Fair Travel™ | Tanzania
Fair Travel™ | Tanzania
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Fair Travel™ is a unique non-profit social enterprise. We offer wildlife safaris and Kilimanjaro expeditions with affordable and transparent pricing, staff who are not dependent on tipping, tours that are CO2 off-set and where 100% of net profits are channeled into positive social and environmental impact. We will make you fall in love with Tanzania and make sure that …your footprints matter.
Arusha, Tanzania
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Fair Travel™ | Tanzania
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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Brenda H
Lakeville, MN59 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
We had such an amazing, wonderful and memorable trip. The planning process was so easy and we were able to tailor the itinerary to what we wanted to see and do based on our available time.
We had an amazing guide who was able to spot animals we would never have seen on our own. He also knew their names, how they behaved and what made them unique.
We learned so much about the different cultures and their traditions and it enriched the whole experience.
The entire team made sure things went smoothly.
We will be recommending them to our family and friends.
We had an amazing guide who was able to spot animals we would never have seen on our own. He also knew their names, how they behaved and what made them unique.
We learned so much about the different cultures and their traditions and it enriched the whole experience.
The entire team made sure things went smoothly.
We will be recommending them to our family and friends.
Written July 31, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah K
24 contributions
Sep 2021 • Couples
My experience with Fair Travel Tanzania was nothing short of amazing starting from when I first contacted them with questions. Karen was very thorough and dedicated to finding answers to all my questions and concerns. She guided me through all the ups and downs that went along with booking and rebooking starting in 2019, up until I actually got to visit in 2021.
The first part of my itinerary was the 8 day Lemosho Route up Kilimanjaro. Merinyo, Kennedy and the entire 13 person crew that took care of myself and another trekker did amazing. I would not have made it to the top without their expert guidance. He was spot on with advice on what layers to wear as we got to colder sections of the hike. They took our health seriously and was extremely knowledgeable about the plants and wildlife we saw on the way up the mountain.
Next stop was Zanzibar, and my fiance joined the trip. We went on an incredible tour of the Jozani Chwaka National Forest, led by the amazing Aiysha Mohammed. Aiysha was Zanzibar's first certified female tour guide, and has been introducing guests to Zanzibar and it's history for the last 9 years. We got to see the rare red colobus monkey, eucalyptus and mohogany trees, and walk down a boardwalk amongst various mangrove trees. Ali Baba was happy to drive us anywhere we asked.
We then went on a safari. Edward shared tons of information about each park, as well as the animals and plants we saw. He could spot a lion in a tree over a mile away, or a rhino that looked like nothing other than a spec without the binoculars, to share with us.
The entire time, the environment was taken into consideration. For example, when possible, our meals came in reusable containers, and we ate off of actual plates and silverware when others were eating meals that were prepackaged.
I can understand why someone may be leery of booking a trip where the tip is already included, but in this case I can assure you that you get what you pay for. It feels good knowing you are paying the staff a living wage, and taking care of the environment.
The first part of my itinerary was the 8 day Lemosho Route up Kilimanjaro. Merinyo, Kennedy and the entire 13 person crew that took care of myself and another trekker did amazing. I would not have made it to the top without their expert guidance. He was spot on with advice on what layers to wear as we got to colder sections of the hike. They took our health seriously and was extremely knowledgeable about the plants and wildlife we saw on the way up the mountain.
Next stop was Zanzibar, and my fiance joined the trip. We went on an incredible tour of the Jozani Chwaka National Forest, led by the amazing Aiysha Mohammed. Aiysha was Zanzibar's first certified female tour guide, and has been introducing guests to Zanzibar and it's history for the last 9 years. We got to see the rare red colobus monkey, eucalyptus and mohogany trees, and walk down a boardwalk amongst various mangrove trees. Ali Baba was happy to drive us anywhere we asked.
We then went on a safari. Edward shared tons of information about each park, as well as the animals and plants we saw. He could spot a lion in a tree over a mile away, or a rhino that looked like nothing other than a spec without the binoculars, to share with us.
The entire time, the environment was taken into consideration. For example, when possible, our meals came in reusable containers, and we ate off of actual plates and silverware when others were eating meals that were prepackaged.
I can understand why someone may be leery of booking a trip where the tip is already included, but in this case I can assure you that you get what you pay for. It feels good knowing you are paying the staff a living wage, and taking care of the environment.
Written December 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bart M.
