7 Days Trekking from Machame Route to Kilimanjaro

They were able to tailor my Safari to my preferences of regions to visit and lodges that I preferred. Our guide Amiri was very professional and knowledgeable and made our trip an incredible experience that we will remember for the rest of our lives. Thank you!

Had an excellent hike on Kilimanjaro with a team from Suricata! My friend and I were originally supposed to start the hike on the 8th but due to issues with our flight we were delayed for 2 days and could not start until the 10th but Suricata still made the hike happen. Our team was lead by the guides Daudi and Gambish who were both fun to be around, keeping our spirits up, and clearly very experienced on the mountain. Alongside them were the cook Godfrey and waiter Solomon who took great care of us and cooked good, filling meals every day and we rarely got the same meal twice. Supporting them was our dedicated team of porters, Emanuel, Edwin, Charles, Peter, Wholfigan and Mohamed who carried everything for us and somehow managed to arrive ahead of us to each camp and have everything set up before we arrived. Great team and even though I did not manage to summit due to altitude sickness it was a great experience.

We just finished a 7 day hike to the top of Kilimanjaro. Suricata was professional and helpful throughout the whole process. They even allowed us to move the departure two days later with short notice due to our flight delay. The 10 man team that took care of us on the mountain were amazing. We felt like we were well taken care of the whole way. Thanks to our guides Teacha(Daudi) and Gambish(Thomas), cook Godfrey, waiter Solomon, and last but not least the porters, Emanuel, Edwin, Charles, Peter, Wholfigan and Mohamed. I highly recommend Suricata for everybody looking for a tanzania adventure!

Thanks Suricata for recommending our guide Friday and its team, we chose two private small groups, although the cost is not low, but I know that most of the cost is used to pay for the National Park fee (150USD per person per day), so the remaining cost to pay includes two guides, a chef, and almost 7 other members, so we not only have our own tent dining table, but even a separate toilet. There were three people with us on the top the day, really happy!

After my 5-Day mid-range safari I used some of the extra time left on my holiday to do the Machame Kilimanjaro hike with Suricata safaris. My guides were Franky and Johnny. After a night at SG Premium Resort and breakfast, I was whisked away at 0700 sharp for an on time arrival to base camp. The vehicle was very comfortable, equipped with WiFi, charging ports, and nice media screen. We made a brief stop to pickup our lunches for the day and continued outside of Arusha to base. For the hike I brought the usual pants, boots, and layers as well as wet wipes, a small first aid kit with medicines, sunscreen and other personal pharmaceuticals along with a charging brick. I’d recommend bringing a light rain jacket given the morning can be foggy and wet but it gave way as the sun came up. We were the first car to arrive at Machame Gate and soon after registration many vans from K2 arrived. It was nice that we were able to get a head start and get going before them. Just before setting out they gave me a strawberry yogurt cup and handled the various permits needed. It is somewhat hectic in the area so follow your guide, listen to their direction, and stay close! My guides carried the lunches and water for the day while I handled my own gear. Stop one was an outhouse before the path terrain switched from rock path to mixed rock step and mud path. The ascent quickly changed and became steeper with each step. After approximately 5.4km the path become very steep with rock terrain, the clouds came in and the monkeys began calling. The path continued on steep grades with mainly rock and mixed grounding. As we progressed closer to the camp, zone 3 became visible as the tree line changed. The path just before this was a challenge, but fun. We completed the ascent in 2 hours and 45 minutes, enjoyed our boxed lunch, and headed back down. It was a total gain of 3,777 feet from starting elevation. The lunch was a delicious local box that had a cheese and tomato sandwich, fried chicken breast, fried skewer with meat and potatoes, a sweet roll, granola biscuit, and juice box. Unfortunately the cloud coverage was thick so I was not able to see Kilimanjaro but the views I did get were amazing! There was some wildlife along the hike and Franky took time to point some of the plants. Trekking poles are advised given very damp and slippery conditions. This is not advised for unskilled or intermediate hikers, be very honest with yourself. The ascent was simpler than the descent as the trail became filled with mud and tracks from the others going up. Getting there as early as we did provided the best advantage! The camp was empty and the trail was very clear for us given the early arrival. Our descent time was just shy of 2 hours and, as mentioned, was arguably more challenging than the initial ascent. The jungle dew and constant steps from the others made it very slippery on the way down. Our ride back was comfortable and fun as we celebrated the energy of the hike. At my request we made a quick stop and kept on going to Arusha. I really loved this experience and my guides. I look forward to returning again and requesting Franky and Johnny to climb with!