Hi team!
I am writing this e-mail to thank all of you who made our GGM-Kilimanjaro Climbing possible for this year 2008. I admit that it was a physically and mentally stressing exercise, but with our great determinations and cause for HIV/AIDS epidemic in Tanzania/Africa/Global, our feet and our hearts were alltogether strengthened and hardened to make the Uhuru peak a possibility!! Most of us made it to Uhuru peak!
I have never faced such a mentally and physically challenging exercise as Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, NEVER EVER BEFORE! I therefore pour out my sincere gratitudes to all the Companies, Friends, Climbers, Kili team Captains (Pj & Sean) & any one who in one way or another made our "trekking" to Uhuru peak possible.
I extend my gratitudes to Porters and Guides who were performing "Miracles" up there on the Mountain, to make our "trekking" a comfort, without their "alien" capabilities our trekking would be a day dream! "Pole pole....slowly slowly" we trekked to Uhuru Peak (5895 m) above sea level!
Again I say thank you and I appreciate!
Cheers,
Sadick Muhanga,
Tulawaka Gold Mine
(comment received June 28th, 208)
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Hello, my name is Josh Forrester and I was there at the Springlands hotel to climb Kilimanjaro at the beginning of April 2008.
I wanted to thank you for a great experience on Kilimanjaro. My stay at the Springlands Hotel was wonderful and a great way to start off my African adventure. The entire staff was very friendly and accomodating. Nice clean rooms and really good food.
Sabi was an outstandind guide. He was super friendly and very knowledgable about the mountain. David cooked more food than I could eat, and I was pleasantly suprised at the good quality of food as well. My porters were Mr George, Chafi, Gidieon, George and Gabriel. They all did an amazing job for which I am very thankful. I chose the Machame route for 7 days.
I have some friends who are interested in doing the climb in the future as well. Sabi was such a great guide and had a top quality crew that I will make sure that my friends contact you and request Sabi for their guide.
Thanks again for a great adventure!
Josh Forrester
(comment received, June 10th).
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To Robert L. Minja (ZARA Safari guide)
Dear Robert,
Thank you for a wonderful safari together with you in February. We are now home in Denmark, and now the weather is like in Tanzania when we were there. We came home with 2.500 pictures, so I have been busy.
You can see some of the pictures by following this link: http://www.bredeole.dk
As soon as we will have enough money, we will visit you again! We often think back at the time with you.
Hakuna Matata
Birthe and Ole Hetland, Denmark
(comment received May 13th, 2008) |
We had a very, very good trip for almost 2 weeks (beginning of January) through the National Parks in the North. We had a lot of time in the Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Ngorogoro and the Tarangire. And it was so amazing to stay there.
Thanks our two guys: Ramazan the cook and Hassan the guide and driver. We always had delicious food and a lot of fun during game-drive.
We will recommand Zara-Tours in any case! Next time we want to see the Selous-Park and will surely book at Zara.
Many greetings from Germany.
Sigrid Müller and Karl Holzer
(comment received May 8th, 2008) |
I recently did the Kilimanjaro trek with ZaraTours. I have to say, that this trip was one of the hilights of my life. I admit, I wasn't sure what to expect - but I was challenged and inspired beyond anything I could have imagined. We had a great traveling group, and it was organized extremely well, start to finish. I can't say enough amazing things about the guides and the crew. They were absolutely great. I can honestly say, if it weren't for their help and encouragement, I'm not sure my trip to the summit would have been what it was! I was unbelievably determined, but it was very challenging indeed. They were patient and knowledgeable - and they didn't let us give up. One thing stuck out in my mind from a conversation I had with our guide Frankie. These guys have climbed over a 100 times - I said "Don't you ever get tired of doing this? Going up and down, taking care of all these people?!" and he said something to the effect of "This is YOUR dream to climb Kiliminjaro - you are here once. I am just doing my job, and my job is to make sure you make it to the top" For guys 'just doing their jobs' -- I think that they all went above and beyond - they treated us like we were the most important group they'd had. I know that everyone that was there would agree with me in saying that they were just great. If you travel with ZaraTours, all you have to do is get fit, show up with the right gear, have a positive attitude and a darn good dose of determination..... and they will take care of the rest!
Kitty McKechnie
Toronto, ON
(comment received April 21st, 2008)
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We've had an outstanding trip to kilimanjaro and a great time in Tanzania!
