Northern Tanzania - Tanzania - page 306

Route is often sold by budget operators for about the same price as Marangu, and billed as
a quick and comparatively inexpensive way to reach the top. Don't fall for this; the route
should only be done by experienced trekkers and should have an extra acclimatisation day
built in. For more information, see Trekking Routes on Click here . Prices start at about
US$1200 on the Rongai Route, and about US$1600 for a seven-day trek on the Shira Plat-
eau Route. As the starting points for these latter routes are further from Moshi than those
for the other routes, transport costs can be significant, so clarify whether they're included
in the price.
Whatever you pay for your trek, remember that at least US$525 of this goes to park fees
for a five-day Marangu Route climb, and more for longer treks (US$745 for a seven-day
Machame Route climb). The rest of the money covers food, tents (if required), guides, port-
ers and transport to and from the start of the trek. Most of the better companies provide
dining tents, decent to good cuisine and various other extras to both make the experience
more enjoyable and maximise your chances of getting to the top. If you choose a really
cheap trip you risk having inadequate meals, mediocre guides, few comforts, and problems
with hut bookings and park fees. Also remember that an environmentally responsible trek
usually costs more.

PARK FEES
Park entry fees (calculated per day, and not per 24-hour period) are US$60/10 per adult/
child aged five to 15. Huts (Marangu Route) cost US$50 per person per night, and there's a
US$20 rescue fee per person per trip for treks on the mountain. Camping costs US$50 per
person per night on all routes. Park fees are generally included in price quotes, and paid
on your behalf by the trekking operator, but you'll need to confirm this before making any
bookings. Guide and porter fees (but not tips) are handled directly by the trekking compan-
ies. For anyone paying directly at the gate, all entry, hut, camping and other park fees must
be paid with either Visa or MasterCard and your PIN.
Kilimanjaro National Park Headquarters ( 027-275 6602/5;

[e-mail]; [e-mail]; 8am-6pm) is at the park gate in

Marangu.

TIPPING
Most guides and porters receive only minimal wages from the trekking companies and de-
pend on tips as their major source of income. As a guideline, plan on tipping about 10% of
the total amount you've paid for the trek, divided up among the guides and porters. Com-
mon tips for satisfactory service are from about US$10 to US$15 per group per day for the
guide, US$8 to US$10 per group per day for the cook and US$5 to US$10 per group per
day for each porter.