Travel questions, answered

The main dry season runs from late June to October and is the most popular time for both safari and Kilimanjaro. January to mid-March is a second dry window, and it is when the wildebeest calve on the southern Serengeti plains. The long rains fall in April and May, and short rains in November. Green-season travel means fewer vehicles, lower rates and dramatic skies, at the cost of some rain most days.

Most nationalities do. A single-entry tourist visa is normally US$50, or US$100 for United States passport holders. You can apply in advance through the Tanzanian immigration e-visa service, which we recommend, or on arrival at Kilimanjaro International. Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your date of entry.

A yellow fever certificate is required if you are arriving from, or have transited through, a country with a risk of yellow fever transmission. Malaria prophylaxis is strongly recommended for safari areas and the coast. Please take advice from a travel clinic several weeks before you fly — we are not able to give medical advice.

Fitter than you think, but it is not a technical climb. If you can walk for six hours on consecutive days over hilly ground, you have the basic fitness. Altitude matters more than fitness: most people who do not summit went up too fast rather than being too weak, which is why we push longer routes.

Ours is 87% to the crater rim and 70% to Uhuru Peak, across climbers of a very wide range of ages and abilities. Beyond that it depends almost entirely on the route and its length: eight-day Lemosho and the nine-day Northern Circuit have the strongest profiles on the mountain, and short five-day Marangu climbs the weakest, which is why we do not sell them. You will read elsewhere that the success rate on Kilimanjaro is under thirty percent. That number comes from climbers who arrived without knowing what they were taking on, badly clothed and badly fed. The main reason to climb any mountain is to have a safe and enjoyable time; the summit is a bonus, and never the sole aim.

Yes. Every itinerary on this site is run as a private trip with your own vehicle and guide, and everyone gets a window seat. We do not put strangers together in a vehicle unless you specifically ask to join a group to reduce cost.

Toyota Land Cruisers converted for game viewing, with a pop-up roof, charging points, a cool box and drinking water on board. They are our own vehicles, maintained by our own mechanics, which is why they are not full of other operators' logos.

Budget between 10% and 15% of the cost of your climb for tips. The larger the party, the less each climber needs to contribute. On safari a driver-guide is usually tipped US$20 to US$25 a day, and on a camping safari the cook US$15 to US$20 and the waiter US$13 to US$18. On the mountain: head guide US$20 to US$25 a day, assistant guide US$15 to US$20, cook US$15 to US$20, waiter US$13 to US$18, and porters US$10 to US$13 each. Please tip each crew member rather than handing it all to the guide to distribute — that is unfair to the guide and to the crew. We give you a written breakdown before you travel.

We arrange internal flights, transfers and Zanzibar accommodation as part of an itinerary. International flights are usually cheaper booked yourself, so we leave those to you and plan around your arrival.

Children are very welcome, and we run family safaris regularly. Some camps have minimum ages, and long driving days are hard on younger children, so we build shorter drives and rest time into family itineraries. Kilimanjaro has a minimum age of ten.

Tanzania is politically stable and tourism is a major part of the economy. Normal city precautions apply in Arusha, Moshi and Dar es Salaam. On safari and on the mountain you are with your guide throughout.

The national park runs a rescue service, and the ranger stations at the huts and campsites are linked to each other and to park headquarters by radio. In the large majority of emergencies the problem is altitude, and the treatment is immediate descent. Our guides are experienced at exactly this and can bring a climber down to a safe altitude quickly, without waiting for park assistance if it is not immediately available. The decision to descend is the guide's, and it is final. You must hold travel insurance that covers trekking and evacuation to 6,000 m.

Yes. We keep a large stock of clothing, mountain equipment and sleeping bags for hire. We would still rather you brought as much of your own warm clothing as you can, and boots in particular should never be hired or borrowed — blisters on day two end more climbs than altitude does.

Insect protection matters everywhere malaria is reported, and cases in Tanzania have risen in recent years. Wear long sleeves, long trousers, a hat and closed shoes rather than sandals, and use a repellent with 20-35% DEET or 20% picaridin on exposed skin. Talk to a travel clinic about prophylaxis before you fly.

All of our guides speak enough English to handle an emergency such as altitude sickness, and to talk comfortably about everyday things. None of them will debate politics with you fluently. We have always valued our guides for how they handle an emergency, and for how well they read a climber and encourage them, rather than for how chatty they are.

Yes, over the Serengeti, and it has to be reserved well in advance — it is not something we can arrange the night before. You lift off at dawn and fly for about an hour, and however good the pilot is, the balloon goes where the wind goes. It is booked as an add-on to any Serengeti night.

Two side trips are worth the time on the day you cross the conservation area: a Maasai village, and the Olduvai Gorge museum, which is one of the most important palaeoanthropological sites in the world. Tell your guide in the morning and either can be built into the day.

Most guidebooks suggest an extra day, particularly on Marangu, and it is a personal decision. What matters more is the overall approach to the climb from the first morning. That said, many people find the extra day makes the whole climb feel less pressured, and it buys some good walking on the slopes of Mawenzi.