Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
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As an Exodus staff member, I know how much people love this trip – but experiencing it for myself took my appreciation to a whole new level!
The local team are simply brilliant. It’s fair to say I would have got nowhere near the top without the positivity and knowledge of our leader, Happyness, and assistant guides Lucy, Joyce and Florian, plus all the support crew. On top of that, the group I joined as a solo traveller was so welcoming and funny – every day was a blast.
Additionally, the Lemosho Route itself felt like a great choice. Just having that little bit longer to acclimatise may have been the difference between me getting to the top and not.
Most Inspirational Moment
I loved climbing the Barranco Wall, but it's got to be standing at Uhuru Peak with the rest of the group!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Happyness was simply incredible. She was so attentive when she needed to be, she made sure we acclimatised safely, she answered any questions we had and always made sure we were comfortable. It was such a privilege to walk up the mountain with her and her excellent support crew
Advice for Potential Travellers
Read the Trip Notes before you book and make sure you're comfortable with the difficulty of the trip - particularly summit night!
The trip was amazing, we summited Kilimanjaro and we were well looked after by our leader Lucia Kivoi and her team.
Most Inspirational Moment
The highlight was undoubtedly summiting Kilimanjaro but also climbing to the top of the Barranco wall safely. The food was excellent and the campsites and toilet facilities were much better than I was expecting.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Lucia Kivoi - was amazing and very inspirational. She organised her team to perfection, everyone was happy to be there, very friendly and knew exactly what their role was and they all carried out their roles extremely well. Lucia went above and beyond to look after every single person in the tourist group, her communication and organisation skills and attention to customer care were the best. I would definitely recommend Lucia and her to team anyone interested in taking part in this trip.
The trip was well organized. The on the ground team in Tanzania looked after us well and kept us safe. They were cheerful and pleasant to work with, helping us with our needs with a smile on their faces. They treated us like family .
Most Inspirational Moment
The scenic beauty and varied terrain of Mt Kilimanjaro and the on the ground team of guides and porters. We had amazing support from a warm, helpful and group of beautiful Tanzanian women and men!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Lucia was a wonderful guide and leader. She was professional, kept the group focused and treated us like family. She took care of our needs and checked in on everyone regularly. Her assistant guides were also fantastic.
The Best tour to climb Kilimanjaro - First Class Standard
We have just returned from this amazing trip.
What a wonderfully experience it was.
David the tour leader was absolutely fantastic.
He was strong and decisive leader and was exactly what we all needed to complete this tough challenge.
The porters were unbelievable and every bit of credit you read about them in other reviews is so very well deserved.
See for yourselves how dedicated to you they are.
It’s like a small village constantly on the move up the mountain together.
The food was first class and there were a lot of choices for everybody.
To be fair we all ate really well and you certainly wont go hungry at all.
The mess tent had a great vibe as you will find similar people wanting to do similar things as yourselves.
Our group of 11 had a great balance.
Me and my wife were the only couple together and all the others had come despite being in relationships.
Advice
Don’t take a book or a kindle. There is very little ‘down time’ so you wont get the time you think you will get because there is always something to do.
I thought we’d have hours of waiting around in the afternoons but it never worked out that way.
Sometimes everybody would be tired and take a nap other times a card game would commence.
You’ll be amazed at how quickly the hours go.
You will have a great group of people believe me.
You booked this trip for the same reasons that they did so embrace it.
You will wear a lot of the same clothes, just ensure you have your summit night clothes fresh and ready to go.
Because we went in early February there were hot days and cold nights.
Your clothes wont smell and neither will you so take a little roll on deodorant and use it every morning.
You will get a wishy washy (bowl of hot water) every morning and most afternoons too.
Remember it’s nothing like Glastonbury camping mainly because you will always be sober.
Believe it or not but the 15kg allowance is plenty.
No it really is.
Don’t stress about packing it’s all going to be OK…
Don’t go mad with your snacks as there is unlimited chocolate and biscuits provided by Exodus.
The only small complaint was that the toilet tent was a bit shabby and the zipper needed attention.
The toilet itself was absolutely fine.
I’m sure Exodus can afford a new toilet tent.
The organisation was first class and a lot of friendships developed.
It’s amazing how it’s all arranged and so well put together.
I would recommend this trip 100% and Exodus as a company have got you covered.
They might cost a little more than other tours but you get what you pay for on the mountain.