Unfortunately we are back at work. But deep in our minds we are still on the top of africa at Uhuru Peak. Yes, we all did it to the top. And even without any problems. Not even headache or nausea. In my opinion this ist the credit of our guide who always goes "pole pole" :-) and the additional acclimatisation day has been a wise decision.
In the name of my wife Tanja, Carmen and Stefan I would like to thank you very much for organizing this trip so well, Debbie. Everything has been perfect. I would also like to thank you for giving us such high priority by choosing Joseph "Photo" as Guide. He told us about your communication to him in advance. :-) He did an outstanding job and managed the camp in a very professional manner.
But also Joel and Andrew, our two assistant guides, have done a great job. A special thanks goes to Hamit our cook and Karim our waiter. We have eaten like kings on the mountain. Every meal was a festival and Karim take care of everything, water in the morning, tea, crackers and biscuits and he built every day our tents. We didn't expected such a fantastic service and we appreciated it very very much.
And last but not least the porters. They have done an extremly hard and good job. The Umbwe-Route is very spectacular, but for the porters this route is really a big challenge. We were so sorry for them, that the have to carry all the weight on this steep route. They worked very hard for us and for that immense performance, they have our highest respect. Everyone have been so kind and considerated. We found some good friends on this seven days.
We will recommend your company and especially you, Debbie, and your Staff to all our friends and colleagues and will come back as soon as possible for the next trip. :-)
Many thanks and take care
René, Tanja, Carmen, Stefan
(comment received April 18th, 2008)
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Hi Zara!
At http://www.ihr-einkauf.at/index.php?page=artikel&id=228 you can find a detailled travel report about the Kili-Climb we did beginning of February with guide Kabila. The text is in German.
Regards from Vienna
Sana Brauner (Chief editor)
(comment received March 26th, 2008)
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Good Morning,
Just a short note of 'thanks' to the entire Zara team for helping to make my Kili trip one of the best experiences of my life!! I would especially like to thank John and Robert for truly taking the time to ensure that everyone within our group had a similar experience. We heard many horror stories from other travelers about their guides and porters, and how their lack of professionalism impacted their entire trip....John and Robert truly made the difference on our trip!! Please pass along my sincere appreciation to both of them.........
Sincerely,
Mike Wilson
(comment received March 26th, 2008)
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Jambo!
Today I saw a documentary on TV about a group who climbed the Kilimanjaro. It was nice to see! I realized again that I am still fascinated by the Kilimanjaro Climb! Myself I am very lucky that I had the possibility nearly half a year ago to experience an unforgettable Kili Climb with a beautiful sunrise at Uhuru Peak! With the great support of Yohana and his team I really enjoyed every day on the mountain and I had not expected to feel so good/healthy on my way up to the summit and down again! :-)
So I want to say again THANK YOU to all you friendly people at ZARA/Springlands Hotel for this unique experience! I don't hesitate to recommend you!
All the best!
Kwaheri
Kerstin, Germany
(comment received March 25th, 2008)
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Dear Sir or Madam,
we have had a wonderful safari with your company. Our driver Mister Abdulla was an excellent driver and guide on the safari. We have got on very well with him and can recommend him warmly. We say thanks for the wonderful days, Abdulla!
All together we have liked the trip very well and we would like to thank you.
The best greetings from Germany
Uwe und Katherina Luther
(comment received March 20th, 2008)
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To the owner of Zara:
I wanted to let you know how extremely pleased we all were with our two guides on our trip up Kilimanjaro. We took the Rhongai Route and summited on February first. Our Guides were Saidi Ngaina and Mohamed Ngaina.
They were extremely well organized and looked after our every need. I am sure looking after such a large crew is very demanding.
I was extremely impressed on how they both kept an eye on our physical capabilities given that we were an older group. I told Mohammed many times I would not have made it to the top were it not for his help. Their friendly coaxing manner was particularly appreciated even when we faltered.
I would highly recommend them to any other group looking to climb Kilimanjaro and want to thank all of you for a great trip.
Regards
Ross Kobayashi, Canada
(comment received March 11th, 2008)
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Thank you all at Zara Tours, for a wonderful arranged climb to Kilimanjaro and safaris in Ngorogoro Crater National Park and Lake Manyara National Park in late January 2008.
We have taken some very nice pictures and would like to send some of them to our guides. Can I ask your help with the phone number and e-mail address of our Kilimanjaro guide Johnny and our safari guide Zamo?
Michael Mølgaard, Denmark
(comment received March 10th, 2008)
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We came back form our trip around Tanzania one week ago and would like to thank EWP and ZARA for organising it. Everything succeded and was according to the schedule. The country is beautiful and worth of visiting.
