Tailor-made itineraries are in fact the most common service we deliver at African Travel Gateway. These are itineraries that have been specially put together by us for you, to meet your specific requirements in terms of your required dates; duration of holiday; preferred places to be visited; budget and any other variables that may dictate a certain requirement. They can encompass as many countries as you want, and could include everything from hotel accommodation, safari accommodation, car hire, regional & local flights, road transfers, guided day tours, meet & assist services and adventure activities.

You may have already arranged part of your holiday or safari but need to arrange the rest, in which case we can also assist in arranging the missing links. Below we have provided a selection of tailor-made itineraries, designed by us for previous clients. This will give you an idea on the variety such an itinerary can have and how we personalize an itinerary - and can do the same for you !

A 12 day itinerary covering Tanzania and Zanzibar. It includes a guided climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro as well as some days at leisure on the beaches of Zanzibar. Road transfers and regional flights are the means of transport.

Tailor-made itinerary 04

Itinerary Specially Prepared For 2

21 Sept
On arrival at Dar es Salaam at 07h00 you make your way to the Zan Air Counter for check in to collect your air ticket for the Zan Air flight to Arusha, departing at 09h00 and arriving Arusha at 11h15. On arrival you will be met and transferred to the Keys Hotel, where you check into a room with your companion, Paul (already there) on a bed and breakfast basis. This evening there will be pre climb briefing. You will undertake the Kilimanjaro climb with Paul, via the Machame route which is an 8 day / 7 night (1st night spent at Keys, 5 nights on the mountain and 7th night at Keys Hotel)

If you need to hire any extra gear, advise the hotel this evening. Leave any excess clothing and valuables at the hotel - they will lock them up for you. Pack your bag carefully for the climb - remember the weight limit of 12kg. Leave some ‘bin bags’ in an outer pocket of your bag, and show the porters where they are so that in case of rain they can quickly cover your bag. Keep one out for your personal back pack too! Liaise with staff at reception, and leave them your airtickets to be reconfirmed during your climb. It is your responsibility to ensure that flights are reconfirmed, as any schedule changes will be advised at that time.

22 Sept
This morning after breakfast you will be driven to Park Gate (approx one hour) where you will meet your guide and porters. The guide has an amount of paperwork to do at the gate, as well as organising the porters - these things take time (African time!) - please relax, sit down and enjoy the scenery - don’t get anxious about starting off - it will only get you stressed out!! The larger the group, the longer it will take - be prepared to wait for anything from 1 - 2 hours.

Discuss with your guide, in detail, the route and each day’s activity.

A five hour walk through the spectacular forest will bring you to Machame Hut at 3000 m. This day wear your hiking boots and ensure you keep your wet weather gear with you. Shorts and t-shirt will be sufficient. There are patches on the route where it is VERY wet and muddy, and you may end up with pretty wet boots this evening. Ensure your boots are waterproofed, and that you have spare lightweight shoes to wear in camp this evening. ALWAYS keep your boots and water bottles INSIDE the tent at night - otherwise they will freeze. Fill up your water bottle at night, and purify it - allowing some of the chlorine fumes to dissipate.

Take it SLOWLY today, you will encounter some steep parts on the climb - but generally its not too strenuous. The porters walk ahead and sometimes with you - make sure every day, that you have all your personal gear needed with you as you will not have access to your bag.

Camp will be set up by the porters and your meals will be prepared by the guide. Conditions are difficult on this route, and your guide / porters will do everything they can to make your climb pleasant and as comfortable as possible. Eat well - at higher levels your appetite will diminish.

23 Sept
Ascend to Shira Hut, 3 800 m. A short descent from Machame Hut followed by an hour or so of hard uphill to the top of the forest, then 2 hours at a more gentle angle through the lower moorlands brings one to the top of a rocky bluff. Lunch is normally taken here. From here, descend 50 ft then start traversing westwards, up towards Shira Cathedral. The last section of this route is relatively flat and easy - but once again, take it very slowly.

Take a jersey with you today, as it cools down considerably during and after lunch. Again, keep your wet weather gear handy, and some snacks for the route. Drink plenty of water. Today you should take Diamox (if planning to) - in the morning. You may experience tingling fingers, toes and nose from this drug. As it is a diuretic, it is most important to keep your fluid intake high.

Camp at Shira – it’s a pretty cold campsite, you may get rain or sleet, and in the morning the ground and tents will be frozen over. Tonight you may experience headaches and breathing problems.

24 Sept
From Shira you will set off to Barranco (3 900 m), skirting just below Lava Tower - you are now walking at approx altitude of 4 000 m, around the southern side of the mountain. A few steep sections and valleys, a small section of scree and rock, some sand ‘dunes’ – it’s a long and fairly tiring day. This is part of your acclimatisation - walking in height from 3 800 m up to 4 800 m, and then overnighting at 3 900 m. Once again, pace yourself to graduate slowly. Tonight you may experience further headaches, nausea and breathing problems. Night temperature - again cold (night frosts).

25 Sept
Continue from Barranco across and up towards Barafu Hut (4 600 m). Today you will cross the Baranco Wall – it’s a climb over rock - not technical, but tiring and hard/long - ending up in the valley for lunch. After lunch you start to ascend - to Barafu - again you will probably get more headaches / nausea, some sections of sand/scree. It’s a long day - your guide will set the pace.

