Kilimanjaro National Park

Kilimanjaro National Park is in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania, 300 km south of the equator. The town of Moshi and the border with Kenya are close to the park. Mount Kilimanjaro is in Kilimanjaro National Park, which is 1,688 square kilometers big. It is between 2°50\’ and 3°10\’ South and 37°10\’ and 37°40\’ East in latitude and longitude. The Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) is in charge of the park, and its main goal is to keep and protect Africa\’s tallest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro, as well as its habitats, ecology, and wildlife/biodiversity.

Kilimanjaro is the biggest free-standing mountain in the world at 5,895 meters. It is also the tallest mountain in Africa. Kilimanjaro National Park Authority, or KINAPA, takes care of it and keeps it safe. This volcanic massif stands in awe-inspiring isolation above the nearby plains. Its snow-covered peak towers over the savannah, and it is all by itself. There are many kinds of mammals in the park, and many of them are in danger of going extinct.

Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira are the three main volcanic peaks on Mount Kilimanjaro. It is the highest mountain in Africa and has glaciers and a snow-capped peak. From the base of the mountain to the top, there are five different types of plants: lowlands, montane forest, grass and moorland, alpine desert, and the top. Mount Kilimanjaro is seen as a unique example of a superlative natural occurrence because of its height, shape, snowy peak, and distance from the plains around it.

History of Kilimanjaro National Park and how it came to be.

Mount Kilimanjaro is made up of three volcanoes that formed when the continents split apart. Volcanic activity may have started about 1 million years ago, when hot magma started to break through cracks in the lithosphere caused by the crust getting thinner. This lava was not very thick at first, and it spread out to make a base with a gentle slope. As the volcano continued to erupt, it let out thicker, stickier magma, which finally formed the Shira volcanic cone. After the volcano stopped erupting, the Shira cone fell into a huge caldera, which is a big hole that is shaped like a pot and is much bigger than the volcano. This made the Shira Ridge. Kilimanjaro\’s two other main volcanic cones, Mawenzi and the currently dormant Kibo, and some smaller parasitic cones were made by eruptions.

In 1885, Kilimanjaro was part of the German Protectorate. This was before Germany took over Tanzania and turned it into a colony. Hans Meyer was the first European to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. In October 1889, he reached the top of Kibo. It was called \”Germany\’s highest peak\” back then. Mount Kilimanjaro and the forests around it were made a game reserve by the German colonial government until the League of Nations gave it to the British as a Protectorate. This lasted until 1961, when Tanzania gained its freedom. Kilimanjaro National Park was set up in 1973. It has a forest area above the foothills and covers 1668 square kilometers of the mountain above 800 meters. It was named a United Nations World Heritage Site in 1987, and in 2005, it was expanded to include the whole tropical forest, where some species found on a Kilimanjaro climbing trip are only found there. The native Chagga people still farm the lower slopes of the mountain.

WHEN SHOULD I GO TO KILIMANJARO NATIONAL PARK?

When is the best time to go to Kilimanjaro National Park? It depends on what sights and activities you want to see and do. Even though the weather don\’t change much, there are better times of year to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. January and February are the hottest months, which makes the hike more enjoyable as you go up. At any time of year, temperatures near or below freezing and cold winds can make it feel very cold.

The best time to climb Mount Kilimanjaro is in August or September, when it doesn\’t rain as much. The warmest months are June and July, which means it may be much cooler at the top. You can still go rock climbing. April and May are the wettest months of the rainy season. During these months, you shouldn\’t try to climb the mountain. During these months, you can still climb, but it is more dangerous, hard, and awkward.

KILIMANJARO NATIONAL PARK ENTRANCE FEES

Costs and fees for Kilimanjaro National Park depend on a number of things, such as your country or area, age group, activities, number of days spent in the park, and type of lodging. Trekking in Kilimanjaro National Park also costs money for protection fees, camping/hut fees, rescue fees, and fees for the porter, guide, and park ranger.

The entry fee to Kilimanjaro National Park is USD 70 for people from outside of East Africa who are over the age of 16, and USD 20 for people from outside of East Africa who are between the ages of 5 and 15. There is a fee for each day that a person stays in the park. In addition to the registration fee, there are fees for rescue, lodging, rangers, and an 18% government tax.

ANIMALS AND BIRDS AT KILIMANJARO NATIONAL PARK

Because there is a lot of water and food at the base of Kilimanjaro, there are more animals there than in the mountains. As a result, there are fewer wild animals to see as you go up the mountain. Kilimanjaro national park is home to animals like elephants, Cape buffaloes, black rhinos, giraffes, leopards, servals, hyenas, baboons, monkeys, antelopes, aardvarks, mongooses, porcupines, honey badgers, ree hyraxes, and bush babies.

Activities to do in Kilimanjaro National Park

Hiking to Uhuru Peak

Kibo/Uhuru peak is one of Kilimanjaro National Park\’s three highest points. Depending on which way you choose to climb, it can take anywhere from 5 to 8 days to hike to the top of Uhuru. Keep in mind that some routes are easy and others are hard, that some routes take a long time to walk and others only take a few days, that some routes are expensive and others are not, and that most routes give you a great view of Mount Kilimanjaro and the animals. So, if you want to climb to Uhuru Peak, choose a way that makes sense and is safe based on how much energy you have and what you want to see.

Bird watching

More than 150 kinds of birds live in the Mount Kilimanjaro national park. Some of these birds move around, while others are only found in this area. As you go up the mountain, you will pass through different kinds of plants and see mountain birds and wild birds. The White-necked Raven, the local black-shouldered kite, the long-tailed kite, and many other types of birds live in Kilimanjaro National Park. From November to April, when it rains a lot, is the best time to go hunting. This is when birds from Europe and Asia come to stay for the winter.

Wildlife viewing

More of these animals live in the lush tropical rainforests at the base of Kilimanjaro than in the mountains. This means that the higher you trek or climb the mountain, the less animals you will see. The Kilimanjaro national park is home to many wild animals, such as vervet monkeys, genet cats, honey badgers, aardvarks, baboons, Columbus monkeys, bush babies, elands, and elephants, among others.

Cycling

Another famous thing to do in Kilimanjaro National Park is to ride a bike along the Kilema route to Africa\’s highest peak, which may cost extra. There are three main stops from which to choose. You can ride your bike through the Chagga people\’s farmlands. But this practice should only be done by experienced mountain bikers who are with a knowledgeable tour guide.

Nature guides walks.

You will have the chance to get to know the African wilderness better, especially the Kilimanjaro National Park wilderness, where you can see and talk to many wild animals, insects, and plant species. Tourists can go on guided nature walks through the Mount Kilimanjaro forest canopy, where they can see a variety of primates, such as the red-tailed monkey, olive baboon, and white and black Columbus monkeys, as well as many plant species and panoramic views of the Chagga farmlands and towns nearby. During this great tourist activity in Kilimanjaro National Park, you will be with a park guard who will watch out for dangerous animals and make sure you are safe.

In Kilimanjaro National Park, visitors can also camp in different parts of the park, go on culture trips, like visits to the Chagga people who live in the area around the park, have picnics, take photos and videos, and do other things.

WHERE TO STAY IN KILIMANJARO NATIONAL PARK/ ACCOMMODATIONS

Kilimanjaro National Park has a variety of places to stay to meet the needs of its tourists. There are camping areas, huts along the road as you get closer to the mountain, and a number of great lodges that range from cheap to expensive. But since the towns of Moshi and Arusha are close to the park, you can drive a short distance to these towns after your tour of the park to find a range of places to stay.