点评:I booked a solo guided trip to Kilimanjaro with Prosus Climbs and Safaris for September of this year and it was a truly amazing experience.
There are a mind-boggling number of tour and guiding companies offering trips to the mountain but my decision was made easier as the lead guide and owner of this company (Prosper Chacha) was recommended by a friend who had been guided by him a couple of years ago.
I had thought that the process of booking and planning a trip to Kilimanjaro would be a laborious and complicated affair but it was as simple as emailing via the website with my planned travel dates and choice of route and everything was taken care of very quickly. The details of potential routes, timings, duration, dates and differing price/accommodation options etc were sent to me allowing me to effectively 'tailor make' my trip based on my budget and expectations.
There is a certain level of peace-of-mind in that payment is made with a deposit and then further payments in advance and again on arrival; again this was easy and quick with all details, receipts etc sorted in a timely manner.
Now for the fun bit of the review! I was collected from the airport by Prosper and his brother Casper (also a qualified Kilimanjaro guide). I immediately felt both welcome and at ease and we chatted all the way to my hotel; getting to know each other and being given a lot of information about what to expect as well as lots of interesting facts about Tanzania.
The hotel I'd been booked into (all sorted by the company) was the Maridadi Hotel in Moshi. I will review the hotel separately but suffice to say it was excellent. Check-in was completed by Prosper and then we went straight into kit-checking. I was impressed by the professionalism and diligence of Prosper as he checked I had all the required kit, clothing and equipment for my trek. There is an exhaustive packing list provided on Prosus' website and it is advised that you follow it. Afterwards we went to the hotel bar for a beer and had a chat about the plan for the following day. I was again impressed at how well organised everything seemed to be and the safety precautions and considerations were excellent.
After breakfast (superb breakfast) I was collected promptly at 08:30 when I met my trekking team and boarded the minibus to Rongai Gate (I did the 7 day Rongai Route). The drive was a couple of hours or so with a stop for a quick bite to eat
I'll not review my trek day-by-day as everyone will experience a trek up Kilimanjaro differently, rather I will briefly review my own experience of it. Quite simply it was the most epic and wonderful experience. It was everything I hoped it would be and more; a true magical, challenging adventure which I don't have the literary skills to do justice to. There is a day by day account of my particular trip on the Prosus Climbs and Safaris FaceBook page that is certainly worth a read if you're planning a trip. What I will say is the planning, the support and Prosper's experience are evident all the time and serve to make the trip the most amazing trip possible.
I was amazed at how well each camp was set up by the team each evening and stunned at how such a variety of wonderful food could be provided. Breakfast of porridge, eggs, omelette, sausage, pancake. Evening meals starting with soup (different each day) and main courses varying from fish to chicken stews, beef curry, spicy potatoes... absolutely wonderful food. Tea, coffee, hot chocolate, juice and always plenty of water available. Tents and sleeping arrangements were far beyond expectations too; you are truly looked after by Prosper and his team.
The support team of porters, chef, waiter, toilet-master (I did pay a little bit extra to have certain facilities) etc are all so very friendly and helpful... these guys become your friends and without them summiting the mountain wouldn't be possible. The whole setup is designed to make your experience unforgettable but also to ensure your safety and mainly to get you up the mountain. To that end there are regular medical checks along the route to ensure your physical well-being and safety.
As mentioned earlier; this is a review of Prosus Climbs and Safaris rather than an in depth review of trekking and summiting Kilimanjaro... I will let my photos on this page speak for themselves in that respect.
So in summary I will say that Prosus Climbs and Safaris, in my experience, is a slick, professional, reliable, friendly and, above all, trustworthy company. Prosper (Lead Guide and CEO) is a real gentleman and a really great bloke...and now a good friend. Susanna (who deals with the bookings, questions and all correspondence) is also very professional and very helpful and a delightful person (I spoke to her briefly online). Casper (my drinking partner), Oscar the driver and my whole support team were fantastic people too; all professional but also a great laugh and now more friends than anything else. I feel I should mention Bahati (chef), Mwtta Joseph (waiter), Alex Chacha (tent crew), Joseph Masinga (toilet master), "Little" Richard Machenje (my summit support), Peter Sabi (porter), Chacha "Mr Buffalo" Marhia and Josephat Maghbi... I couldn't have asked for a better team!
If you're planning a Kilimanjaro trip then save yourself some time and effort and use Prosus Climbs and Safaris.
