Kilimanjaro Summit and Service Itinerary
Day 1-3: Service and Materuni waterfalls
Our first stop will be in Materuni, a village on the southern edge of Mount Kilimanjaro National Park 🏞️. We’ll hike to Materuni Waterfall, an impressive 260-foot-tall cascade with a perfect swimming hole 💦. The following day, we’ll meet with a school in a nearby village and spend about 10 hours doing community service; projects might include English exchange, building a playground 🛠️, or helping renovate facilities. Finally, we’ll pack and prepare for our trek to the top of Kilimanjaro! 🏔️
Accommodation: Hotel 🏨
Days 4-12: Hike Mount Kilimanjaro
Today, we begin what brought us all together: our nine-day trek to the summit of 19,341-foot Mount Kilimanjaro 🏔️! Though some speedy hikers can make the summit in five days, we’ll take our time so that we can enjoy the views 🌄 and acclimatize while bagging one of the famed Seven Summits. Down low in the forests, watch out for chameleons 🦎, mongooses, and bushbucks 🦌. As we climb higher, we will watch the landscape change from lush jungle 🌿 to stark, sandy sediment. On our final summit day, we’ll head to the highest peak named Uhuru, which means “freedom” in Swahili 🇹🇿. You will have just summited one of the highest peaks in the world!
Accommodation: Camping 🏕️
Day 13: Service day
After a strenuous nine days on Kili 🏔️, we’ll return to town for a relaxing afternoon 🌞, finishing any remaining service projects in and around Materuni.
Accommodation: Hotel 🏨
Days 14-17: Safari in the Serengeti
Due west is the world-famous Serengeti, which is our next destination! 🌍 Its name in Maasai means “endless plains,” and you’ll see why as we explore its vast ecosystem and wildlife sanctuary 🦁. Established in 1952, the Serengeti received designation as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa in 2013 because of its fascinating migration pattern, where more than two million wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles move in a clockwise direction through the area each year 🦓. On safari, it’s likely we’ll also see some of the predator inhabitants, including lions, cheetahs, leopards, jackals, African wild dogs, and spotted hyenas 🐾.
Accommodation: Glamping 🏕️
Days 18-20: Pangani Beach
It’s time to enjoy the sparkling warm waters of the Indian Ocean! 🌊 Next up is a visit to Pangani, a lesser-visited cousin to Zanzibar whose clean, calm waters are perfect for stand-up paddleboarding 🏄♂️. After SUPing alongside Pangani’s historical buildings, we’ll hop in sea kayaks to glide down the coast 🛶. Our last few nights in Africa will be spent celebrating our time together around bonfires 🔥 on beautiful white-sand beaches 🏖️.
Accommodation: Eco-lodge 🌿
Activities
✅ Community service: 10 hours
✅ Hiking
✅ Safari
✅ Snorkeling
✅ Stand-up paddle boarding