We are very satisified with ZARA service. All the crew in Springland was very kind and took special care upon us. Especially we would like to praise our guide from Kilimanjaro trekking Daniel D. Mlingi. Daniel and his team did their best to enable us to reach the peak and make our trip higly comfortable. We have to emphasize that the food we were served was amazing as for such height. Daniel is very kind, friendly and social man. He gave us lots of information about customs, culture and nature of Tanzania. We were very lucky to have him as our guide.
We have only one request. We were surprised that the local banks did not accept small heads US dollars issued before 2001. It would be higly recommened if such an information is passed to your future customers.
With best regards,
Magdalena and Mateusz Rospond, Poland
(comment received Feb. 22th, 2008)
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Just a quick note as I have now arrived back from Kilimanjaro with my son, we both got up to Uhuru Peak.
I wanted to say how very satisfied I was with all aspects of the trip, everything was carried out most efficiently, we had an excellent team with our guide Photo and his crew, they all worked very hard on our behalf. I would have no hesitation in recommending booking through EWP/Zara for this trip, we were very happy with everything and getting to the summit was a great plus!
If you have any potential Irish customers looking for a reference I would be delighted to talk to them.
Best regards,
David
David Ensor, Ireland
(comment received Feb. 10th, 2008)
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Good morning Zainab & Zara Tours,
We arrive last week to Barcelona (Spain) from Zanzibar and all our holidays has been wonderful. Both safari & diving in Pemba&Zanzibar.
We only want to congratulate your organization and all your personal team in our first part of trip (Safari Arusha-Moshi)
Also, nice to meet David (our guide-driver) for his responsability and great company in our 5 days. We have been very hapiness with him and spent so funny moments especially when we meet a very near Leopard (regards to him) !!!
Thank you for all and see you soon!
Pedro & Marta from Barcelona
(comment received Jan. 22nd, 2008)
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Our small group stayed at the Highview Hotel earlier in the week and had a wonderful time. After 2 days camping in the Serengeti and all the dust we all enjoyed being greeted with warm, moist towels to clean up with prior to check in. We loved the hike to the elephant caves with Joseph and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to have a more intimate experience of the countryside and the local people.
We also wanted to thank the hotel staff for letting my wife and I practice some of our ballroom dancing routine in the lounge area - we enjoyed the audience and the applause. You have a wonderful property and we will do all we can to promote it to our friends who might be headed to Tanzania.
Thank you again for the outstanding hospitality.
Kind regards,
Kip
Kip Koelsch
Wellness Adventure Coordinator
(comment received Dec. 4th, 2007)
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Of course, I can tell you how a life time memory we were able to get because of all Zara tours staff did for us!
Everyone we met made our experience a lot better than it could ever be!
Thank you very much and you can be assured that we (I and my sister) will have no hesitation in recommending Zara for a true Tanzania experience.
Ebba
(comment received Nov. 20th, 2007)
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I will never forget the hospitality I enjoyed with your company on my maiden trip to Tanzania last week.
I note the following:
* Yassin is an excellent staff and deserves all the support and promotion available from the management.
* Prosper is a very skillful giude and deserves support from the team in training him to supervisor-guide status so that he can start training other guides for Zara, also pay his tuition to improve his English that he so keen to learn. I respect him a lot and he is a fine gentleman!
* Kabari took me to Ngorongoro and I was amazed about his knowlege, skills and hospitality.
* Porters Frank and Makubuli where awesome
* Waiter Sylvian was fabulous
* Cook Alidi made sure I had good meals
I need u to know that because of you support, i managed to break a record as the first Nigerian-south african to summit kili!!!! Thanks again... I am definitely coming back!!!!
Chris Musah
(comment received Oct. 29th, 2007)
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Zara Tours,
We had a great trip with Zara Tours and are very pleased with our guides and the team for both the Kilimanjaro and safari excursion. Our guides where Wilson (Kilimanjaro) and Mombasa (safari), both very knowledgable and positive!
Best regards,
Jarle and Gry
(comment received Oct., 17, 2007)
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I had the pleasure of climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro last September. Thanks to Zara tours, I had a wonderful time. I can't remember the name of my guide, but he did a GREAT job! If you can find out who he was, I would like to know and tell him again how wonderful my experience was. I recommend Zara to anyone interested in the trips you offer. I took the Rongai route and made it to Uhuru Peak. My climbing partner was Errill Avecilla. Thanks again!