翻译:我预订了今年 9 月 Prosus Climbs and Safaris 的单人乞力马扎罗山之旅,这真是一次奇妙的经历。
提供登山旅行的旅游和导游公司多得令人难以置信,但我的决定更容易做出,因为这家公司的首席导游兼老板 (Prosper Chacha) 是一位朋友推荐的,几年前他曾担任过他的导游。
我原以为预订和计划乞力马扎罗山之旅的过程会很费力和复杂,但它很简单,只需通过网站发送电子邮件,告知我计划的旅行日期和路线选择,一切都会很快完成。潜在路线、时间、持续时间、日期和不同的价格/住宿选择等详细信息已发送给我,使我能够根据预算和期望有效地“量身定制”我的旅行。
这在一定程度上让我安心,因为只需支付定金,然后提前付款,抵达后再付款;再次,这个过程既简单又快捷,所有细节、收据等都及时整理好了。
现在来看看这篇评论的有趣部分!Prosper 和他的兄弟 Casper(也是一名合格的乞力马扎罗山导游)在机场接我。我立刻感到既受欢迎又自在,我们一路聊天到我的酒店;互相了解,并得到了很多关于坦桑尼亚的信息以及很多有趣的事实。
我预订的酒店(全部由公司整理)是莫西的 Maridadi 酒店。我会单独评论这家酒店,但可以说它很棒。Prosper 完成了入住手续,然后我们直接进入了装备检查。Prosper 的专业精神和勤奋给我留下了深刻的印象,他检查了我是否带齐了徒步旅行所需的所有装备、衣服和设备。Prosus 网站上提供了一份详尽的打包清单,建议您遵循它。之后我们去酒店的酒吧喝啤酒,聊了聊第二天的计划。我再次对一切井然有序感到印象深刻,安全预防措施和考虑也非常周到。
早餐后(早餐很棒),我准时在 08:30 到达,与我的徒步旅行团队会面,然后乘坐小巴前往 Rongai Gate(我走了 7 天的 Rongai 路线)。车程大约几个小时,中途停下来吃点东西
我不会逐日回顾我的徒步旅行,因为每个人攀登乞力马扎罗山的经历都不同,而是简要回顾我自己的经历。简而言之,这是最史诗般和最美妙的经历。它完全符合我的期望,甚至超出了我的期望;这是一次真正神奇、充满挑战的冒险,我没有文学技巧来公正地描述它。Prosus Climbs and Safaris FaceBook 页面上有我特定旅行的每日记录,如果您正在计划旅行,绝对值得一读。我要说的是,规划、支持和 Prosper 的经验始终显而易见,使这次旅行成为最精彩的旅行。
我很惊讶团队每晚都把每个营地布置得如此完美,也惊讶于他们能提供如此多种类的美味食物。早餐有粥、鸡蛋、煎蛋卷、香肠、煎饼。晚餐从汤开始(每天都不一样),主菜从鱼到鸡肉炖菜、咖喱牛肉、辣土豆……绝对美味的食物。茶、咖啡、热巧克力、果汁,而且总是有充足的水。帐篷和睡眠安排也远远超出了预期;Prosper 和他的团队真的照顾你。
搬运工、厨师、服务员、厕所管理员(我确实多付了一点钱来使用某些设施)等支持团队都非常友好和乐于助人……这些人会成为你的朋友,没有他们,登顶是不可能的。整个安排旨在让您拥有难忘的体验,同时也确保您的安全,主要是让您登上山顶。为此,沿途会定期进行医疗检查,以确保您的身体健康和安全。
如前所述;这是对 Prosus Climbs and Safaris 的评论,而不是对徒步旅行和登顶乞力马扎罗山的深入评论……在这方面,我将让本页上的照片说明一切。
总而言之,根据我的经验,我会说 Prosus Climbs and Safaris 是一家精明、专业、可靠、友好,最重要的是值得信赖的公司。Prosper(首席导游和首席执行官)是一位真正的绅士,一个非常棒的人……现在是一位好朋友。Susanna(负责预订、问题和所有通信)也非常专业,非常乐于助人,是一个令人愉快的人(我在网上和她简短地交谈过)。Casper(我的酒友)、司机 Oscar 和我的整个支持团队也都是很棒的人;不仅专业,而且笑得很开心,现在我的朋友比什么都多。我觉得我应该提到 Bahati(厨师)、Mwtta Joseph(服务员)、Alex Chacha(帐篷工作人员)、Joseph Masinga(厕所管理员)、“小”Richard Machenje(我的登顶支持)、Peter Sabi(搬运工)、Chacha“水牛先生”Marhia 和 Josephat Maghbi……我找不到比他们更好的团队了!
如果您正在计划乞力马扎罗山之旅,那么请节省一些时间和精力,使用 Prosus Climbs and Safaris。