FAQS
Tanzania is a country located in East Africa known for its wildlife, landscapes, and rich culture. If you are planning to visit Tanzania or conduct business in the country, here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) that might be helpful:
Safari is a "Swahili" word which means journey. This word is also used worldwide. Please feel free to use our website for more information and learn about us. You can use our mailing address, but we encourage you to use our email address. Our online booking form is fast, easy and reliable.
It is advised to book as earlier as you can. Champion Safaris as all other tours encourages early booking to provide sufficient time to make all necessary arrangements such as airport transfers (if any), hotels/ lodges and campsites especially during high season (July and August) or Christmas holidays. Twelve weeks or more is the recommended time for booking.
Any time round the year is the best time to visit Tanzania as Champion Safaris tour guides know where to take you for wildlife and birdlife viewing. Dry season (July - October) is the suitable time for beach holiday and diving as the sky is clear with sunshine the whole day. Because of its tropical weather the rains are not as heavy as in the Amazon forests.
Tanzania has several mountains to climb including Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Meru, Ol'doinyo Lengai and Usambara Mountains. There are 15 National Parks that accommodate birdlife and wildlife as follows: Arusha National Park, Tarangire National Park, Serengeti National Park, Lake Manyara National Park, and Ngorongoro Crater to the northern circuit. Mikumi National Park, Udzungwa National Park, Ruaha National Park, Saadani National Park and Selous Game Reserve to the southern circuit. Gombe Stream National Park, Katavi National Park, Mahale National Park, Rudondo Island National Park, Saanane National Park, Kitulo National Park to the Western/Central circuit. Tanzania has great historical sites like old slave trade markets and Museums. Cultural execution is undertaken as well. Let us know what interests you best and we will make arrangements for you and fulfill your dream!
Most Hotels and Lodges cook traditional foods as well as varieties of palatable Western foods to suit your appetite. For our guests who choose to camp, the camping food is fresh, well prepared by our professional chefs. Special diet will be provided on request. Vegetarians will be served accordingly; nevertheless we will appreciate if we get informed in advance.
While on Safari we offer bottled water as it is safe for drinking. You can buy an extra bottle(s) of mineral water from super- markets or lodges where you will spend days and nights for reasonable price.
Yes, indeed, you can bring your children to a game drive and mountain climbing and Champion Safaris will share the skills and extraordinary experience in handling and caring for your children. Champion Safaris tour guides will support you and your kids on Safari and Mountain climbing. Children aged 6 - 17 have the option like visiting schools and pen pals with other children in Tanzania, sharing some ideals and traditional games.
With the rapid growth of tourism industry in Tanzania in early 1990's major towns and all National Parks have developed a large number of hostel, hotels, lodges, Luxury tented Lodges and Campsites, all these places are comfortable and secured to stay during your exploration of Tanzania Safari in Africa.
It is possible to customize your safari. We at Champion Safaris understands the importance of privacy to the honeymooners, students, friends, organizations and families. Usually, a driver tour guide will be with clients. In case of Mountain climbing a minimum of two porters (per client) are needed and one guide.
Yes, indeed, and the company will do its best to insure safety for guests and their property as to make their stay as comfortable as possible. However, Champion Safaris expect you to follow the instructions given by tour guides because they are knowledgeable of rules and regulations of the parks etc. In other words, do what they tell you and don't do what they tell you not to do! Please observe the following:
1: You are advised not to force yourself to trek higher when you get weak.
2: It is utterly prohibited to step out of the vehicle while in wildlife parks unless instructed by the tour guide. All penalties and accidents caused by client's fault will not be taken as the responsibilities of the company.
Kilimanjaro is climbable all year round. The best months to climb are December-March, and September-October, which are the warmest and driest months. The next best are June to August, but they are colder. July, August, and September are the busiest months.
Summiting on or soon after a full moon is very beautiful and helps illuminate the landscape without using headlamps. However, it is also very bright for sleeping and stars are not as visible.
It requires no technical climbing experience, and any moderately fit person can summit the mountain.
Temperatures range from 25 to 30 degrees Celsius at the foot of the mountain and -15 to -20 degrees Celsius on top plus wind chill. Lower down, it can be wet and humid, but higher up, there can be snow. Rain and snow may be encountered any time of the year!
Your decision will depend on where you want to sleep and the hiking distance each day and number of days of each route. On the Marangu Route, you sleep in huts with simple beds, while on all the other routes, you sleep in tents. There are two main routes on the mountain: the Marangu and Machame. You may also want to consider the Rongai Route as it is far less traveled. The Lemosho Route is a good choice if you want a longer route (8+ days). Kindly visit our Kili Routes page.
There has been a lot of negative press about Marangu. In our view, and we arrange treks on all the routes, it is very unfair. This is the only route that uses huts rather than tents and some years ago there was a serious problem with overcrowding in the huts. In those years the Machame route was much less frequented. But we think the main reason that some operators speak against the Marangu and boost the Machame is that the booking system for Marangu is demanding of operators' time. There is no booking system for Machame (nor the other camping routes). You just show up at the Machame gate the first morning of the trek. No one ever knows how many people will be on the trail until the gate closes for that day. There is a daily quota of only about 70 climbers allowed to start on the Marangu route on any day (this is why booking is not always easy). There are many days in the season when there are many more climbers on the Machame route than on the Marangu. This is not in any way to denigrate the very beautiful Machame route. But these are things to bear in mind when hearing the Marangu route described as the tourist, easy or Coca Cola route and the Machame as the scenic or the whisky route! It is true that you will hear many people who have climbed Machame say that it is better than Marangu, and this is conveyed to many of the guide book writers. But remember that the overwhelming majority of climbers only ever climb one route. The chances are that the climbers who say this have never been on the Marangu route and are simply repeating what they have been told or have read.