Anthony
(comment received Oct., 14, 2007)
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Dear zara team, we have to say THANK YOU so much for the perfect safari. it was the best we ever did till now , we had so much fun and enjoyed it very much. special thanks to EMMANUEL our driver, please say also to him many thanks and all the best and we hope to hear from him, because we have a little present for the beautiful time we had with him.
Thank you once more,
Bernhard + Claudia Roither, AUSTRIA
(comment received Oct., 10, 2007)
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Just want to let you know we are back home from our Holiday in Tanzania. We had a great time and everything worked out perfectly...not one glitch!! Met the owner of Zara at Springlands and had a nice talk with her. Everyone at EWP and Zara made our adventure come true and we have a lifetime of memories...thanks to you and your good planning,
The personnel at Springlands and the teck guides and safari guide were outstanding and we felt every minute welcome and safe.
With best wishes,
Ingrid Knight,
Adele Grasee
Carolyn Horn
(comment received Oct., 10, 2007)
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Zara was wonderful and very professional. I would highly recommend this agency as well as the great guides. Thanks for a great trip!!!! Thanks also to Dickson, my trusty guide. I could have not made it without you.
David Davenport, Douglasville, Georgia
(comment received Oct., 5, 2007)
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The climb was amazing, the experience was awesome, Photo is by far the best guide on the entire mountain!!! Khamisi his Assistant guide was sensational also and we would have never made it if it were’nt for them. His whole crew that he chose on this trip was amazing from the cook, to the weighters to the porters - all brilliant and no problems whatsoever… Again, I cannot emphasise enough how great the service was from start to finish. We’re very happy and I will gladly recommend Zara in future for anyone wanting to do Kili :
Hani Al-Omari, Salim Al-Halabi, Mouhammed Choukeir, Kheiry Sammakieh, and Seif Sammakieh.
(comment received Oct., 3, 2007)
Comment: The 5 gentlemen are Lebanese bankers on a charitiy climb for the London based “Lebanon United” group, an organisation that raises money and promotes awareness on humanitarian and sustainable development initiatives in Lebanon. You can read the full story of their climb here. |
My friends and I just did the Marangu route with Zara. Emmanuel and his team were truly amazing. Daniel, the assistant guide made sure we all summited. Sabas, the waiter was a true example of someone who is excellent at his job. Emmanuel and his team made our trip so much more memorable than it would have been if they were not there. Their spirit, moral fortitude, strength of character and constant positive attitudes and encouragement was truly uplifting. I
commend them all highly.
Jelly , Mark and Dessie from Ireland.
(comment received Sept., 23, 2007)
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Jambo to all @ Zara,
We've just got back to the UK after spending time with Zara on 'Kili' and on safari. Our thanks to everyone at Zara (and that is everyone - Jamal and the rest of the team @ Springlands, the people @ Highview and the guides and porters, the lady in the office {whose name I can't remember} @ Springlands who sorted out our flights to Zanzibar for us) for making it such a wonderful holiday and a truly memorable experience. The attention to detail that is given, ensures little is left to chance.
I did the 7 day Machame route and whilst Chombo was in the main, busy with a larger party, Mzui looked after me fantastically well. And to stand at the top was just such a thrill for which much credit must go to Chombo and the rest of his team.
At the very start, my bag failed to make the flight and didn't catch up with me until 6 days later when someone very kindly brought it all the way up from Springlands to our camp. What an effort – but representative of the way I felt that Zara treated its clients.
And if that was good, then Massawe on the Safari excelled. He was knowledgeable on where to look for the animals and considerate as to our needs and he was a joy to be with and provided us with a fantastic five days. A superb time with many happy memories.
Asante sana ( I hope I've spealt that correctly) to everyone @ Zara
Martyn & Jan
WALES!
Martyn Thomas
Wales
(comment received Sept. 22, 2007)
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Zara is a really excellent choice for a Kilimanjaro climb or Safari. Everything was very well organized, from pickup at the airport to the stay at the hotel to the climb and safari. The Springlands Hotel is definitely an excellent place to stay before the climb and between the climb and the safari. Milton my guide was the secret of my success in summitting. Although I did the physical part, his trail instruction and strategy allowed an older (62) but fit person such as myself to succeed. We started early the final night and he fit his pace to my needs. We summited at the same time as the others. There were no older hikers at Uhuru point that morning. I am from Ohio USA, so I had little experience at high altitude. Milton knew exactly what to tell me to do during the first few days to make up for my lack of trail experience. He was very very good.