7 contributions
Jul 2022
We (parents with two young adult children) did a four-day camping safari in Serengeti and Ngorogoro with Fair Travel Tanzania. Everything was organized very well and the four days were loaded with unforgettable safari experiences. Fred, our driver/guide, is an indefatigable wildlife spotter and professional driver. Amazing how he saw the animals so soon while safely driving on a bumpy track at the same time. He also provided a lot of background information on the animals. Josephat, our cook, served us delicious meals, using fresh ingredients from the local market we visited on our way to the parks. They both really offered us a wonderful experience and are certainly a team we can highly recommend.
Written August 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amanda B
Wasaga Beach, Canada28 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
Go with FairTravel - you will not be disappointed. We booked our honeymoon with FairTravel after researching the overwhelming amount of tour companies in Tanzania. We were looking for a company that worked with Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP) and had a focus on sustainability, so FairTravel fit that bill perfectly.
We climbed Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro successfully with FairTravel. Other tourists on the trips would ask us about FairTravel as people were curious as to why our trek was so smoothly run - at one point another hiker was asking for advice on her trip to one of our guides! We are so grateful to our guides Merinyo and Jonathan, our chef Paulo, and our porters Januari, Jacob, Gerald, Andrea, Shukran, Aron, David and Ibrahim.
Next, we went on safari to Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. We learned so much and saw so much. Again, our guide Edward was a wealth of knowledge. My husband was happy to spot birds while I was amazed to see at least one cheetah, one lion and one leopard (saw three leopards one day!) in Tarangire and Serengeti. We also ended up seeing the Big Five.
Finally, FairTravel coordinated our stay in Zanzibar as well as a spice and Stone Town tour with Ayisha.
Thank you FairTravel and Benjamin for making our honeymoon such an amazing experience!
We climbed Mount Meru and Kilimanjaro successfully with FairTravel. Other tourists on the trips would ask us about FairTravel as people were curious as to why our trek was so smoothly run - at one point another hiker was asking for advice on her trip to one of our guides! We are so grateful to our guides Merinyo and Jonathan, our chef Paulo, and our porters Januari, Jacob, Gerald, Andrea, Shukran, Aron, David and Ibrahim.
Next, we went on safari to Tarangire, Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. We learned so much and saw so much. Again, our guide Edward was a wealth of knowledge. My husband was happy to spot birds while I was amazed to see at least one cheetah, one lion and one leopard (saw three leopards one day!) in Tarangire and Serengeti. We also ended up seeing the Big Five.
Finally, FairTravel coordinated our stay in Zanzibar as well as a spice and Stone Town tour with Ayisha.
Thank you FairTravel and Benjamin for making our honeymoon such an amazing experience!
Written November 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nina C
4 contributions
Apr 2023 • Family
Februari 2023
Words can't express how thankful we are to Fair Travel and the crew that made the Kilimanjaro trip one of the greatest experience in our life. Me and my brother wouldn't have made it to the summit without Merinyo, Joseph, Walter and the entire crew who made sure that we were fine at every step we took and helped us and supported us through this journey. We will never forget this team!
I am looking forward to do the safari trip with you!
Words can't express how thankful we are to Fair Travel and the crew that made the Kilimanjaro trip one of the greatest experience in our life. Me and my brother wouldn't have made it to the summit without Merinyo, Joseph, Walter and the entire crew who made sure that we were fine at every step we took and helped us and supported us through this journey. We will never forget this team!
I am looking forward to do the safari trip with you!
Written March 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nina C
4 contributions
Feb 2023
Words can't express how thankful we are to Fair Travel and the crew that made the Kilimanjaro trip one of the greatest experience in our life. Me and my brother wouldn't have made it to the summit without Merinyo, Joseph, Walter and the entire crew who made sure that we were fine at every step we took and helped us and supported us through this journey. We will never forget this team!
I am looking forward to do the safari trip with you!
I am looking forward to do the safari trip with you!
Written February 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MarkRead1967
Asquith, Australia4 contributions
Sep 2017 • Solo
I am a 50yr old, Australian man, solo traveller.... I came across Fair Travel completely by accident after reading a number of reviews about poorly paid wages in Africa (esp' Tanzania). Making a different starts at the individual and I decided to find and book with a company that paid decent wages and whereby staff were not reliant on tips.
After finding Fair Travel, I made contact with Jorin and initiated attaining 3 seperate quotes for a Mt. Kilimanjaro (8 day Lemosho Route) climb, Safari in NW Tanzania and 5 nights in Zanzibar. I attained several quotes, but was always impressed that Jorin answered emails quickly - normally within 1-2 days. I was also able to have direct contact through WhatsApp and Skype.
