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| FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: How do I contact Serengeti Pride Safaris? A: See our Contact Us page. Q: Where are you located? A: Our business headquarters are in Usa River, Tanzania (just outside Arusha). Lema is in Tanzania most of the time, in charge of our Tanzania ground operations. Erika is usually in the United States (Massachusetts) where she is often your contact person for booking your trip. Q: What are your payment arrangements? A: For climbs, we require a non-refundable $500 US Dollar deposit per person on booking so we can confirm your lodging and other arrangements. Payments can be by credit card, wire transfer, or checks in US Dollars. The final payment (also non-refundable) is due 30-60 days prior to arrival. For safaris, sometimes we need a larger deposit depending on which lodge you use (up to 50% deposit). All payments made to us are non-refundable. Q: Do I need to buy trip insurance? Trip insurance is strongly advised. All payments made to us are non-refundable. We advise buying travel insurance and find www.insuremytrip.com is a great place to compare plans from various companies. Be sure to read the fine print and understand exactly what is or isn't covered. Q: Do I need a travel visa to visit Tanzania? Yes, with the exception of a few countries (mostly in Africa). For citizens of most (but not all) countries, it can be obtained on arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport or at the ground border if coming by bus from Nairobi. Although the Tanzanian government "highly recommends" you get your travel visa in advance, many tourists get it on arrival at the airport and it generally goes smoothly (certain countries of residence you MUST obtain a visa in advance, but this does not affect travelerls from the USA, Canada, and western Europe. Be sure your passport is good for at least 6 months after your return date, and has multiple empty pages (not almost full). Or, your travel can be obtained in advance from the Tanzania Embassy or Consular Office in some countries, in advance of your trip. In the USA, for example, it can be obtained in person in New York or Washington DC or by mailing your passport, fee, passport photos, and supporting documentation to NY or DC. Serengeti Pride Safaris & Kilimanjaro Climbs can provide supporting documentation to include. The fee for the travel visa ranges from $50-$100 USD per person depending on your country of origin. Q: What is the weather like on safari? A: November into early December have the short rains. April and May have the long rains. However weather patterns are not completely predictable; it can be rainy during the "dry" season and dry during the "rainy" season. You can climb Kilimanjaro and go on safari year-round, but it is preferable to avoid these traditionally rainy seasons. The dirt tracks that are "roads" in much of Tanzania can become impassable during the heavieest rains. January through March tends to be warmer with more chance of rain than June through October, although there is not a huge temperature variation since Tanzania is so near the equator. Temperatures often range from 60-90 degrees F during the day on safari and in the cities, although the Ngorongoro Crater area tends to be colder due to its high elevation. Nights on safari can be quite chilly (sometimes cold) any time of year. Q: What are the temperatures like on Mount Kilimanjaro? A: It is usually much colder than people expect on Mount Kilimanjaro, both in terms of actual temperature and also in how they feel. It's very helpful to look at a photo slideshow and note how people are dressed. Usually people only wear shorts or short sleeves on the first and last days on Kilimajaro - the two lowest days. Other than that you will be wearing long pants and long sleeves, and adding layers as you move up the mountain - first a fleece, then a windbreaker over it, and eventually a down jacket often at the two highest camps. Hat and gloves are often brought out at the second camp on the mountain, where frost usually appears on our tents for the first time. Crater camp may have temperatures around 0 to +10 degrees F overnight, sometimes colder. Generally, Kilimanjaro will not be what you picture as equatorial Africa in terms of temperature. It is usually colder than people expect, and people "feel" the cold more than they expect at any given temperature due to the altitude. The coldest times usually are when you are in camp and not moving around as much, rather than while hiking. Q: Will there be snow on Mount Kilimanjaro? A: You don't walk on Kilimanjaro's glaciers and snowfields, but you will see them from the trail and camps. Sometimes there is snow on the trail and in the camps - more likely at Crater camp, but sometimes lower on the mountain after storms. Like any large mountain, Kilimanjaro can make her own weather at any time of year so one must be prepared for rain and snow in any season. Q: What kind of shots or medications will I need for my trip? A: There are no required vaccines for travel to Tanzania when flying directly from the United States (yellow fever vaccine may be required if traveling from other countries where yellow fever is present). However there are several vaccines your travel clinic will suggest (sometimes including Hepatitis A & B, Meningitis, Typhoid, Polio, etc). Malaria preventive medication is highly suggested - some of our trips don't even see mosquitoes, but you should be prepared because sometimes they are around and malaria is endemic in Tanzania. Although you won't have mosquitoes high up on Kilimanjaro, you may