| Adventure
and Explore |
Eastern Africa's dramatic
landscapes make it an eldorado
for mountaineering while each country
has remote corners which have hardly seen any
travellers and offer stimulating and rewarding
challenges for the adventurous-minded explorer
. For example, a trip to the Chalbi Desert,
Marsabit and Lake Turkana in the far north of
Kenya is a true expedition that
should only be attempted with a minimum of two
vehicles and sufficient supplies for any eventualities.
When in the 19 th century European explorers first
reported the sighting of a snow-capped mountain
in Eastern Africa, their reports were dismissed
as impossible hallucinations by the Royal Geographic
Society in London which refused to believe that
snow could exist on the Equator, but expeditions
sent in 1861 confirmed its existence. Mt
Kilimanjaro was first successfully climbed
in 1887 by the German Hans Meyer and following in
his footsteps is one of countless possibilities
to explore the magnificent beauty of this wild continent.
Even today it is a curious sensation to
stand next to a huge ice face and walk in deep snow
right on the equator . |
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While the sunrise from majestic
Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania is the big prize for
trekkers from all around the world, the slightly
lower twin peaks of Mt Kenya
in Kenya are more dramatic and far more challenging
to climb and access to them is restricted to serious
mountaineers. The misty peaks of the Rwenzori
Mountains in Western Uganda, the Crater
Highlands and Usambara Mountains
in Tanzania and Mt Elgon
and the Aberdares in Kenya are
other tempting challenges for trekkers and climbers
alike. |
| Mount
Kilimanjaro is the crown of Tanzania.
With an altitude of 5895m, it is the highest
peak in Africa, the highest freestanding mountain
in the world , and one of the largest volcanoes.
The encircling rain forests ensure the fertility
of the lush, lower lying countryside, where the
Chagga cultivate coffee, maize and bananas. Mount
Kilimanjaro can be climbed most of the year, although
it is inadvisable during the rainy season, which
is April and May, and during the short rains in
November. The summit of Kilimanjaro is a challenge
mainly due to its altitude which poses the risk
of altitude sickness, but it can be reached by any
reasonably fit person who enjoys hiking, and reaching
the summit will be an experience of a lifetime !
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Mount Kenya
is located on the equator and is Kenya's highest
mountain. With magnificent cliffs and
glaciers protecting the highest peaks
of Nelion (5188m) and Batian (5199m) it makes
for a spectacular technical climb. The third highest
summit - Point Lenana, (4985m) - is also glaciated
but accessible to walkers. Tarns and alpine meadows;
exotic, equatorial, high-altitude vegetation;
sunbirds, hyrax and soaring eagles make the walk
around the peaks one of the most beautiful expeditions
in the East African mountains and coupled
with a more traditional safari will make for a
most unique and unusual trip. |
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The Rwenzori Mountains
are located on the Uganda-Congo border
just north of the Equator and are often referred
to as the Mountains of the Moon due to
their legendary beauty . The mountain
range has six peaks, the highest of which is Margherita
on Mount Stanley, rising to 5,109 metres, making
it the third highest in Africa after Mount Kilimanjaro
and Mount Kenya. The mountains are covered in
interesting flora and fauna, and there are many
wild flowers and stunning birds as well as giant
Lobelia and groundsel which reach up to 10 metres.
Hiking and climbing through the central
Rwenzoris takes approximately six days
and technical knowledge and appropriate mountaineering
equipment is advisable for reaching Margherita
peak, which is often covered in snow. If you are
just looking to enjoy the walking rather than
proper climbing a reasonable level of fitness
is required. A day's trekking on the foothills
of the Rwenzoris can easily be arranged as part
of an Eastern African itinerary. The best time
to climb the mountain is from June through to
August and from December to February. |
| If you are interested in our Adventure
& Explore theme, please click on the
Develop Tailor Made Travel button and fill
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& Explore theme in the message box. |
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Adventure &
Explore: 15 days in Kenya – Loita Hills, Mt
Longonot, Aberdares and Mt Kenya
This itinerary brings you close to the most
dramatic mountains of Kenya – you start with
a three day trek through the remote Loita
Hills with distant views of the Mara plains,
followed by a day hike up magnificent Mt Longonot
in the Rift Valley and three days in the stunning
Aberdares with their beautiful waterfalls
as a prelude to attempting to trek or climb
Mt Kenya.
Click here
to see an itinerary. |
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Adventure & Explore: 17 days in
Kenya and Uganda – Lake Nakuru, Mt Elgon,
Lake Victoria and Rwenzori Mountains
This itinerary brings you to the stunning
Flamingo-covered Lake Nakuru. Next, on to
remote Mt Elgon on the Kenyan-Ugandan border,
a true off-the-beaten path destination with
rewarding trekking options. To wash-off the
dust, you will then spend a couple of days
in Jinja on Lake Victoria, the source of the
Nile, which offers exhilarating white water
rafting before heading for a multi-day hike
or climb in the Rwenzoris.
Click here
to see this itinerary. |
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Adventure & Explore: 18 days in
Tanzania – Usambara Mountains, Mt Kilimanjaro,
Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater and Crater
Highlands
Experience the spectacular mountains of Northern
Tanzania – after a gentle start in the Usambara
Mountains you will embark on a six-day trek
up Mt Kilimanjaro. To recharge your batteries
afterwards, you spend a couple of days in
the enchanting Lake Manyara National Park
and in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area before
starting on an exhilarating four-day hike
through the Crater Highlands.
Click here
to see this itinerary. |
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Adventure & Explore: 17 days in
Northern Kenya – Laikipia and Mt Lossos,
Samburu, Mt Lololokwe, Marsabit, Chalbi Desert,
Lake Turkana, Lake Baringo and Bogoria
This exciting itinerary is a true expedition
to the remote north of Kenya. It combines
hikes and climbs in beautiful mountain ranges,
exploration of some of the wildest parts of
the continent and encounters with pastoralist
tribespeople who hardly ever have seen a tourist
as well as game drives in Samburu National
Park and boat safaris on the Rift Valley soda
lakes.
Click here
to see this itinerary. |
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