Kilimanjaro Western Breach – Tanzania Safari – 14 Days

Arrive in Tanzania JRO

Terminal: Main

El Mundo driver will pick you up at the airport and proceed to the hotel. If you can arrive a few days early that is good. Orientation for your trek will take place shortly after you arrive and your guides will provide comprehensive information that will assist you in reaching the summit. Your trekking gear will be checked before you leave.

Iliboru Safari Lodge B&B.

Iliboru Safari Lodge is situated at the base of Mount Meru, among the banana fields and Maasai tribes, a perfect setting for a family holiday.

We offer spacious guest rooms with a large lawn area between each self-contained Boma. The rooms have a unique African design with a round layout and thatched rooftops. The Maasai fabrics and draped nets add an ethnical charm, blended with international amenities throughout the lodge.

The lodge is only 2 km from Arusha, set within 5 acres of plush land that blends modern conveniences with the local lifestyle. Unwind while watching the variety of birds from your balcony or take a dip in the large swimming pool

Forest Camp (2821m) – Shira Camp 1 (3350m).

It’s an early start today as, after a filling breakfast, you’ll leave the density and closeness of montaine forest. The trees thin out as your vista opens up to big skies and high heath on your way up towards the Shira Plateau. The moorland you’ll hike through is an almost prehistoric landscape of giant heathers interspersed with groundsel and lobelia. You’ll pick your way over bubbling mountain streams, steep ridges and rocky outcrops and we’ll rest for lunch on the western edge of the Shira Plateau, where you’ll see the Kibo Massif sweeping up to the summit. It may seem so far away now but you’ll get there! After lunch we’ll continue the trek under the glorious African skies with plenty of opportunity for photography. We’ll rest overnight at Shira 1 Camp where you’ll get the chance to relax, gazing as the sun sinks into the clouds below you while you enjoy a scrumptious dinner before a well-earned rest.

Acclimatization day at Sheffield Camp.

Although you’ve climbed high, there’s more climbing to do and it’s important that you become acclimatized to the rarer atmosphere – especially as you’ll be sleeping high in Crater Camp tomorrow night. So you’ve the opportunity to spend the day at Sheffield Camp where you can chill out in your cozy sleeping bag, take in the enormous views, the big skies and the rolling clouds below you; make friends with the friendly chats that skip around the tents or spot a white-necked raven or the soaring elegance of a bearded vulture high above you. But to really get the measure of this amazing place, take a guided walk to one of Kilimanjaro’s most famous features, the 300-foot Lava Tower, a breath-taking lava plug – a geological “cork” over a volcanic vent - formed when Kilimanjaro was an active volcano. Didn’t we tell you Kilimanjaro is a volcano? Don’t worry, it’s dormant. And of course, it’s important you rest your legs and your lungs for the efforts to come. Spend the day with a well-earned break, eating, snacking, taking photos, making videos and reading. It’s also a great opportunity to take stock of what you’ve achieved so far, and gather your strength for the climb ahead – it’s a tough one.

Arrow Glacier Camp (4800m) - Crater Camp (5750m).

Today’s the day you face the Western Breach – the most difficult of the three summit routes. You’ll start before dawn, strengthened by breakfast, and the climb is easy at first. As the sun rises over the Breach, temperatures will rise and you’ll feel good with the sun warming your muscles. You’ll meet some challenging rocky areas where you’ll have to scramble using your hands, and you’ll be well within the snow-line. There are no paths through the Western Breach as the landscape changes all the time, but your guides will select the safest routes. The views are incredible. The Great Barranco Valley spreads out before you with stunning views of the Lava Tower and you’ll be able to look back across the Shira Plateau – remember that? You’ll be invigorated by a feeling of progress which will give you wings. You’ll ascend through a breach (hence the name!) in the crater rim with magnificent views of the isolated Furtwangler Glacier, the last remnant of an ice cap that once covered the summit, and the Northern Ice-field. The crater floor is soft volcanic sand, softer on your feet but tougher on your calves than the rocky outcrops before. If you’re feeling strong, our guides might lead you to the Reusch Ash Pit, a 400-foot wide hole in the center of the crater. You’ll know you’re near a dormant volcano by the sulfurous fumes which you can smell as you approach. Otherwise, it’s bed early at Crater Camp – the highest camp in Africa - as you have a big day ahead of you tomorrow; the push for the summit itself!

Mweka Gate.

You will enjoy an appetizing breakfast before your descent to the Mweka Gate (1,300m). The leisurely stroll provides you with beautiful sceneries. A Gold Summit Certificate will be awarded upon reaching the gate, a token to symbolize successfully tackling the 9 days Lemosho Route. From the tranquil Mweka Village, you will be driven back to your hotel.

Iliboru Safari Lodge B&B.

Iliboru Safari Lodge is situated at the base of Mount Meru, among the banana fields and Maasai tribes, a perfect setting for a family holiday.

We offer spacious guest rooms with a large lawn area between each self-contained Boma. The rooms have a unique African design with a round layout and thatched rooftops. The Maasai fabrics and draped nets add an ethnical charm, blended with international amenities throughout the lodge.

The lodge is only 2 km from Arusha, set within 5 acres of plush land that blends modern conveniences with the local lifestyle. Unwind while watching the variety of birds from your balcony or take a dip in the large swimming pool.

Breakfast at the Lodge.

We hope you had good rest, enjoy your relaxing breakfast at the lodge.

Ngorongoro Crater

Get ready to experience the magnificent wildlife in Tanzania’s richest game park. As you start exploring Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Crater, two of Tanzania’s most important protected areas and world-famous national parks. Our game drives allow us to follow the rhythms of the limitless wildlife as we witness the daily struggle between predators and prey. The kopjes, or massive islands of granite standing in a sea of grass, provide shelter to a great variety of animals from the elusive leopard to the tiny dik dik.

Descend into Crater; you will be in awe of the world’s largest unbroken caldera. The Crater is home to a variety of animals that share the vast space of the caldera. Spend a day in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, a habitat rich in culture and teeming with wildlife. Sometimes there are more than 30,000 animals in and around the crater, including black rhino, cheetah, lion, hyena, eland, and numerous antelope.

Enjoy relaxed picnic lunch next to the hippo pool in the crater floor, this will also help you maximize your time within the crater.

Olduvai Gorge

After breakfast drive for about 1 hr in the beautiful Ngorongoro highlands to Olduvai Gorge. This is internationally recognized for Louis and Mary Leakey’s famous discoveries of early humans and magnificent antiquities documenting the evolutionary history of our stone tool-using ancestors, vertebrate fauna, and the environments over the last two million years.

Nyumbani

Check in at Nyumbani for evening sun set cocktail followed with dinner and overnight.

"Nyumbani, the Swahili word for “home,” reveals a deeper meaning as the name of our luxury camp in the Serengeti. After an unforgettable day of exciting game drive in the Seronera plains, it is our pleasure to welcome you to your home away from home. Savor the magic of safari life and our welcoming oasis where earth meets sky in boundless space. Dine-in an atmosphere of personalized comfort while surrounded by nature’s limitless grandeur. Drift into a restful sleep with the gently hypnotic sounds of the African night."

Arusha-Departure.

Today you will early morning for short game drive as you drive through Serengeti-Ngorongoro area to Arusha.

You have an option for shopping and shower before driving to the airport for your flight.