Safari to West Kilimanjaro

a really interesting range of activities

West Kilimanjaro is a relatively remote and little-visited safari area situated to the north of Mount Meru in the Tanzania Northeast region.

The greater safari area which combines West Kilimanjaro with Amboseli National Park across the border in Kenya, is renowned for the stunning backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro.

This southern side of the international border experiences dramatically lower visitor numbers, but also tends to be rather less reliable for wildlife, as well being home to local herders and domestic stock.

The area contains some interesting and relatively upmarket accommodation options, most of which offer an unusually broad range of activities, notably including day treks on Mount Kilimanjaro and days spent with local Maasai warriors who have become Lion Guardians.

If you want to include that view of Kilimanjaro in your trip, then this area (unlike Amboseli) is relatively easy to combine with Serengeti.

West Kilimanjaro tends to appeal most to experienced safari travellers, who will appreciate the very low visitor numbers and the subtle allure of the place.

It can also be a very nice place to relax and charge your batteries before trekking Mount Kilimanjaro.

Key experiences

The better lodges in the West Kilimanjaro area offer an unusually broad range of activities.

The main activity is vehicle safari, exploring the broad open plains, seasonal waterholes and acacia forests between the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and the Kenyan border. The area is home to a good range of wildlife, notably elephants, giraffes, zebras, lions and cheetahs, although rarely in the densities of most better known safari areas.

The camps also all offer walking safari, usually in the company of local Maasai warriors. Sometimes this also includes a cultural element, with explanations of the traditional uses of various plants, but rarely does it include deliberate attempts to approach large animals such as elephants and lions.

Night vehicle safari is also a possibility out here. Although we have no personal experience of this activity in this location, we would expect it to be quite low-key, unless you get very lucky and happen upon an active pride of lions.

Another option is to do a day trip up to the Shira Plateau, the western flank of Mount Kilimanjaro, to do some high altitude hiking. This involves passing up through the montane forest and out onto the moorland climate zone, which is a stark contrast to the plains below. For anyone who is not up for the full seven night trek to the top of Kilimanjaro, this day trip is a very cool little alternative.

It’s also often possible to visit a local lion conservation project, the Lion Guardians, in which local Maasai warriors are trained to protect rather than hunt these endangered animals. Spending time with a genuine hunter-turned-gamekeeper, tracking wild lions on foot, is a truly mouthwatering prospect.

There are further options for cultural interaction, with visits to local Maasai bomas and other more involved activities.

West Kilimanjaro is usually best visited during the May-Oct dry season, but really can be accessed year round.

Getting there

West Kilimanjaro can be reached by road from Kilimanjaro International Airport in just a couple of hours.

We usually precede a visit with 2-3 nights at Hatari Lodge in Arusha National Park or a transit night at Rivertrees on the main Moshi-Arusha highway.

Where to stay

There are only a handful of small camps in West Kilimanjaro, the demand is not sufficient to sustain more.

The stand-out option is undoubtedly the deliciously stylish Shu’mata Camp.

best suited to return visitors in search of new areas