Physically, the Marangu and Machame routes are rather different. The main force of Kibo's volcanic activity occurred out towards the west (the Machame side) and so Machame is steeper - especially in the first day and a half - and more rugged than Marangu. It is often considered more scenic because the views of Kibo are more impressive than from the south-east (the Marangu approach), but many consider the vegetation on day 2 of the Marangu route to be more attractive than anything seen on the western side. As always with mountains, every route has its advantages and drawbacks. The difficulty grading has Marangu as a 1, and Machame a 1+, so there's not a great deal in it.
Always remember to maintain a slow, steady pace from beginning to end. Going slowly allows the body to acclimatize while hiking. Those who start out too quickly will have troubles higher up the mountain as the body will be overexerted. This still holds true if you are spending an extra day on the mountain.
It will depend on the route you pick and your pace. It can take from 4-8 hours to reach the summit from the high camp.
Most groups will start for the summit on ascent day at 11 PM to 12:30AM, depending on the perceived fitness of the group, the weather and the route. The pre-dawn hours, while cold, are also the calmest and clearest. The best views from the summit are at dawn. Often clouds and high winds develop not long after sunrise making the summit much less attractive and the descent more difficult. Guides who have been to the summit scores of times report that it is very rare to find it cloudy at the summit at dawn in any season. The ascent day is a very long day of hiking. Some people may require 15 hours to reach the summit and descend to the campsite for that day.
Malaria is a serious problem in East Africa so you must consult your doctor about getting effective malaria prophylaxis for your visit. Many people are avoiding Lariam nowadays and using Malarone. You cannot catch malaria above 3000 metres on Kilimanjaro, but you must be careful below that altitude, particularly if you visit the coast where the strains of malaria tend to be especially virulent.
Talk to your doctor about getting
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Typhoid
Yellow fever
Tetanus
Polio
MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
Meningococcal Meningitis (Africa/Asia)
The minimum age set by the National park Authorities for summiting Mt. Kilimanjaro is 12 years old. However, younger children can attempt the summit with special permission. Younger children can also trek on the mountain without reaching the summit.
The number of staff that you will have depends on how much gear and weight is brought up the mountain, the route chosen and number of days on the mountain.
Kilimanjaro guides are trained in acute mountain sickness (AMS) and basic mountain first aid. However, they are not doctors or paramedics. Climbers are responsible for bringing their own first aid kit and medical supplies.
Kilimanjaro guides are trained and certified by the Kilimanjaro National Park. They start out as porters and work their way up to assistant guide. When they are ready (after about 2-4 years), they go through the national park certification process.
If a client cannot walk because they are injured or sick, at least two support staff will assist this climber down. There is no extra charge for coming down and taken back to the hotel, but you will get no money back for that mountain days you missed, and you will be responsible for medical assistance and extra hotel nights. We highly recommend travel insurance to cover any medical expenses and further evacuation.
Extra expenses include:
Tips for guides, cook and porters
Rental equipment (sleeping bags, hiking poles, etc).
Lunches, dinners and drinks at your hotel in Moshi.
Any personal expenses (visas, airport taxes, etc).
How much is a good tip?
The typical tip is:
Porters $ 7 per day per porter
Cooks $10 to $12 per cook
Assistant Guides $12 to $15 per guide
Kilimanjaro Guides $20 per day and upper guide
*Tip amounts listed for Kilimanjaro are per group, not per individual traveler. For instance, if four people are on Kilimanjaro, they should each contribute $5/day if they want to tip the lead guide $20.
What is the deposit amount to hold my space?
A 10% deposit is required at time of booking to hold your climb/safari.
Final (90%) payment to be made in cash on your arrival in Tanzania.
On the Marangu Route, the first two huts sleep four people each, and the last hut is dorm-style with bunk beds. While on the other routes, you sleep in 3-person 4-season dome-style mountain tents, two people each.
No, but we can schedule transfer from Nairobi by Riverside Shuttles for an additional charge.
The one pack that the porters carry for you is limited to 15 kg (35 pounds).
Extra luggage can be stored in a locked storage room at your Moshi hotel at no charge. Valuables should be left in a safe deposit box at your hotel in Moshi ($1/day)
Vegetarian and other special diets can be accommodated. Please let us know ahead of time and remind your guide during your trek briefing. Protein options may be minimal on a vegetarian diet, so you may want to bring protein supplements.
Your trekking party will be supplied with a cook to prepare your meals in a safe and hygienic manner.
The porters will purify water for you at each camp.
Donations are easier to take with you when you travel to Tanzania rather than mailing them after you get back from your trip. Porters welcome old hiking boots, warm clothing, and cash donations.
Most people start with the trek and end with the safari, so they get done with the hardest part of their trip and are able to relax on their safari. However, we can accommodate either order.
What is there to do in Moshi? Is it safe to walk around on my own?
It is safe to walk around the main area of town during the day with valuables well hidden, but it not advised to walk alone around at night for your own safety.
We can book your flights to Zanzibar from Kilimanjaro and your Zanzibar hotels. Contact us for further information and arrangement.