Most Inspirational Moment
One of our guides on summit night Lucy dragging me to the top when I was exhausted.
“Get on your feet!” She would shout to me.
I would never have submitted without her.
Everyone at Exodus was inspiring.
Fred, William, Angela, Anna and of course our leader David and Mama Lucy (my sister from a different Mister) were inspirational.
Milton and his team in the cooking tent were magicians.
Thank you to you all.
Thoughts on Group Leader
David was a solid leader who was impeccable, faultless.
He made you believe in him and respect him.
When he spoke you listened.
He didn’t mess he wanted to get everyone to summit and he cared about his group and his staff.
Advice for Potential Travellers
No books (you wont have time)
Wear the same clothes apart from summit night.
Go easy on your snacks as Exodus supply plenty themselves.
Take hand sanitiser
You only need one hat.
Wet wipe washes are fine and wear merino wool undies.
Small packet of Rennie (heartburn)
You wont need any hair products as you will be wearing a hat for most of the time.
No one ‘dresses up’
A great route up Kilimanjaro allowing for some of the best (for Kilimanjaro) altitude aclimatisation on the way, helping to ensure greater success and less physical stress. Lemosho is a busy route though, even more so when the trail merges with the Machame route. You will definitely not feel like you have the mountain to yourself.
Most Inspirational Moment
For me this is not a personal thing but it is watching the porters. They carry all the camp gear and our kit bags and soon zip past us after we leave camp in the morning for our day of hiking. Often they were wearing clothing and footwear that is questionable for the environment yet they complete their job with incredible stoicism.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Lucia was excellent in every way. Three of our main guide team were women. Lucia, Anna and Happiness, we also had Angela for a couple of days at the start too. Brown was the fourth and only male guide we had from start to finish. Freddie, one of the helping porters who we got to know serving our food in the mess tent, stepped up and worked as an assistant guide on the final summit stage. He did a great job too. Lucia clearly earned and commanded so much respect from everyone both us as clients and the rest of her team. She and Anna were very strong, standing our ground on the Barranco wall where it is easy for climbers to be pushed aside by the army of porters also ascending the same narrow route. All our guides set a really good walking pace that made it all that much easier. Lucia told us that she sends a member of her team ahead to the next camp to try and get us good spots at the camp sites before everyone else. This often worked and was a good tactic for us all.
Advice for Potential Travellers
This was my second summit of Kilimanjaro. The first time was by the Rongai route, this time the Lemosho. I naturally compared the two. Lemosho definitely wins for altitude aclimatisiation over Rongai. The lay of the land and two more days of ascent help greatly with this. I will also say Lemosho is slightly more scenic along the trail than Rongai but not massively. Where Lemosho fails is crowds. Just about every adventure travel operator going, including Exodus generally plug Lemosho as the premier route up Kilimanjaro. Add to this the fact the also popular Machame route and Lemosho route merge on the third day, the crowds of porters and hikers can be significant. A few times, I saw a near unbroken line of people as far ahead on the trail as I could see and the same looking back where we'd come from. This also makes for very large and crowded camp sites. On summit night it took us about 20 minutes of "pole pole" walking just to clear the Barranco camp. A few years back on the Rongai there were four or five total groups , including us, moving up the mountain at the same time. I also found the final summit climb on Rongai to be easier under foot but one of our guides told me that it may no longer be as good as I remember it due to the fact with climate change, the ground does not as reliabley freeze hard at night as it once did. Sometimes making it heavy going on the loose small stoney trail. As for other things. Kilimanjaro is a dusty place, which ever way you go, and it gets everywhere. Be prepared to be mucky. British travellers don't need a plug adapter for Tanzania, it's the same plug. I travelled in July. I did not see or hear a single mosquito from start to finish. All your drinking water on the mountain is provided and is chlorinated by the crew so there is no need to bring your own water treatment. The barranco wall is no where near as bad as you may sometimes hear (apart from the numerous false summits) but it is a hands on job. Some light gloves like long finger mountain bike gloves would be handy for it. More so when Lucia told us the porters frequently spit on the rocks you're gripping on to.
Exodus and their team, whether those based in the UK or on the ground in Tanzania, could not have acted more professionally or been more helpful in ensuring that I had a fantastic trip.
Our group’s all female team of guides, led by Lucia, with Joyce, Anna, Angela and Happiness did their utmost everyday with words of encouragement, smiles and gentle cajoling to steer us to the summit! It was like being looked after by a pride of lionesses!
