Car Rental Places..

From: seif@seifco.com
Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2013 08:17:57 +0300
Hello Everyone,

I am wondering if anyone knows a good car rental place.

Thank you

Seif Allah El-Sayed

From: SaharaSafaris@yahoogroups.com [mailto:SaharaSafaris@yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of Mohamed Barakat
Sent: Friday, July 19, 2013 2:04 PM
To: SaharaSafaris@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [SaharaSafaris Forum] Kilimanjaro hiking trip September 2013

Hey SS,

Ramadan Kareem!

I'm back with a new adventure as promised but this time my destination is
Tanzania. I'm organizing a hiking trip to Uhuru Peak - Mt Kilimanjaro via
Lemosho route this September.

It is the highest mountain in Tanzania, the highest mountain in Africa, and
the highest free-standing mountain in the world at 5,895 metres or 19,341
feet above sea level. This trek can usually be done in 6-8 days depending on
the route and experience/acclimatization. Kilimanjaro is a challenge
requiring a certain degree of physical fitness however you don't have to be
a marathon runner to make it. It is considered to be a difficult trail.
Hiking experience is not a must however it is preferable to increase the
chances of succeeding. We will be gaining altitude at a faster pace than
that on the standard EBC trek so there is a higher risk of altitude
sickness.

We will be taking the Lemosho Route which is considered to be the most
beautiful route. It is one of the preferred routes due to its ideal balance
of low traffic, beautiful scenery and a high summit success rate. The route
approaches Mount Kilimanjaro from the west, beginning with a long drive from
Moshi to Londorossi Gate. From there, the first two days are spent trekking
through the rainforest to Shira Ridge. Unlike the popular Machame route,
which simply intersects the Shira Plateau, the Lemosho route crosses the
entirety of the plain from west to east in a pleasant, relatively flat hike.
An added bonus is that climbers will encounter low traffic until the route
joins the Machame route. Afterwards, Lemosho follows the same route through
Lava Tower, Barranco and Barafu, known as the southern circuit. Descent is
made via the Mweka route. The minimum amount of days spent on this route are
6 however it is better to spend 8 days to allow us a chance acclimatize to
the high altitude.

Following is the suggested itinerary by our local tour operator.

LEMOSHO ROUTE 8 DAYS

Day 01: Arrive at Kilimanjaro Airport, pickup services and drive you to the
hotel Central Paris for Dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Londorossi Gate to Mti Mkubwa (9,170 ft.) A three-hour drive from
Moshi brings you to the Londorossi Park Gate located on the western side of
Kilimanjaro for registration and payment of Park fees,then drive to the
trail head at Lemosho Glades and start your trek through the rain forest. In
places the vegetation is so untouched that it grows right across the narrow
track. The flora and fauna are richer here than on the other more popular
routes through the rain forest. Your trek today will be along a little used
track known as Chamber's Route. In about 3-4 hours you will reach your camp
in the rain forest at Mti Mkubwa (Big Tree).

Day 3: Mti Mkumbwa to Shira one Camp (11,500 ft.) After breakfast with lunch
box, start the climb cross the remaining rain forest towards the giant
moorland zone. A great lunch stop is at the beautiful valley just outside
the Shira Crater at around 10,000 ft. After lunch you cross into the Shira
Caldera, a high altitude desert plateau which is rarely visited. Shira is
the third of Kilimanjaro's volcanic cones, and is filled with lava flow from
Kibo Peak. The crater rim has been decimated by weather and volcanic action.
Today you'll get your first close views of Kibo - the dramatic summit of
Kilimanjaro.

Day 4: Shira one Camp to Shira two Camp (12,200 ft.) After breakfast
continue hike east across the Shira Plateau past the Shira Cathedral towards
Shira Two camp. You only gain 700 feet in elevation - this allows you to
acclimatize slowly to the altitude. The views of the plateau are nothing
less than spectacular.

Day 5: Shira two Camp to Baranco Hut (12,675 ft.) Today's the last of the
"easy days". It's about a 6 hour superb hike. You pass the Lava Tower,
around the southern flank of Kibo, and slowly descend to Baranco, your most
spectacular campsite, at the foot of Kibo Peak, looming high above. Your
camp is only 465 feet higher than where you were last night, but our walk
will have taken you just over 14,000 feet today. This is one of your most
valuable days for acclimatization.

Day 6:Baranco Hut to Karanga Valley - Barafu (14,950 ft.) After breakfast,
your first obstacle is to breach the Baranco Wall, a 600-foot rock. Once
over wall, the climb becomes easier and extremely beautiful with fantastic
views of the crags and crevasses of the jagged peaks on your left. Then you
descend to the Karanga Valley. Some folks with time restrictions don't stop
here in the Karanga Valley for an overnight camp.