be exposed to mosquites at the lodge before and after your climb, and in some safari areas. For climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, certain medications to help prevent altitude illness, or treat symptoms, are advised. Everyone should bring an antibiotic in case of traveler's diarrhea, which is a common but usually easily treated problem. This is all explained in a helpful document we send you far in advance of your trip. Q: What airport should I fly into? A: Kilimanjaro International Airport (airport code JRO). This airport is located between Arusha and Moshi, Tanzania. Other airports such as Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and Nairobi, Kenya are distant enough to require an extra travel day in one or both directions as well as extra expense to get to Arusha area. Q: How safe is Tanzania? A: Tanzania is thankfully a peaceful country. Visitors generally feel very safe here, and find most Tanzanians warmly welcoming of travelers. Of course in cities one should be careful in certain areas especially at night, just like in the United States - but your itinerary usually won't include much time in the city. Some of the hazards of travel in Tanzania include the poor road system and erratic driving habits of the locals, and the susceptibility of visitors to stomach bugs just like in other less developed countries. We provide information on how to prevent and quickly treat stomach bugs so it won't ruin your trip if you get one! Q: Can you provide references? A: Absolutely! Just let us know whether you prefer to be put in touch by email or by phone. We'll match you with past climbers who can vouch for us and for our fantastic crews. Also see our Testimonials page. Q: What about tips? A: Tips are an important part of their income for the hardworking Tanzanians who make up our crews. We provide tipping guidelines to our clients, although of course tipping is always at your discretion. Q: What kind of gear do I need to climb Mount Kilimanjaro? A: We provide our climbers with an extensive gear packing list far in advance of the trip. Some gear such as sleeping bags and hiking poles can be rented with advance notice. You do not need mountaineering (winter) boots, crampons, ropes, or ice axes. Q: I'm worried about carrying my 15-20 pound daypack for 8 days on Mount Kilimanjaro at altitude. Any suggestions? A: With advance notice and for a fee, we can easily hire an extra porter to hike next to you and carry your daypack. This is especially important for those who aren't used to hiking with a pack on, or climbers who are more worried than average about the effects of being at altitude. And, you are providing one more much-needed job in Tanzania! Q: How fit do I need to be to climb Mount Kilimanjaro? A: People of all fitness levels and experience levels climb Mount Kilimanjaro. However, it is important to be physically fit. It's helpful to have hiking and camping experience, although not everyone does. Please talk to us about your concerns in advance of registration. Q: What are my chances of getting to the top on these western routes? A: In general, chances are very high on the 8 day or longer western routes on Mount Kilimanjaro. Summit success rates are estimated at 98%. Contrast that to 50-60% on the 5 day Marangu route and you can see why we recommend taking your time to acclimatize. Q: What if there is an illness or injury on Mount Kilimanjaro? How do you deal with emergencies? A: Taking our longer, western approach routes with more acclimatization time greatly reduces the chances of having a serious altitude illness emergency. However, we are always prepared, and injuries can happen here as anywhere. Our head guides have Wilderness First Responder training. Our groups are equipped with oxygen and Gamow® or similar hyperbaric bags. These are used to treat the patient while arranging evacuation for serious altitude ilness. Tanzania has hospitals we use for emergencies. Serious cases may be transferred to Nairobi. Rest assured, we have plans in place to ensure you are evacuated as quickly and safely as possible in any type of emergency. But most importantly, we work hard to avoid emergencies in the first place. Please be assured that we have enough resources in our climbing groups that if someone in the group needs to stop their ascent and go to a lower camp or back to town, the rest of the group can continue their climb. Q: Do you have groups I can join? A: Yes. Besides private trips, we offer group departure dates every year that you can sign up for. Because pricing is based on twin/double occupancy, we'll match you up with someone of the same gender. If you prefer a single hotel room and/or single tent, we can advise you of the cost for a single supplement. If one of the dates listed on our website doesn't work for you, please contact us anyway - we are constantly adding new departures. Q: How can I "give back" to the wonderful people of Tanzania? A: Plan to stay longer and volunteer (we can help you arrange this). Bring school supplies to drop off at a primary school. Bring educational items to drop off at a children's home/orphanage. After you return, become a supporter of a non-profit organization doing good work in Tanzania. There are many ways to give back, and our clients are often moved to do so. A frequent comment is that people wish they had scheduled a longer trip so they could stay and volunteer. Serengeti Pride Safaris & Kilimanjaro Climbs Serengeti Pride Company, Ltd.
PO Box 764 Usa River, Arusha, Tanzania 255 (0) 785 353 534 (Tanzania) 508-241-1001 (USA, Eastern time zone)
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