Without the rest of Lucia’s team of porters, chefs etc, success would not have been possible.
The aim of the trek was to summit Kilimanjaro but by taking the Lemosho Route, it enabled us to enjoy, stunning scenery, interesting and unusual flora and fauna and perhaps most important of all, a little more time to acclimatise for the summit attempt.
Prospective trekkers should be aware that a sunrise at the top of Kibo is not guaranteed. The five of us who successfully summited, were greeted by a temperature of -10 deg C and very strong winds! Just glad I had so many layers on! All summit attempts for the previous night were cancelled.
This experience will stay with me for the rest of my life, including getting to know my seven fellow trekkers, who were great fun! Have a good look at Exodus, you will not be disappointed.
Date of experience: 25 February 2024
Most Inspirational Moment
Summit night. To quote one of our fellow group members after summiting: " We looked deeply into ourselves, all through a very dark and stormy night on an unrelenting climb, faced real adversity and prevailed!" Sounds a bit melodramatic but all of the previous night's summit attempts were cancelled because of the weather.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Lucia Kivio and her assistant guides, Anna, Angela, Happiness and Joyce were superb. As stated above, I couldn't have summited without them.
Advice for Potential Travellers
1) Pole, pole, the slower the better. 2) Drink more than you think you will need. 3) Eat plenty, it's easy not to but you need as much energy as possible. 4) A positive attitude is essential, one step at a time, only think about one day at a time and enjoy. 5) Enjoy the company of your group and support each other.
I loved every minute of this trip. We had a great group, 16 people. Our leader and porters were fantastic. The weather during the day was good. It was cold at night. Thankfully I brought a hot water bottle and the porters filled it for me at night. My only comment would be, that the sleeping bags which we hired were very poor quality. I think that they had been laundered too many times, hence there was no warmth in them. The sleeping bags were very small, just one size! Not sure that a well built man would be able to fit into one of them! I didn’t have any altitude sickness symptoms, but some of my fellow travellers did. The food was great, very plentiful and for me, no tummy problems. I had the right clothes for the trip and this made a huge difference. We had a proper toilet at each camp and that was great for us girls…! I just loved this trip, I would go again tomorrow. I am already looking at Everest Base Camp – I am hooked.
Most Inspirational Moment
I loved the Baranco wall and reaching the summit early on summit day. Getting there early, meant easy access to the Kilimanjaro sign and to be able to take photos. Those who got there later, had "arguments" with fellow trekkers to get a photo at the sign. The way that the guides and porters work is inspirational. They were such a happy bunch. We loved the singing.
Thoughts on Group Leader
The group leader was fantastic, very kind and caring. She had a great team around her. All the porters were just fantastic. Great attitude, positive, friendly, happy. Amazing people.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Take a hot water bottle, have the right clothes,(lots of layers) consider taking your own sleeping bag (right size for you and with the right level of warmth). Maybe get some clothes in the charity shop that you are willing to donate or leave behind at the end of the trip. These are useful for the porters and guides in the future. My clothes got very dirty, I am still trying to get them clean! Think about leaving your trainers/hiking boots for the guides and porters. Their shoes and clothes are not the same quality that we are used to.
This trip is well worth booking, challenging yet rewarding I am so pleased we chose to do this through Exodus. The food is great, it’s hard to believe food to such a high standard is prepared in a tent.
Most Inspirational Moment
The team who helped us throughout the week are so inspirational. They work so hard and yet always have a smile on their faces. There is no way we would have completed summit day without their expertise and support. We were a group of 6 with a team of 23!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our team leader was called Happiness and she was amazing in everyday. Supportive, professional, inspiring and so experienced. Happiness ran a great team, always made sure we were feeling OK, checked how much we were eating and drinking and made sure we dug deep to get to the top. Her assistant guides Lucy, Simon, Pendaely and Floriam (for summit day) were equally amazing. They all work so well together. Nothing can prepare you for how difficult the summit walk is and without good guides it would be impossible to make it.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The tents are small so if travelling alone I think the single supplement is money vety well spent! I also think arriving a couple of days early really helps prepare for the climb. The whole trip is extremely dusty so bring plenty of spare clothes! One of the members of our trip hired a sleeping bag and it wasn't warm enough, every camp is cold so do research and bring a good sleeping bag and roll mat.