E. Quinn
Ohio USA
(Machame Route - Safari Package #1 - August 19, 2007)
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The Kili climb portion of my trip far exceeded my expectations, with excellent service provided by my guide, Eliawoni Mtui, assistant guide, Stephen Ruwaichi Mtui, cook, Fretien, and the rest of our group. I would highly recommend Elia, Stephen, Fretien and the rest of the group put together by Elia to anyone considering a climb with Zara tours. Simply put, Elia and Stephen were superb guides and Fretien was an excellent cook. Because of their efforts, my climb was a wonderful experience. Please pass along my sincere thank you to Elia, Stephen, Fretien and the rest of the group.
I would also like to note that the staff at the Springlands hotel provided excellent service, in particular the reception staff and Neema from the dining staff. The hotel accommodations and service also exceeded my expectations.
Thank you.
Regards,
Kirsten, from Vancouver Canada
(Rongai Route - Feb. 18 to 24, 2007) and Safari (Feb. 25 to Mar 1, 2007).
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I am very appreciative of everyone at Zara Tours and especially yourself for all the arrangements that made my trip to Kilimanjaro and Serengati Safari a memorable one. You guys had to do a lot in order to made my trip to Tanzania and Kenya a memorable one. If I come across anyone who wishes to explore those countries, I will highly recommend you and Zara Tours to them.
My very best regards to all of you at Zara Tours!
Jan.16/2007
My best Regards!
Mostafa A.
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My girlfriend and I recently climbed the Machame Route. We felt that it was important to give some of our feedback to you on the trip, our guide, porters, and experience as a whole.
Client name: David Hill and Lynette Bell
Guides name: Milton Mtui
Agent: Destination Africa
Dates: 1 June 2006 to 6 June 2006
General comments: I would like to highly commend Milton (guide), Lamec (assistant guide) and the rest of the porters for a job well done. Everything that was done by their team was nothing short of exceptional and my girlfriend and high only have praise for them. In particular:
- The food was tasty, diverse, always hot, always on time, and always served with the biggest smile. My girlfriend, being vegetarian, was particularly impressed with the special catering that was done for her. The food and service was far superior to that provided by Springlands.
- Technical knowledge of the mountain: Milton and Lamec planned everything to perfection. The pace of the walk, rest breaks, ascent and descent time were all perfect. Milton’s methodical approach to the route seemed far superior to that of other guides we saw. This showed, especially on the final ascent. At no time did we feel that our safety and security were being jeopardised. In addition, the interesting facts and figures provided about the mountain, fauna, and flora were appreciated.
- Porters: All the porters carried packs quickly and without any fuss. There was always a friendly smile waiting when we got to camp.
- Sleeping and eating facilities were excellent and always ready prior to our arrival at camp.
We can truly say that Milton and his team made the experience even more special than what it is. We have recommended the use of Zara again, and if at all possible, specifically recommend the use of Milton and his team (depending on their availability) to our friends when they climb in 2007 and 2008. We would appreciate it if you could pass our comments and praise on to Milton and the respective porters. They truly are an asset to your company.
Kind regards
David Hill
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I just wanted to send a note of thanks to Bruce and the team for leading the trip up Kilimanjaro last week. It was a truly fantastic experience - particularly want to thank Bruce, Jeremiah, and Farajah - we felt very safe and very much supported by them and team. A great week.
Bridget A Bentley
Summitted February 20, 2006
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I would like to thank you and Zara for the very good organisation of the Kilimanjaro climb and the safari. Everything was perfect and we had a very good time! The guides, the porters, the people at Springlands hotel - everybody was really nice to us!! You can count on us to make a lot of good publicity for Zara among our friends who intend to go to Tanzania. Once again thank you very much for everything.
Nicole and Pascal S.
Switzerland
Marangu Route
Summitted October 9, 2004
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We’re just back from the [Machame] trek and all 7 of us made it to the top which was great. Our guides Masoud, Ali & Adam were exceptional, along with all the porter staff. We were all really glad we choose to do the route over 7 days. I think this was one of the main reasons why we all made it to the summit. It relly helps with the acclimatization. Also if the trek is done over 6 days it makes for a very long 5th day, which we were able to divide over two days. We finished up the 3-day [Mt. Meru] trek here which was also fantastic. We got to experience 3 different national parks all with their own character which was great. The wildlife was abundant and the guide James was excellent. Very informative and helpful. I’d highly recommend your service. Thanks again.
