13 Nov 2024
We had a great time with Mpemba as our guide - very informative, helpful, and flexible regarding the day's activities!
Be prepared for a long but eventfilled day if starting from Arusha (7am-8pm in our case, but we took it quite easy to get a good view of Kilimanjaro).
We started with the Maasai village, which included several small activities, including traditional dancing and spear throwing. This felt very commercialized, but we definitely had a good time!
Good hot lunch served together with the coffee experience, in a single location, which gave us a good understanding of the coffee making process, as they walk you through all of the steps in detail.
Swimming at Materuni waterfall is much recommended, as the hike can be quite warm, and there's good potential for seeing the summit of Kilimanjaro and other views on the way, depending on the weather. Wear decent shoes, as there can be some rough and muddy parts - but I wouldn't call it a strenuous hike, so trainers should be OK.
PS1: Make sure to bring quite a bit of extra cash - not required, but quite expected (gifts to Maasai children, Maasai and post-coffee souvenirs/crafts). The souvenirs are fairly high quality, so you might as well buy them here, but clearly tourist-priced. We also made some spontaneous purchases of fresh fruit and banana wine along the way.
PS2: The washrooms we encountered were mostly squat style and occasionally very basic, so bring some toilet paper (if you're used to Western toilets) and hand sanitizer!
If these two points sound OK, you'll have a great time!