Mount Kilimanjaro National Park
Kilimanjaro. The name itself is a mystery wreathed in clouds. It
might mean Mountain of Light, Mountain of Greatness or Mountain of
Caravans. Or it might not. The local people, the Wachagga, don't even
have a name for the whole massif, only Kipoo (now known as Kibo) for
the familiar snowy peak that stands imperious, overseer of the
continent, the summit of Africa.
Kilimanjaro, by any name, is a metaphor for the compelling
beauty of East Africa. When you see it, you understand why. Not only is
this the highest peak on the African continent; it is also the tallest
free-standing mountain in the world, rising in breathtaking isolation
from the surrounding coastal scrubland – elevation around 900 metres –
to an imperious 5,895 metres (19,336 feet).
Kilimanjaro is one of the world's most accessible high summits,
a beacon for visitors from around the world. Most climbers reach the
crater rim with little more than a walking stick, proper clothing and
determination. And those who reach Uhuru Point, the actual summit, or
Gillman's Point on the lip of the crater, will have earned their
climbing certificates.
And their memories.
But there is so much more to Kili than her summit. The ascent
of the slopes is a virtual climatic world tour, from the tropics to the
Arctic.
Even before you cross the national park boundary (at the 2,700m
contour), the cultivated footslopes give way to lush montane forest,
inhabited by elusive elephant, leopard, buffalo, the endangered Abbot’s
duiker, and other small antelope and primates. Higher still lies the
moorland zone, where a cover of giant heather is studded with
otherworldly giant lobelias.
Above 4,000m, a surreal alpine desert supports little life
other than a few hardy mosses and lichen. Then, finally, the last
vestigial vegetation gives way to a winter wonderland of ice and snow –
and the magnificent beauty of the roof of the continent.
About Kilimanjaro National Park
Size: 1668 sq km 641 sq miles)
.
Location: Northern Tanzania, near the town of Moshi
Getting there
128 km (80 miles) from Arusha.
About one hour’s drive from Kilimanjaro airport.
What to do
Six usual trekking routes to the summit and other more-demanding mountaineering routes.
Day or overnight hikes on the Shira plateau. Nature trails on the lower reaches.
Trout fishing.
Visit the beautiful Chala crater lake on the mountain’s southeastern slopes.
When to go
Clearest and warmest conditions from December to February, but also dry (and colder) from July-September.
Accommodation
Huts and campsites on the mountain.
Several hotels and campsites outside the park in the village of Marangu and town of Moshi
Udzungwa Mountains National Park
Brooding and primeval, the forests of Udzungwa seem positively
enchanted: a verdant refuge of sunshine-dappled glades enclosed by
30-metre (100 foot) high trees, their buttresses layered with fungi,
lichens, mosses and ferns.
Udzungwa is the largest and most biodiverse of a chain of a dozen large forest-swathed mountains that rise majestically
from the flat coastal scrub of eastern Tanzania. Known collectively
as the Eastern Arc Mountains, this archipelago of isolated massifs has
also been dubbed the African Galapagos for its treasure-trove of
endemic plants and animals, most familiarly the delicate African
violet.
Udzungwa alone among the ancient ranges of the Eastern Arc has
been accorded national park status. It is also unique within Tanzania in
that its closed-canopy forest spans altitudes of 250 metres (820
feet) to above 2,000 metres (6,560 ft) without interruption.
Not a conventional game viewing destination, Udzungwa is a
magnet for hikers. An excellent network of forest trails includes the
popular half-day ramble to Sanje Waterfall, which plunges 170 metres
(550 feet) through a misty spray into the forested valley below.
The more challenging two-night Mwanihana Trail leads to the
high plateau, with its panoramic views over surrounding sugar
plantations, before ascending to Mwanihana peak, the second-highest
point in the range.
Ornithologists are attracted to Udzungwa for an avian wealth
embracing more than 400 species, from the lovely and readily-located
green-headed oriole to more than a dozen secretive Eastern Arc endemics.
Four bird species are peculiar to Udzungwa, including a forest
partridge first discovered in 1991 and more closely related to an Asian
genus than to any other African fowl.
Of six primate species recorded, the Iringa red colobus and
Sanje Crested Mangabey both occur nowhere else in the world – the
latter, remarkably, remained undetected by biologists prior to 1979.
Undoubtedly, this great forest has yet to reveal all its
treasures: ongoing scientific exploration will surely add to its diverse
catalogue of endemics.
About Udzungwa Mountains National Park
Size: 1,990 sq km (770 sq miles).
Location: Five hours (350 km/215 miles) from Dar es Salaam; 65 kms (40 miles) southwest of Mikumi.
Getting there
Drive from Dar es Salaam or Mikumi National Park.
What to do
From a two-hour hike to the waterfall to camping safaris.
Combine with nearby Mikumi or en route to Ruaha.
When to go
Possible year round although slippery in the rains.
The dry season is June-October before the short rains but be prepared for rain anytime.
Accommodation
Camping inside the park.
Bring all food and supplies.
Two modest but comfortable lodges with en-suite rooms within 1km of the park entrance
