Kilimanjaro lodge and campsite accommodation, Tanzania

Reviewed 24 Oct 2008 by Holly Foat

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

The most memorable part was drinking banana beer whilst talking politics with the locals in a bar in the village. But also memorable was seeing the snow capped peak of Kilimanjaro looming over the village as the clouds cleared. The walk to the waterfall was amazing too. I found it challenging as it’s a 5 hour walk and the valley is very steep but it’s a great feeling when you know you have accomplished it.

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

Bring a Swahili phrase book; I kept forgetting the words Deo taught me! The villagers are all very friendly and love it if you can say a few words. Take pens, pencils or footballs to give to the local schools. Be prepared for bucket shower – this isn’t about having luxury accommodation, but about experiencing life in the village. Stay longer than 3 nights! Deo has so many great activities to do and there are so many people to talk to you won’t have time to get bored!

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

Most people in the village are subsistence farmers, growing enough maize and bananas to feed themselves and some grow coffee as a cash crop. After speaking to the villagers we learnt that they make very little from the coffee and get no aid money from the government or NGOs so any money from tourism is gratefully received. The lodge and campsite employs Deo the tour guide, Emi the cook and Mr Hoogoo the security guard who are all local people. We went on the walk to the waterfall and for this we paid the owner of the waterfalls. We were also shown how the coffee is grown and made and bought some from a local family. Apparently these coffee tours help to send the family’s children to school. There is no electricity at the lodge (although there are power points so there might be electricity at times) so the environment impact was low.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Arriving into Kilimanjaro airport and driving through Moshi you could be easily mistake this part of Tanzania for a relatively wealthy area. Once out of the city though, off the tarmac roads, you can see that it isn’t. If you go to this part of Tanzania just to climb Kili you could easily miss this but I think it’s very important to see how the local people live. Tourism offers a real benefit to these people and travellers visiting this area give people an alternative to cash crops, a chance to practise English and the money to send their children to school.