Learn to pace yourself with your breathing - do not try to rush to catch up with anyone, go at your own, most comfortable speed and you will arrive at base camp relatively comfortably. Listen to your guide/s, they will help you. It will be very cold today - especially when you stop for lunch and rest - dress warmly, again you may expect some sleet on this day. You will be walking through the cloud. After supper, drink as much tea as possible, settle down (option with a sleeping pill**) for an early night. You are likely to have a pretty bad headache at this stage. If you are vomiting, or hallucinating, talk to your guide. He will make the decision as to whether you are able to continue. If you plan to take Decadron, do so before going to bed. Drink plenty of fluids, as you are in a ‘desert’ area - albeit cold, and tomorrow will be a long hard day

26 Sept
Today is a very long and strenuous day. Drink lots of fluid before you start, you will be very thirsty by the end of the day - if you manage, carry 3 litres of fluid with you today.
You will be woken at about 00h30 or 01h00 with tea and a biscuit. Put on all your clothing ready for the final ascent.

You will be climbing up scree for approximately 4-5 hours. The guide will stop frequently to rest and check on his group. It is very important to listen to your body and breathing and try to get into a rhythm. Because of the slowness of your walk, your fingers and toes are likely to get extremely cold - three pairs of socks should be considered for today and two pairs of gloves (inner and warm outer). The views from the mountain (on the way up) are spectacular - you gain incredible height over a short distance.

You arrive at Stella Point (5 750 m), just at the top of the crater, have a rest - the sun should be shining! From here continue on a relatively easy path up to Uhuru peak (5 895 m), the highest point in Africa. Your water bottle is probably frozen at this stage, and on reaching the summit there will be a certain relief amongst the group.

You will descend from Stella to Barafu and then you’ll head south east in between the Mweka and Marangu routes. This is a shorter day than descending to Mweka, and you’re on a less used and basically untouched route only opened on 10 September 2001. The reason for changing this descent route, is purely to restore and “fix up” the well used Mweka route. Tonight you’ll overnight at Kadia camp, which is at about 3600 meters above sea level. The walk down will take approx 5-6 hours, note that if you only LEAVE Barafu at around 12h00 or later, it would be wise to carry a torch, and some snacks, plus full water bottles for the descent, just in case you arrive a little late if your group is slow. National parks have provided toilets etc at this camp , and cleared and marked the route.

It is likely you may experience seizure of joints - particularly knees today - keep a support bandage with you for this descent, and perhaps some anti-inflammatory pills/cream.

27 Sept
This morning you’ll start a bit earlier than usual, as you have an extra hour or so for your descent to the gate. About a 5-6 hour walk down to the gate. Keys hotel will meet you at the Kadia Park Gate, above Old Moshi, which is a short 30 minute drive from Moshi town. Keys hotel will meet you with your lunch and will give you the opportunity to purchase some drinks before returning to the hotel.

Liaise with your head guide regarding tips - we recommend approximately USD 80, which the guide will apportion out amongst the group. Any old clothes, shoes, etc. would also be most appreciated. If you feel at any stage, any pressure regarding tips, please make sure you report this on your return to the hotel to the management and it will be taken up accordingly. Whilst tips are compulsory, and the above figure is ‘expected’ - anything above that is totally at your discretion.

Met and transferred to the Keys Hotel. At the Keys Hotel you will check into a double room with Ms Turnock (who arrives today), on a bed and continental breakfast basis. Please note that the hotel will be pretty busy this evening, and it is wise to stagger showering if there are other large groups in - otherwise you may not get hot water. The bar will be well-stocked with cold beers however!

Check with receptionist that flights are all ok, and your departure time for the following morning.

28 Sept
This morning you and Ms Turnock will be transferred to the Arusha Airstrip where you both board the Zan Air Flight to Zanzibar, departing at 14h15 and arriving at 15h15. On arrival you will be met and transferred to the Breezes Beach Club where you check in for (5) nights stay on a dinner, bed and breakfast basis in a superior double room.

For centuries the historic spice island of Zanzibar has evoked a mystical and magical dream. Fascinating history, exotic spice tours, sandy beaches and hospitable people. This is the enchantment of Zanzibar, and the place to discover it is at Breezes Beach Club. This beautiful five-star resort is situated along a pristine, untouched beach stretching as far as the eye can
see. With personalized service, attention to detail and warm hospitality, Breezes is a traveler’s ultimate home away from home. Stroll for miles on a white sandy beach, dine in candlelight overlooking the ocean, fall asleep to the sound of the waves, learn Swahili in the shade of the palm trees, savor the taste of exotic spices and delicacies from the Indian Ocean and enjoy an
excellent variety of dining and recreational facilities. At Breezes you will revisit days gone by and discover Zanzibar’s magic in luxury and comfort. We promise you a holiday with a personal touch and we will ensure that your visit to this historic island is a memorable one. One of our guests recently wrote in our guest book “it is rare that we feel privileged to stay in a hotel, but that has indeed been our experience at Breezes!” We are dedicated to ensuring that you depart with this same feeling and with the intention of returning once again. All the rooms at Breezes Beach Club are spacious and tastefully furnished in Zanzibar elegance. All rooms are fully
air-conditioned with en-suite bathrooms and are equipped with personal safe boxes.

29 Sept - 02 Oct
At leisure in Zanzibar.

03 Oct
This morning early you will be transferred back to Zanzibar Airport, where you board your flight to Dar es Salaam, departing at 06h50 and arriving at 07h15, in time to connect with your 09h15 outbound flight.