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Camp Sites/Mnemba Island

This 12 day safari takes you to the summit of Kilimanjaro and to the pristine white beaches of Zanzibar. Highlights are the spectacular views across the Shira plateau and towards Mount Meru and the opportunity to conquer Uhuru, the highest mountain peak in Africa. Your climb is followed by four nights in the barefoot paradise of Mnemba Island, home to a staggering diversity of marine life.

Day 1: Mount Kilimanjaro

This adventure begins at Kilimanjaro International Airport and ends at Dar es Salaam International Airport in Tanzania.

On arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport you will be met and escorted to the vehicle that will take you to your first camp site. Enjoy the scenery as you are driven approximately an hour and a half to the edge of the National Park's forests.  From here, a gentle walk of about 3 hours through the undisturbed forest will take you to the camp for the first night.  With luck, you may encounter colobus monkeys and see signs of elephant on your walk to the camp site.

Day 2: Mount Kilimanjaro 2

After breakfast, embark on a morning walk that will take you to an altitude of 3 450 m (11 300 feet). The day's hike takes you through the montane forest and hagenia zone, with the gentle pace allowing plenty of time to look out for the plentiful game and bird life. En route, your guide will point out the unique environmental differences that characterise the different equatorial zones. The final section of the walk will bring the Kibo Massif into view ahead of you.

Day 3: Shira Plateau

Crossing the Shira Plateau (a World Heritage Site), you will reach the base of the great valley that drains the high ice fields on this side of the mountain. Following this deep valley upstream, you will notice that the giant heath gradually shrinks from the 6 metre (20 foot) high plants at the base of the valley to gnarled and twisted plants only 30 cm (1 foot) high near camp.  Your destination for the night is a camp site set on a flat plain below the cliffs, near the head of the valley and close to the ruins of Moir Hut. The day's hike will take about 6 hours.

Day 4: Shira Plateau 2

Today you will hike approximately 4 hours to camp just beneath the Lava Tower.  This will be your first introduction to the alpine zone, where the only plant life is the hardiest of grasses and lichens. You will also cross the plains of long dead rivers, passing the weird sculptures created by exposed lava flows. Skirting the impressively named 'Shark's Tooth', you will drop down a little before reaching our camp near the ancient free standing lava plug called the Lava Tower. As the day progresses, the spectacular Western Breach ascent route will come into view.

Day 5: Shira Plateau 3

With the Western Breach ascent route in full view, you will spend 2 hours climbing a steep section to the base of the route, where you will camp near Arrow Glacier. This is an exposed camp with a real high mountain feel.  It offers spectacular views across the Shira Plateau and to Mount Meru in the distance.  An afternoon hike a short way up the route and back before relaxing in camp will help your acclimatisation and improve your performance the following day.

Day 6: Crater Rim

Getting an early start, you will wind your way up the Western Breach non-technical climbing route, taking about six hours to reach the crater rim. For many this is the hardest day of the climb. The route is exposed and care is needed, but the guides are always on hand to offer support and encouragement. It is one of the most impressive classic mountaineering days in Africa and compares with many Alpine and Himalayan experiences. Those with the energy can explore the inner crater and hike to the crater ash pit to peer into the depths of the mountain before moving to our spectacular high camp on the crater floor, next to the Furtwrangler Glacier.

Day 7: Summit

Summit day!  After breakfast you will start your ascent to the summit (5 895 metres or 19 340 feet) early enough in the morning to reach the summit by 10h00.  From here, it is only a few hundred feet to the summit, climbing up a steep valley rather than tackling the gruelling night-long ascent experienced on all other routes up Kilimanjaro. After taking in the view from Uhuru Peak, you will begin the long descent to Barafu Hut and on down to our camp near Mweka Hut.

Day 8-11: Mnemba Island

It takes about 3 to 3½ hours to make the 1 370 metre (4 500 foot) descent to the roadhead.Once you have reached the road, you will have lunch and return to Arusha Airport, where you will board a scheduled flight to Zanzibar Airport. On landing, you will be met and assisted onto a vehicle for your drive along the Zanzibar coast, followed by a boat trip to Mnemba Island where you will spend the next four nights.

The pristine white beaches of Mnemba Island, surrounded by deep blue ocean combine to make this intimate island a private tropical paradise. While the dazzling sands and brilliant sunshine invite visitors to spend idle hours on shore, magnificent coral reefs create an underwater wonderland that lures guests to explore the warm, crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean. Scores of snorkelling and diving sites form a gateway to a world of incredible sea creatures. Set off the northern tip of Zanzibar and surrounded by a coral atoll, Mnemba is home to a staggering diversity of marine life. In an effort to protect and preserve these precious ecosystems, &Beyond has partnered with the Zanzibar government and the local fishing communities to have the atoll and its surroundings proclaimed the Mnemba Island Marine Conservation Area.

Accommodation is in a Zanzibari-themed banda with en-suite bathroom.  Your banda has a private sala and direct access to the beach. Your stay includes three meals daily, soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers, teas and coffees, emergency medical evacuation insurance, laundry and daily lodge activities.

Activities include swimming, walking, snorkelling, windsurfing, kayaking, fly-fishing and scuba diving (if in possession of a valid diving certificate - maximum two dives per day).  A selection of PADI affiliated diving courses and deep-sea fishing is available at an additional charge.  All scuba diving and snorkelling equipment is provided.

Day 12: Depart

After breakfast you will be returned to Zanzibar Airport by boat and road for your scheduled flight to Dar es Salaam International Airport.