngorongoro crater because of the a few similar features, but it only differs for it being a no go zone for humans. Visitors can only hike along the southern & western edges of the crater floor and its many denizens is the perfect eco compromise. The crater floor is made of swamps, grasslands, and forest offering vibrant habitats for giraffes, buffaloes, zebras, warthogs, baboons and black-and-white colobus monkeys, while elephants, leopards, rhinos and spotted hyenas are seldom seen. Ngurdoto crater is the only place visitors can easily spot black & White colobus monkeys, in Arusha like nowhere else. Hiking or trekking the Ngurdoto crater is the best 1 day experience before and after hiking Kilimanjaro.
Hike Mount Meru
Mount Meru at 4566m above sea level is the second highest mountain after Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and the fifth highest in Africa, yet it was once higher than Mount Kilimanjaro, before eruption . The famous Mount Meru can be completed in 3 or days, which is a great opportunity for an affordable climb.
Mount Meru can also be hiked by mountaineers who prefer a difficult hike but without altitude sickness, as well as those who want to train their muscles so as to climb Kilimanjaro.
Canoe excursion on Little Momela Lake at $360 per person
The Momela lakes are a collection of 7 shallow lakes located in Northeastern section of Arusha National Park. The lakes are alkaline and obtain their water from underground. The lakes are a haven protecting both resident & migratory water bird species. Visitors who opt to take part in this excursion, are covered with beautiful sights of Giraffes, Buffaloes, Zebras, Hippos, waterbuck & duikers, whose presence grace the surroundings. Apart from animals, Momela Lakes are also bird haven hosting both migrant and resident birds, especially the greater/lesser Flamingoes & pelicans which are most prolific. Other water birds include among others Egyptian geese, great crested grebe, southern pochards, Maccoa ducks and African jacanas.
Explore Olpopongi Maasai Cultural Village at $50 per day.
Take a 2 hour drive Northwest of Moshi for a Masaai cultural experience, where you will either go for a half or full day with an English-speaking guide. The Maasai are the most prominent tribes to get along with in Kenya & Tanzania. Spending time with them offers incredible lifetime moments of learning a few hunting skills, impressive jumping traditional dances, and buying some of their beadwork to help benefit their community. Not only will you interact with the people, but also have a chance to visit Olpopong Maasai Cultural Museum on the western base of Kilimanjaro. Visitors can also go for a cultural guided walk to learn about their warrior culture & customs, as well as mastering some Maasai phrases.