Bush 2 City Adventure - Arusha, Tanzania

My husband, brother and I did the trek up Kilimanjaro last December. We had a great time! Kilimanjaro has such diverse ecosystems at every stage of the mountain, so bring many layers of clothes. I was amazed by the number of different trees and plants you will never see anywhere else. Day-to-day climbing was fun with snacks and tasty meals provided in between. The cabins were surprisingly comfortable with mattresses and bunkbeds. We had all types of weather, so I was glad I brought waterproof boots and raingear as well as winter-ready gear for the top. I found it fun visiting with other climbers at meal times. People come from all over the world to climb Kili, so it's great to hear other people's life experiences. The last day was definitely the most intense and exciting. Hitting the Uhuru peak was magical like another world! My heart felt full seeing many people kneel and pray at the top. It's such a great feeling of accomplishment to reach the summit of the world’s tallest free standing mountain and Africa's highest point! I am so thankful for our wonderful guides, cooks and porters that encouraged us every step of the way and made us feel comfortable. I also appreciated learning about them and life in Tanzania. After we descended we had a nice sit-down bbq and beer lunch in Moshi with our tour crew. We raised our glasses and cheered for the summit- everyone was so happy and excited. We were also interested in some shopping in Moshi for Tanzanite, so our guys found us a great spot with good prices. They escorted us back to our hotel where we visited some more, reminisced about the climb and had the best sleep of our lives! I would recommend Bush 2 City Adventure and the Kilimanjaro trek to anyone looking for a fun and challenging (but attainable) adventure. We also had a chance to do some medical volunteering, see the Maasai Mara Game Reserve and the Island of Zanzibar to make the entire East African experience complete- all amazing options to add to your Kili trip!