Kilimanjaro Trekking Notes

1. Arrival

If you are arriving at either Arusha Airport or Kilimanjaro International Airport, then airport transfers to and from those airports are included in your trip if you have confirmed and paid for your transfer, we strongly suggest you to email your flight ticket to your Tour Agent / Tour Consultant so we can arrange your transfers accordingly. Our driver will display your name on a signboard. These procedures ensure that you are picked up by the correct driver, rather than by some of the airport taxi drivers who are looking for business.

2. Complications On Arrival

It is very rare that our travelers experience problems on arrival, but it is very important that should any difficulties be encountered, you follow the advice given below. If you are unable, for any reason, to start your trip as scheduled, you must as soon as possible contact our office to advise them of If you have booked an airport transfer with us but on arrival at your airport are unable to identify the representative of your pre-booked airport transfer company within 30 minutes of clearing customs / immigration, you should contact us to advise us of this. If you have booked your own airport transfer independently, and your driver cannot be found, you should first contact the transfer company to try and resolve the Note that in the event of any dispute, Translen Investment Tours will unfortunately not be responsible for any failure by an independently booked airport transfer. You will be responsible for joining the trip at the scheduled time.

3. Flight Delays

As any delays to flights are outside our control, we regret that Translen Investment Tours cannot be responsible for the consequences of such delays, nor for any additional expense incurred as a result.

4. Visa Requirements

Make sure that you have a valid passport whose expiry date is sufficient for you to be allowed to enter Tanzania. (Usually the expiry date must be at least six months from the date of travel, for tourists, and longer for business travelers. With the exception of those travelling from certain African countries (and a few other countries), all visitors to Tanzania must have a valid visa. It is the responsibility of travelers to arrange this. Visas are best arranged in advance. If you are arriving at Kilimanjaro International Airport, without having arranged a visa in advance, please follow the procedure outlined below, to ensure that you get the correct visa and meet up with your driver-guide outside the arrival door:

5. Money Matters

Visa, MasterCard and American Express are widely accepted in Tanzania, albeit usually with a 5% surcharge, but note that American Express and Diners’ Club cards are not accepted. In certain places, such as Masai villages, cash will be the only acceptable method of payment for souvenirs etc. Travelers should not rely on travelers’ cheques, as these are not accepted in Tanzania.
US Dollars are always the best currency to carry and it is important that the bank notes you bring have been printed after the year 2006, as older notes are often not accepted.

6. Spending Money During Your Trip

Each traveler has different spending habits and therefore different cash requirements when on safari, to cover items such as drinks and souvenirs. You should bring the necessary amount of cash in US Dollars to cover your expected needs. Don’t forget to budget an amount in cash to cover tips (see ‘Tipping,’ below.)

7. Tipping

Tipping is of course discretionary, but is an expected part of the way in which business is done in Tanzania. It counts as an expression of gratitude to those who hopefully have made your experience an unforgettable one, and enables you to directly reward those people. Our passengers come from all around the world, with different cultural attitudes to tipping, but a tip is of great significance here in Tanzania and will be hugely appreciated by the recipient. In the course of your welcome meeting, you will be advised of the number of guides and the cook who will accompany you on your climb. (The number of porters will only be confirmed once the national park rangers at the gate have checked the luggage and equipment.) You will be introduced to your porters during the course of your trek normally there will be 2 or 3 porters per trekker.

We realize that both the process of giving tips and knowing how much to give can be difficult, so we provide the following guidance:

At the end of the climb, it is a good idea to hold a ‘tipping celebration’ after the last meal on the mountain (this is normally after breakfast on the last day) Tips can be placed in an envelope and given to the lead guide, who can then distribute them to the team. (It is advisable to announce the total amount in front of the group, so that all team members are aware of how much is to be distributed.) As for the amount, most trekkers feel that a tip equivalent to about 10 % of the cost of their trek is appropriate. (So, if your trek cost was US$2500, a tip of US$250 should be about the right amount.) If your group consists of only one or two trekkers, you might want to give a bit more. An alternative method, which some trekkers prefer, is to give individual tips to the team members, in which case the following amounts can be used for guidance:

• Mountain guide: $25 US per day / per guide / per group.
• Mountain Chef: $15 US per day / per group.
• Mountain Porter: $8 US per day / per porter.

The above figures are only for guidance and can of course be varied at the trekker’s discretion. Gifts of clothes etc are also appreciated.

8. Travel Insurance

All travelers taking trips with us must have valid travel insurance, without exception, and no-one will be permitted to join any of our trips until we have had sight of your insurance certificate and taken note of the details. Please ensure that all members of your party are covered by insurance and that it includes medical cover and adequate cover for emergency rescue and repatriation. We would also recommend that your policy cover trip cancellation, personal liability, curtailment and loss of luggage/personal effects. If your travel insurance has been arranged in conjunction with your credit card provider, we will require proof of purchase of the cover.

Please contact your bank/credit card provider for details of the participating insurer, together with the level of cover provided and the emergency (24-hour) contact telephone number.