Fergal C.
Seattle, Washington
Machame Route
Summitted October 11, 2004
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I just wanted to let you know that we had an absolutely brilliant trip. Zara and the staff at Springlands were fantastic. It was really well-organised and professional and our guides and porters on the Kili trek were amazing (and all three of us made it to Uhuru!). I’ve already recommended Zara to a friend, Katherine, who has also now booked her safari and trek. Thank you very much for all your help. I would definitely recommend the Rongai Route to others, particularly with the extra day because it allows you to see the mountain from so many angles, including Mawenzi. I don’t think you get to see Mawenzi so close on any other routes, which I think is a shame. It’s also nice to walk along a barely used track, rather than the proper paths that you get on the marangu route (although I was surprised at how pretty the Marangu Route was when we came down it). Four days was about right for the safari. I suppose there was quite a lot of driving, particularly on the last day, but it was definitely worth it. I would highly recommend going to Ngorongoro Crater in particular. We were very impressed with the standard of the accommodation and the food at all three [standard] lodges - and the views were amazing.
Laura C.
London, England
Rongai Route
Summitted September 6, 2004
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Thought I would give you a brief report. The arrangements you made were all perfect and worked spendidly. Our group of 6 all made it to Uhuru. Zara operates very efficiently. I would be glad to serve as a reference for you in the future.
All the best,
Jay C.
Washington D.C.
Machame Route
Summitted August 10, 2004
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JAMBO! ASANTE SANA! Thank you for the good organisation of your travel agency and for your nice ,welcoming, smiling and competent people in Springlands Hotel and during the climb on the Rongai trail. My trip on the Roof of Africa was a success. That was a dream for me, and you helped me to realize it. That will be an unforgettable day and a wonderful first travel for me.
Fabienne
Club Alpin Francais
Rongai Route
Summitted July 29, 2004
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Back from Tanzania! The trip was great, I really had a good time enjoying it all. I surely recommend the Machmae route, for those who are looking for something more challenging, and of course the reward is also there in the end: you feel like you really deserve the beatifull sun rise. The guides, the friendly personnel, Kibo (that was tough, but I did it, the Machame route), Zanzibar (great diving!!), I will keep the best memories of it, and of course, will recomend!!
Miguel G.
Portugal
Machame Route
Summitted July 19, 2004
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I just wanted to express my appreciation for the trip of a lifetime. My husband, brother, and myself summitted Uhuru Peak on July 17th, 2004, at about 8:15 a.m. Our guides Frankie and Rumesha (Rumy) were the absolute best. They are wonderful young men - funny, strong and patient. I would urge anybody to ask for them by name. Richard was an excellent cook, Costa helped us a lot with everything, and the porters were fantastic. I appreciate the recommendation for the Rongai route - it was very interesting and the pace was just fine. I would absolutely recommend the Rongai route to others. Here’s why: the van ride there was fascinating - long and bumpy but an opportunity to see a part of Africa near the Kenyan border (the banana markets!) than we wouldn’t see any other way. The actual hike - the days leading up to Kibo Hut, was pretty easy. All three of us felt the extra day was critical to our success; we had the chance to acclimate comfortably. I had trouble with altitude on day 3 but had time to recover and still summitted Uhuru Peak. The ascent from Kibo Hut is probably hard no matter what route you took to get there, so it’s better if you aren’t as fatigued because you need every ounce of energy for the final push. I’m also quite certain Rongai was less crowded, which was a real plus, and we still got to walk down the main route and see all the plants and climate changes on the Marangu side. Once I saw the huts, by the way, I was very happy with my tent camping. After a day of rest we did a four day safari. Our driver/guide was Hamzaa, and he was great. knows all of the animals everywhere - I was amazed at the depth of his knowledge. He also has incredible eyesight and an uncanny sense of what’s going on with the animals. He knows the Serengeti thoroughly and we were able to see everything we wanted to see. The safari in 4 days was fine for me - my husband would have been happy with three days but I loved all four. Hamzaa was such a great guide, I never got bored with it. I liked the permanent tented camps, but I also thought the Ngorongoro Wildlife Lodge was one of the neatest places I’ve ever stayed. The view was breathtaking and the lodge itself very nice. I think I was so tired after the mountain camping that I liked the lodge setting as contrast. We felt well cared-for at the Springlands Hotel. Zainab, Remmy, Patience, Immanuel, and especially Laurence made all our time there wonderful. I really was incredibly impressed with Zara Travel and consider my stay in Africa the trip of a lifetime. I would wholeheartedly recommend Zara to anybody who wants to see Tanzania.
