- Kilimanjaro National Park -

"As wide as all the world, great, high, and unbelievably white in the sun"

Towering at 5985m (19,341ft) above sea level, Kilimanjaro is a scenic show piece of Tanzania. Kilimanjaro is the highest land mark in Africa, the highest free-standing mountain in the world, as well as one of the highest dormant volcanoes.

Rising out of the Equator, and only 290km (290mi) from the tropical coast, Kili's permanent snows defies its tropical location, a mystery that for over 2000 years has baffled scientists and the world. With the world warming, It remains to be seen if the snows of Kilimanjaro remain forever.

The name Kilimanjaro has no definite origin but it is popular belief to have come from the Swahili words Mlima and Njara meaning 'Shining Hill' though the 'Chagga' people who live in the shadow of Kilimanjaro do not call it by that name rather see it as two separate peaks, Mawenzi and Kibo, or 'Kimawenzi' meaning 'having a broken top or summit' and 'Kippo' meaning 'snow'.

The park is located between latitude 2DEGREE 50' and 3DEGREE 10'S and between longitudes 37DEGREE 20' and 37DEGREE 40E.

An altitude variation from 1829m - 5895m, makes climbing Kilimanjaro no walk in the park, though no technical mountaineering experience is required and anyone with a reasonable level of fitness can make it to Uhuru Peak (The roof-top of Africa).

The trek takes you through savannah, montane forest, low alpine, heath and moorland, alpine desert, snowfield and glaciers making the ascent to the summit similar to traveling from the Equator to the arctic in the space of a few Kilometers, which is truly beyond description.