Personalized Tours & Trips in Shira Route

What people love about Personalized Tours in Shira Route

• MelTraveled in March

  4

  The Kilimanjaro trek was a trip that will always stick with me. It was a wonderful experience, however I would not recommend this company to do it with! The equipment taken on the mountain (including tents, equipment sacks and first aid) was not suitable for a week on a mountain with unpredictable weather. Much of our gear was wet, which is the last thing you want at 4600m. I fully commend the chef, porters and guides for trying to make the experience as comfortable as possible for us. Food was wonderful! They stayed up well into the night drying our clothes and sleep gear in the cooking tent over the gas cooker. I believe better equipment would have prevented this problem. The 7 day lemosho route was great for scenery and acclimatisation (although it’s the only route I’ve taken). Unfortunately, I wonder about the company’s care and treatment of their porters as they allow men to hike that mountain looking very poorly prepared in terms of clothing and I believe this is irresponsible of the company who make a lot of money from these tours. Thankfully I know the guide ensured that the porters were all fed and removed any wet clothing at camp and got inside their sleeping bags, which was professional on the guide’s behalf! Next disappointment: Upon booking the trek, I specifically enquired about first aid kits and oxymometer. I was told they carry these things, however we sumited with no idea what our oxygen saturation was and no idea what first aid was even carried. I am glad no health concerns arose as I would not have trusted this company with my life. When speaking with other travellers, their tour operators all tested their oxygen saturation at base camp - not us; we booked with the dodgy brothers. It’s a shame because my time at Rafiki Backpackers (also run by Viva) was wonderful. I wish they operated tours in a more professional and respectable way, especially expensive and potentially dangerous tours. They accommodation rating is a reflection of the tents provided by Viva, not the hostel. They appear professional through emails and the women working for the company are sweet and kind. Rafiki does feel a lot like family, however I believe the manager is more fixated with making money than putting lives, health and safety as the main priority. Disclaimer: I am not a fussy camper and I am not one to complain. But by comparison to other tour operators, Viva Africa lacked in many areas. I reiterate that this is NO REFLECTION on the entire team that carried us up the ice-capped colossal. The porters, chef and guides are the backbone to these treks and deserve their weight in pay! I would hope that these men work for another company in the future, as the management at Viva let’s them down.

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  Mount Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route
• FredericTraveled in June

  4

  Overall, my son and I had a really good experience, we got to the summit and all the team was great and really nice. I only give 4 stars because, just like the last reviewer, my son would have liked to live the group experience and we were the only two. I'm on a tight budget, and I had to pay way more than expected since I had to pay the tips for a team of 10 people all by myself.

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  8-Day Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route – Perfect for Beginners and Nature Lovers
• AnnetteTraveled in July

  5

  Everything was organized from start to finish. The porters worked so hard, the meals were surprisingly delicious, and the camps were well prepared before we arrived each day. Our guide kept us motivated with a slow, steady pace that helped us reach the summit successfully. Thank you for making this adventure so memorable.

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  Kilimanjaro Treks, 7-Days Lemosho Route