Katherine F.
California
Rongai Route
Summitted July 17, 2004
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Had a wonderful time!!! Just wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful experience with all the accomodations, trip, and people at the Springlands Hotel!! All whom we met were gracious, patient and very welcoming!! Patience and Remmy and Lawrence were exceptional! We were delighted with the care we received on both trips! Kareem took exceptional care of us on the trek and we didn’t expect the bowl of warm water for cleaning up after our trek and every am. Just the little touches were lovely. We never expected that we would be soooo dirty during the trek and safari....that is something to let people know....our little washups we took just took off the first layer of dirt....we got used to it...We also took alot of baggies to take out all the tissues etc. that we used...I don’t remember that that was mentioned at our orientation for the trek...but would encourage Zara to ask everyone to trek out their toilet paper etc. Of course, Kareem and the guys carried all our recycleables out for us. I made it almost up to Stella Point then decided I didn’t have the energy to go all the way...could have probably if I had eaten more and warmed up a dash..next time! Geri and Photo made it all the way and I am delighted for them!! Geri took Diamox all the way and I just took 120 mg. of Ginko daily and had no problems with the altitude other than a slight headache twice...could have been from sleeping crooked too? Geri had some side effects of tingleing fingers and little naseau feeling. For those who haven’t had any problems with altitude in the past I would rec. the Ginko. The research I read didn’t know why it worked but it must have helped me... The safari was also a trip of a lifetime! It was actually very nice to just have the two of us as we had lots of space on the rover...touring the parks and viewing animal unencombered by many others. The lodges were great...especially the Seronera on the Serengeti!! and we did like the Lake Manyara lodge too. The Ngorongoro Lodge was cool and didn’t have the ambiance of the Seronera but it was fine. Our guide Mzava was knowledgeable about the animals, where to look etc. and he was an excellent driver! The drive up out of the crater was scary and we didn’t have any warning...might me helpful to let people know what they are in for... Thanks for answering all our emails with our questions!
Barbara M.
Wisconsin
Rongai Route
Summitted July 7, 2004
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Just a quick note to thank you and your people for making my Mt. Kilimanjaro climb such a rewarding adventure. The hospitality of all the people at Springlands really made our before and after days a relaxing experience. Special thanks to Remy, Patience, and the magic hands of Janice [the massage therapist]. I will be sure to recommend Zara to friends who plan on climbing, and I might even see you again someday. With kindest regards,
Karen
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Just to say that everything was okay. Finally, we climbed 5 of us to the summit. We had Bryson and Regynald as guides, and they made an excellent job taking us to the summit, explaining flora, animals, all about the route, and answering any questions that we had. They were just great. In the safari all was really good, and we had very nice moments and saw all the possible animals there.
J. Gomez
Spain
Rongai Route
Summitted March 15, 2004
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I wanted to say thanks for all of your help on our recent trip to Kilimanjaro and Ngorongoro Crater. It was a good trip and we got 6 of the 8 to the top. I appreciated all of your help, and I was happy with the Springlands Hotel, Zara Travel, and the guides.
Darsie Culbeck
Alaska Mountain Guides International Inc.
Machame Route - Summitted March 1, 2004
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First the Springlands Hotel was a very good choice for the day before and after the trip. It was exactly where I wanted to stay. Your information at your homepage gaves me a good forecast. That’s why my expectations where full achieved. Second our guide was Mr. Dickson Elirehema from Marangu. I wonder that I couldn’t found any information at your homepage about him. I think he is worth it. Dickson was sometimes a quiet man but he has choosen a very good and professional team to support the five guests in our group. It seems he has a high level of knowledge of human nature. Because of the different characters of the guests Dickson tried always to find a balance between the different interests in the group. While the members of our group had a rest in their tents after our walks Dickson did his work in the backround. He did his responsible decisions in connection with the healthy situation of the guests, the variable weather conditions and the given time frame. I personally was very impressed about the professional solution he made in a very short time to save the health of one Danish member of our group. Dickson as the first guide, Milton and Simon as the second guide worked really as a professional team. Of course they did their job, but they did it very well. You can be glad to have such men under contract. Thank you for organizing the Kilimanjaro trip just in the way I expected. If anyone of my friends will go to Kilimanjaro I will advise them to go with Zara.
