Day 1: Thursday, 26th August
Depart Australia
Our flight leaves Sydney International Airport at 9.10 p.m.
Day 2: Friday, 27th August
Stop Over at Dubai and Nairobi - Arrive Kilimanjaro
After 14 hours and 35 minutes on the plane and having travelled 7487 miles, we arrive at Dubai Airport for a 5 hour stopover. From Dubai we then board the plane again for another 5 hour trip to Nairobi travelling another 2,200 miles. We arrive at Nairobi at 2.45 p.m. and have another 3 hour lay over until we finally depart on the final leg of our journey, another 1 hour flight to Kilimanjaro International Airport (no doubt very weary!!).
Day 3: Saturday, 28th August
Trip Briefing and Rest Day
Today we get a briefing from our Guides on what to expect on the mountain, we have a wander around Arusha and the markets and basically rest up for the day while trying to acclimatise!!
Day 4 - 10: Sunday, 29th August to Saturday, 4th September
Trek up and climb Mt. Kilimanjaro via Machame Trek Route
We drive through the famous Kilimanjaro coffee plantations and banana plantations to the Machame gate. After completing our formalities our crew treks into the cloud forest that cloaks the lower slopes of Kilimanjaro, and on to Machame Hut camp. On this first section the track is well maintained and wide, and you will recognise many domestic garden plants in the undergrowth beneath the cloud forest. We hike up on a rougher trail onto the volcanic heather-covered Shira Plateau and camp near the Shira Hut. Our cooks and porters will again be on the job, leaving us to photography, chatting to our Tanzanian guide, porters and fellow climbers, and the challenge of hiking in the thinning air.
From Shira we traverse under Kilimanjaro’s summit to Barranco where there are wonderful views of the summit glaciers high above, and pre-historic giant senecios and lobelia in the valleys near the camp. We traverse through gorgeous scenery around to the Karanga Valley camp. From this lovely grassy valley we then make a slow but steep and long push up to our rather barren high camp: Barafu at 4600m.
Summit day usually starts very early, and we head up in the chilly early hours of the morning – aiming to reach the summit for a magical sunrise. As with big hills everywhere, we aim to climb slowly and steadily, as we zigzag our way up on broken rock and around scree patches on this tiring and mentally challenging day. Our guide will set the pace in an effort to keep the team members from going too fast, and thus minimise the chance of you tiring too quickly or developing altitude related problems. Our steady acclimatisation on Kilimanjaro will give us a good chance to reward the significant efforts of our climb. The thrill of outflanking the glaciers that cap the mountain, gaining the crater rim at Stella Point and hiking around to the true summit at Uhuru Peak at 5985 metres elevation are worth the effort.
After a suitable period of soaking in the splendour of the roof of Africa, we head down to Barafu, breakfast and a rest before heading down to Mweka Hut in the forest. From here we have another hike on well-formed tracks through garden-like forest to the Mweka gate.
Our vehicle is here to take us to the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge for a well earned shower - some well earned luxury after your hard work on the climb!
Day 11 (AM): Sunday, 5th September
Visit to Shanga
Today we are heading off to volunteer our services for 2 nights at St Judes School (the school for the poorest kids in Africa). As it is a Sunday and the kids aren’t back at the school until around 3.00 p.m. we have the day to ourselves until then.
Today we are going to be visiting Shanga, just outside Arusha (on the Dodoma Road). Shanga is a small local workshop that employs staff who have physical or intellectual impairments. Shanga provides them with an opportunity to have employment, making craft items and jewellery. Shanga is located at River House on Burka Coffee Estate and is the perfect place to sit, relax and enjoy lunch in beautiful surrounds. You will be able to take a tour of the workshop where they recycle glass bottles and turn them into beads, aluminium and/or enjoy a tour of the coffee plantation. River House (on site) offers a very tasty “all you can eat” Western style buffet for Tsh20,000 (around US-$20). The restaurant is located in a beautiful garden. Around 3.00 p.m. you will be transferred to St. Judes School to start your time there.
Day 11 (PM): Sunday, 5th September
Off to St. Judes School
Arrive at School of St. Jude (around 4.00 p.m.).
Day 12: Monday, 6th September
Day Two at St. Judes School
Spend the day helping around the school with whatever needs doing.
Day 13: Tuesday, 7th September
Three Day Safari Starts
08:00am Depart on Safari
On the first day you will leave St Jude's in the morning and travel straight to Tarangire National Park (drive takes approximately 1 3/4 hours) for a full day game view.
Tarangire is a classic dry season destination. From August until October it has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife any of the country’s parks.
Dinner and overnight at lodge.
Day 14: Wednesday, 8th September
Second Day of Safari
On the second day you make your way to the Ngorongoro Crater National Park.
You descend 2000 feet (over 600 meters) to the floor of the crater itself and spend the morning looking for wildlife in the crater. Explore the forest areas that are inhabited by monkeys and elephants, the lake area, where you may see the flamingos and the open savannah where the lions hunt for food. You will leave the crater in the afternoon.
Dinner and overnight at lodge.
Lodge accommodation is usually at Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge or Bougainvillea Safari Lodge at Karatu.
Day 15: Thursday, 9th September
Third Day of Safari
On the final day you will drive to Lake Manyara to do a game drive around the park. The inhabitants of this park include hippos, monkeys, tree climbing lions, flamingos and other varieties of birdlife.
You will return to St Jude’s School in the late afternoon.
Day 16: Friday, 10th September
Final Day at St. Judes School and Departure
Day 17: Saturday, 17th September
Arrive at Dubai
Arrive from Nairobi to Dubai Airport at 5.15 a.m. We are here for about 3 ½ hours and then board a plane for Sydney at 8.50 a.m.
Day 18: Sunday, 18th September
Home Sweet Home
We arrive home at Sydney International Airport at 7.45 a.m. Our transport will be waiting for us and will return us all back to East Maitland where no doubt there will be a huge ticketake parade !!