Day 7: Barafu Hut to Uhuru Peak (19,340 ft.) to Mweka Camp Dress warmly,
because we start climbing around midnight, on the steepest and most
demanding part of the mountain. The moon will provide enough light, and
we'll reach Stella Point by sunrise. (About 6 hours) At dawn, from the
Crater rim, rugged Mawenzi is a thrilling sight, with the Kibo saddle still
in darkness beneath you, and the crater's ice-walls looming ahead. If you
feel strong enough, you should continue to Uhuru Peak (1-2 hours). This is
the highest point in Africa, and the world's highest solitary peak (19,340
ft). This is the toughest day that most trekkers have ever experienced. You
will have ascended 3,600feet and descended 7,200 feet in a period of 12-15
hours. Although the descent is far less tiring, it's a good idea to have a
little rest once in awhile as you continue down to Mweka Camp (3-4 hours
from the top).

Day 8: Mweka Camp to Mweka Gate to Moshi In the morning we walk down to
Mweka Gate. After a welcome lunch it's time to say goodbye to the porters.
We then get a ride back to the hotel.

Cost
The tour operator is charging 1600 USD per person for a group of 8 which is
considered to be a mid range budget trip. The Lemosho route is a longer
route which requires more days on the mountain which makes it slightly more
expensive than other routes such as Machame. The less traffic on this route
has also contributed to its price. Park fees in Tanzania are extremely high
averaging 100 USD per day per person. As far as Lemosho hikes this is
considered to be a great deal, I have worked on reducing the cost with the
tour operator without compromising quality of service. I have verified with
the owner that they use reputable equipment that is is in good condition.
The crew accompanying us will be around 16-18 in addition to our own group.

The price includes:

Guides and assistant guides
Chefs and porters
Park fees
Camping fees
Rescue fees
Crew fees and salary
Food: 3 meals a day (packed lunch) catering for vegetarian and non
vegetarian
Dining tent, chairs and tables
Sleeping tents and mattresses
Drinking water
Transfer to and from Kilimanjaro park gate
Airport transfer to JRO - Kilimanjaro airport
2 nights accommodation at Central Paris Hotel

Items not included:

Tips
Meals in Moshi
Personal gear and equipment
Air fare

The airfare from Cairo to Kilimanjaro airport on Ethiopian Air is around 650
USD, another cheaper but longer option would be flying to Dar Esalam airport
and taking an 8hr bus to Moshi which will cost a total of 580 USD. A third
option would be to fly to Nairobi then travel to Kilimanjaro via airplane or
bus, the airfare to Nairobi, Kenya is 400USD and transfer to Kilimanjaro via
bus will be around 80 dollars for a return ticket. The bus schedule is
limited and it is a 7 hour trip, booking in advance is recommended.

The total estimated cost for the trip will be around 2400 USD
Personal equipment is not factored in the cost

Booking and Confirmation
Prerequisites to reserving a spot are as follows:

1. The travel dates are suitable 13/9/2013 - 21/9/2013
2. You will pay a non refundable deposit of 200 USD within the next couple
of weeks.
3. You understand that this is not an easy hike and have read the following:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kilimanjaro
http://www.rei.com/adventures/trips/africa/kilman.html#sec2
http://private-tours-kilimanjaro.com/tag/do-i-need-a-yellow-fever-certi…
e-for-kilimanjaro/
http://www.ultimatekilimanjaro.com/preparation.htm
http://tanzaniaparks.com/regulations_and_park_fees.html
4. You have access to appropriate hiking gear rated for cold weather or you
intend to buy gear prior to the trip (Suitable Hiking boots). Some equipment
can be rented at the base of the mountain.
5. You do not have any medical condition that may put your life or other
team members lives in danger
6. You have read this article about altitude sickness:
http://www.acethehimalaya.com/health.php?trip_id=8
&eid=
7. A brief summary about you; age, profession, hobbies. Please include your
hiking experience and details of your last hike
8. You are willing to workout a minimum of 3x a week to attain an
appropriate fitness level before embarking on our adventure
9. You have watched the following videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxH8cIg4RRk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvlnW3dasTA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xi7KjX-3Fw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgZgo3usfYo
10. You are willing to take the necessary vaccination and medications to
prevent any communicable diseases we might be exposed to (Hepatitis A,
Yellow fever, Tetanus, Typhoid, Malaria)

Accepting the above terms will be considered as confirmation, once we have a
total of 8 confirmed members we will pay the deposit and book the airplane
tickets. Team members that fail to do so will be dropped. The number of
participants are limited so please confirm as soon as possible. First come
first served.

Kilimanjaro is a world renowned trekking route, this is a once in a lifetime
opportunity to see some of the most breathtaking scenery imaginable. If
there is anyone out there that is interested in experiencing the
breath-taking scenery and would like to join me on this adventure along with
the friendly locals please contact me for further information.

I am based in Doha, Qatar but can be reached on viber +201000360025 , tango
+201000360025, whatsapp +20100360025, this email, twitter @migsawy, skype
username migs83 or via mobile at +97455171661

Hope to hear from you soon,
Mohamed Barakat