Ralf
Berlin
Germany
Machame Route
Summitted February 29, 2004
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I wanted to thank Zara for an increadible trip that was far more than my father and I expected. Our guide Felix and his crew on Kilimanjaro payed extreme attention to detail resulting in a great trip that was far from roughing it. They left nothing to be desired. Godfrey and his crew on the safari did an equally great job. The hotel was very comfortable with an exceptional staff. Thanks again for a great trip and I look forward to returning soon.
Chris F.
Estes Park, CO
Machame Route
Summited February 2, 2004
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Returned Saturday, February 7, 2004 from the 6-day Marangu Trip and a 2-day Safari. I just wanted to say thank you for your help, and to let you know we (my son and I) had a great time! Unfortunately my son came down with altitude sickness at the Kibo Hut, but I was able to reach Uhuru Peak. I’d also like to give special praise to our guide, Richard and the assistant guide, his brother Dennis. Because of them and the porters, the trip went as smoothly as possible -- and I was able to summit. Our expectations were exceeded at every instance. I wish I could remember the driver’s name who took us on Safari, he also went beyond the expected level of helpfulness. Again, thanks for everything. I will recommend Zara to anyone who is looking for guide/travel service in Kilimanjaro.
Asanate Sana,
Bruce B.
New Jersey
Marangu Route
Summitted February 5, 2004
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We just wanted to drop you a line to let you know that three out of our four party team made it to Uhuru Peak on Mt. Kilimanjaro. We couldn’t have done it without the encouragement of ?ole pole?from our guide, Makupa, and his assistant guides, Yohana and Ngowi. They, and the porters, also watched over our one party member who had to remain at Kibo Hut. Accommodations along the route were fine. The Springlands Hotel was an excellent base for us. We also really enjoyed the two days on safari to Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. Thanks to all at Zara Tanzanian Adventures!
Best regards,
Doug & Shannon F.
Kuwait
Marangu Route
Summitted February 4, 2004
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First of all my appreciations to the organisation, the hotel and the guides: all are a proof that the outfitter I had choosen out of the many on the web was indeed a reliable company and the price paid for it more than justified. The first comments on Zara were heard in Arusha; off the Davanu shuttle the usual pack of local outfitters, who hearing that we were climbing with Zara all confirmed: "good, very good". Our guides were Bonny (Bonaventura) and Gabriel, very good guys. We had an extra day on the mountain which we used to climb Mawenzi following the North Western Ridge all the way to the top. We slept 2 nights next to the Mawenzi hut, nobody but us on site. Success rate to Mawenzi and Uhuru Peak was 4 out of 5, one of my friends had to go down earlier following the nights at Mawenzi hut because of mountain sickness. The ascent to Uhuru peak was quick, we left Kibo hut at 1.00am and at 6.20 we where at the top, luckily no wind though cloudy, but the sunrise between the two layers of clouds over Mawenzi was superb! To end, Rongai route is a very good choice, recommendable for the great views of Kibo and Mawenzi.
Dario D.
Italy
Rongai Route
Summitted January 30, 2004
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We had a wonderful experience highlighted by our successful attempt to reach the summit. Our Kili trip started out a bit rough, as our bags did not arrive with us from Mombassa; however, Zara was extremely helpful and instrumental in locating our baggage. We were very happy with our guide, August, and the selected porters for our trip. In fact, I completely credit August with keeping our spirits high and assisting us to the summit.
Bill D.
Chicago, Illinois
Machame Route
January 2004
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I just wanted you to know that I had a fantastic trip to Kilimanjaro as was lucky enough to summit Kibo via the Machame route Jan 5, 2004. It was sunrise on Kibo...the sun came up when we were about 500M from the sign. We had the summit mostly to ourselves and what a wonderful view we had! It was a magnificent trip...everyone I met was helpful and the spirit of the crew was outstanding. You might remember that I asked you before the trip how many people might be on my route with Zara and you thought quite a few as it was a popular time. As it turned out it was just me! I had a team of 5 plus me but you know it was great having all the attention! I met quite a few others from other outfits on the trail and at the camps...a few real adventurous groups that were fun to be with. All in all an excellent trip and a very unique exciting part of the world. I am anxious to do it again! The Springlands hotel was terrific and my guide, Godlisten, did a superb job on the trail. I am even thinking about a return trip...perhaps up the Western Breach. I want to thank you for your help as well.I would highly recommend you and ZARA for anyone wishing to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro! Thanks again!
Bruce N.
Ontario
Canada
7-day Machame Route
Summitted January 5, 2004
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