Kilimanjaro National Park

Kilimanjaro

The highest mountain in Africa, snow caped and the world’s highest free-standing volcano. It comprises of two dormant volcanoes (Kibo 5,895m a.m.s.l and Mawenzi 5,149m a.m.s.l) and one extinct volcano (Shira 3,962m a.m.s.l) respectively. The origin of the word is not well known but it is said to be a combination of the Swahili word Kilima meaning “Mountain” and the KiChagga word Njaro, loosely translated as “Whiteness” giving the name “White Mountain”.

Its size is 1,712Km2 and was declared as a National Park in 1973, officially opened for tourism in 1977, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987, and Natural Wonder of Africa in 2013. Climbing to the top which is far up into the sky it’s a lifetime experience that no one can forget.

There are two rainy seasons in a year. The wet season is from March to May during which it rains around the mountain base and snow accumulates at its peak. The dry season is from late June through September during which the nights are cool and the days completely clear.

Uniqueness

• Mount Kilimanjaro is one of the biggest draws for people considering whether to book a Tanzania safari holiday over another African country famous for its safari tours.
• Mount Kilimanjaro National Park provides an amazingly diverse series of habitats as it rises from the pastures and bushlands of the native Maasai people to the boundary of the national park.
• The lower regions of the park are dominated by lush green montane forests that have almost 140 different tree species.