Kilimanjaro Guide Recommendation

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CatManDo
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Kilimanjaro Guide Recommendation

Post by CatManDo »

My wife and I just got back from three weeks in Tanzania. We did a six day climb of Kili and had an outstanding experience.

I never post "advertisements" for companies or guides but our guide was so exceptional that I feel obligated to put a recommendation out there.

His name is Godlisten Moshi and his company is GM Expeditions - http://www.gmexpeditions.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

He travels to the US regularly and had dinner with us in Denver a couple months before our trip. It was great to get to know him a little bit before arriving in Tanzania. He grew up feet from the main gate and knows the mountain and the area really well. His assistant guide and porters were great and made for a really fun trip.

If you're considering climbing Kili, absolutely contact him.
peter303
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Re: Kilimanjaro Guide Recommendation

Post by peter303 »

I heard on NPR that tourist bookings in Kenya are way down at this time even though the plague is on the west side of the continent.
Plus the value of the dollar has zoomed lately. You should get some good travel deals.
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Traveler
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Re: Kilimanjaro Guide Recommendation

Post by Traveler »

How did you hear about GME? They don't seem to be listed at all in the latest Stedman book (2014) reviews of Kilimanjaro trekking agencies.
CatManDo
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Re: Kilimanjaro Guide Recommendation

Post by CatManDo »

We heard about GME from a friend of my wife's. She went with GME and recommended them. We had a couple phone calls with the owner, exchanged emails and then met him in person when he came to Denver. They're a small operation so that's probably why they're not listed. Being small was a good thing. It was just my wife and I in the group, they didn't force us to be joined by 8 other strangers to fill out a group of ten (or more). Some of the groups were 20+ people. It also gave us the opportunity to interact with the guides and porters and become friends with them over the course of the trip. The owner was our head guide which was great because we already knew him before we arrived. It really was a great experience.
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Re: Kilimanjaro Guide Recommendation

Post by AnnaG22 »

Thank you for sharing!! I've been dreaming of Kilimanjaro and GME's website (with your recommendation) looks like almost exactly what I want!
"The love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth, the earth which bore us and sustains us, the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need – if only we had the eyes to see." -Ed Abbey

"I get scared sometimes—lots of times—but it's not bad. You know? I feel close to myself. When I'm out there at night, I feel close to my own body, I can feel my blood moving, my skin and my fingernails, everything, it's like I'm full of electricity and I'm glowing in the dark—I'm on fire almost—I'm burning away into nothing—but it doesn't matter because I know exactly who I am." from The Things They Carried
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Re: Kilimanjaro Guide Recommendation

Post by Traveler »

Thanks, I will probably contact them and get some more info. I plan to go next summer.
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Re: Kilimanjaro Guide Recommendation

Post by Traveler »

I just summited on Friday via the Lemosho route using Godlisten and GME. I highly recommend them. They are very reasonably priced for a moderate level of service (they pick you up from/drop you off at Kilimanjaro airport, put you up at a nice hotel in Arusha before and after the hike, include a portable toilet tent, cook and serve all meals in a mess tent with folding chairs and table, etc--all of these things are included in the price). The price is particularly good if you want to go in a very small group (we had only three hikers in our group).

It is also fantastic that Godlisten generally comes to the U.S. every year (including Colorado) during the rainy season (April-May) and we were able to meet him in person prior to our trip.
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Exiled Michigander
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Re: Kilimanjaro Guide Recommendation

Post by Exiled Michigander »

Traveler wrote:I just summited on Friday via the Lemosho route using Godlisten and GME.
I expect a trip report soon. How else am I supposed to get through the work day?
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BrentRichter
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Re: Kilimanjaro Guide Recommendation

Post by BrentRichter »

I used http://www.kiliwarriors.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; when I went about 8 or so years ago and one of my friends used them this year. I highly recommend using them as they treat the porters well, the porters are truly happy, which makes you're trip all the more enjoyable, there are private portable toilets (when you're on the mountain you'll see the disgusting outhouses everyone else is standing in line to use), private shower system, the porters make all your meals, the guides are properly trained in case of emergency, they have safety gear/communications in case something goes wrong, and there's no BS about oh you have to ascend the summit at midnight . . . that's just a scheme the other guides use so that they don't have to pay for one more night of camping permits.
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benlen
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Re: Kilimanjaro Guide Recommendation

Post by benlen »

This thread is a great resource. I would love to climb Kilimanjaro someday. The only thing that turns me off about this is the "luxury" idea of it. I'm totally onboard having a guide, but I don't want to be ushered Disney style to the summit either!
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Re: Kilimanjaro Guide Recommendation

Post by pmreyn2010 »

I just did Kilimanjaro last June with Zara Tours (posted a TR about my take on it). They're a Tanzania-based company that treats their porters well & has some pretty awesome guides. They're definitely not the fanciest company with a ton of extra bells & whistles, but if you're looking for a solid, reliable company to trek with, they are definitely a safe bet!
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SoCool
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Re: Kilimanjaro Guide Recommendation

Post by SoCool »

benlen wrote:The only thing that turns me off about this is the "luxury" idea of it.
When I hiked Kili a few years back, I felt uncomfortable taking any kind of shortcuts or assistance, so I carried all my gear except food, and insisted on walking in the lead on summit day.
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