Mount Kilimanjaro National Park is located in Tanzania at the border with Kenya and what makes Mount Kilimanjaro national park special is that it is found at the foot hills of Mount Kilimanjaro which is Africa’s tallest mountain as it stands at about 5,895 meters above the sea level and Mount Kilimanjaro national park is quiet large covering a total ground surface area of 1,688 square kilometers. Mount Kilimanjaro national park is a UNESCO accredited World Heritage site and it was officially established as a national park in 1973 with the sole purpose of protecting the mountains origin, its wildlife species and vegetation. It is managed by the Tanzania national park Authority and It is the best Hiking safari destination in Tanzania. A tourist would like to consider visiting Mount Kilimanjaro especially if he/she is a hiking enthusiast. Mount Kilimanjaro national park is filled with numerous wildlife species that include; lions, elephants, Zebras, hyenas, baboons, black rhinos, serval cats, buffaloes to mention but a few. Bird species like vultures, eagles, hornbills, shrikes, turacos, ravens, cuckoos, duikers, flycatchers, sunbirds, bee-eaters to mention but a few. Tourists can also visit and hike this beautiful mountain “Mount Kilimanjaro” which is always snow caped at its highest peak. Mount Kilimanjaro national park is a home a variety of vegetation like, montane forests, moorland, grasslands and stunning water bodies such as, Namwai rivers among others that all act as good natural habitats to many wildlife species that live at the mountains. Mount Kilimanjaro National Park is located within Kilimanjaro region, which is a few kilometers away from Moshi town, it is approximately 300 kilometers by road from the south of the Equator. In addition, Mount Kilimanjaro national park is about 128 kilometers from Arusha town. It is one of the easy national parks to enter through several entry gates some of these include; Lemosho gate, Machame gate, Londorosi gate, Marangu gate, Umbwe gate and many others.
Tourist activities while at Mount Kilimanjaro national park
Community tours; Tourists can explore the different communities around Mount Kilimanjaro national park and get a chance to interact with the people of different tribes such as; the Chagga tribe and Maasai tribe, learn more about their history, their day to day ways of life, how they earn for a living , the different crafts and pay a lot of attention while listening to their stories, watching their exciting traditional dance performances, learning more about their culture and traditions and how they dress, watch and observe how they prepare their local meals and many others. All these can be achieved while on a cultural tour at Mount Kilimanjaro national park
Wildlife watching; Mount Kilimanjaro national park is home to over 154 mammal species that are spotted in different areas of the park and some of these include; elephants, buffalos, giraffes and unique species like; porcupines, aardvarks, honey badgers, antelopes that are always seen clamouring up the mountain slopes, serval cats, tree hyrax, grey duikers, marsh mongoose, white necked raven, white tailed mongoose to mention but a few which shall indeed fulfil a tourists interests while on a Tanzania safari at Kilimanjaro national park.
Bird Watching; Mount Kilimanjaro national park also harbors over 150 bird that are of different kinds like; migratory birds and permanent residents and therefore some of these birds include; hornbills, chats, cuckoos, white necked raven, turacos, klaas cuckoo, hartlaub’s turaco, grey crowned crane, sunbirds, bee eaters, greater flamingo, African pitta, shrikes, woodpeckers, Narina trogon, African emerald cuckoo, silverly checked hornbill, cinnamon chested bee-eater, Schawlow’s turaco, white-browed coucal, bearded vulture, new world barbet, fierly necked nightjar and many others. This is indeed a birders Haven.
Hiking and guided nature walks; Mount Kilimanjaro offers the best hiking tours an opportunity especially for those that do not fear heights and are so enthusiastic about climbing up to the highest peak, one can climb to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro using the various trails that run across the mountain ranges up to the top. While tourist that do not enjoy climbing high the mountain can take walks along the foot hills of the mountain and connect with nature while viewing the different species of wildlife to mention but a few. However, it is important to note that tourist should carry out hiking and nature walks under the guidance of local tour guides and carry along protective clothing especially long-sleeved shirts, trousers and safety boots.
The best time to visit Mount Kilimanjaro is during the dry months of the year that consists of months of January, February, December, June, July and August to mention but a few.
Also while at Mount Kilimanjaro national park, tourists can access comfortable accommodation ranging from luxury option that are expensive to midrange and budget friendly accommodation options that are cheaper. Accommodation can be booked online on with the aid of a trusted tour operator.