After reading multiple reviews (plus searching for any type of fraud), I finally made a deposit and booked around 7 months before my adventure. Time would tell it I was going to be defrauded. Happily, everything went perfectly. Jorin stayed in contact and the company did a great job making a few small modifications.
On the day of arrival, I was met at the airport, taken off to the hotel, had the optional coffee tour and commenced my hike. The tour operator helped me out in Moshi by even organising a local (Halotel) SIM for my iPhone. Later on I met the Lead Guide, he checked my gear, had a beer and lastly met my hiking companions.
The hike left on time. Everything was well organised, even water and food supplied on the bus to the Londorisi Gate. The hike was better than great. Only 3 foreigners (nc' me), around 10 porters, 1 cook, 1 waiter/cook/porter and 2 guides - both in their 30's and well experienced - Baraka and Robert. Baraka spoke very good English and a little German, was fun, but serious when needed. Robert spoke good English to, and appeared more knowledgable about the flora and fauna. Both guides worked together well. The hike was difficult but well managed. I had my own 4 person tent - well worth it! The food was plentiful, varied and tasted great. No sick stomach. We had our own toilet - I've recommend this as sometimes the tents can be a 100m away from the public toilets which were very dirty - limited water to clean them. The final night of climbing to the summit was very cold = -13c and windy. Hands and nose were cold. Wear 4-5 layers on top and 3+ on legs. The final ascent is very very very slow walking, with a long line of people. When you stopped, you got cold. Handwarmers a good idea. At the Uhuru Peak, we got some great photos and video - search Youtube for 'markreadau'. After only 20mins at the top, we headed down. From Barafu Camp, 9.5 hours of walking to the summit and back. Add another 3.5 to Mweka Camp and it was a hard day. Overall, a fantastic experience that was well managed. Oxygen was carried, but not needed. Baraka even carried my daypack when it got hard. Back in town, final certificate and a beer - well earned! There was also no expectation of tips too. Ask these guides!
Next was the Safari with Edward (guide) and Joesphat (cook). I was the only person. Great experience visiting 4 different Convervation areas + National Parks - Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Lake Eyasi. Tarangire had the most elephants. Ngorongoro is compact and quick to see everything. Serengeti is huge, but had the most lions, zebra and wildebeest. Lake Eyasi (salty) was quiet and peaceful. Edward was a great guide and lots of fun. Very knowledgeable and easily to have a conversation with. Joesphat cooked great food for us and had a great smile. Both spoke good English and provided a good amount of interaction, without being bossy or imposing. All travel by Land Cruiser. Good vehicle, no issues. Ask for these staff!
Last was Zanzibar. Fair Travel organised a domestic flight and recommended a good hotel with competent staff and food. Foreign owned (Finnish owner), and local staff. Good pool.
Overall, a great trip. I had lots of activities planned and Fair Travel come through great. Locals operate on (Tanzania time) so expect some things to take 2, 3 or 4 times longer than at home, but learn to relax. Finally, I'd like to call of Jorin, Baraka, Robert, Edward and Joesphat for making a memorable trip for my first time to Africa. Life long friends made!
Would I book through them again - absolutely!!!
After finding Fair Travel, I made contact with Jorin and initiated attaining 3 seperate quotes for a Mt. Kilimanjaro (8 day Lemosho Route) climb, Safari in NW Tanzania and 5 nights in Zanzibar. I attained several quotes, but was always impressed that Jorin answered emails quickly - normally within 1-2 days. I was also able to have direct contact through WhatsApp and Skype.
After reading multiple reviews (plus searching for any type of fraud), I finally made a deposit and booked around 7 months before my adventure. Time would tell it I was going to be defrauded. Happily, everything went perfectly. Jorin stayed in contact and the company did a great job making a few small modifications.
On the day of arrival, I was met at the airport, taken off to the hotel, had the optional coffee tour and commenced my hike. The tour operator helped me out in Moshi by even organising a local (Halotel) SIM for my iPhone. Later on I met the Lead Guide, he checked my gear, had a beer and lastly met my hiking companions.
The hike left on time. Everything was well organised, even water and food supplied on the bus to the Londorisi Gate. The hike was better than great. Only 3 foreigners (nc' me), around 10 porters, 1 cook, 1 waiter/cook/porter and 2 guides - both in their 30's and well experienced - Baraka and Robert. Baraka spoke very good English and a little German, was fun, but serious when needed. Robert spoke good English to, and appeared more knowledgable about the flora and fauna. Both guides worked together well. The hike was difficult but well managed. I had my own 4 person tent - well worth it! The food was plentiful, varied and tasted great. No sick stomach. We had our own toilet - I've recommend this as sometimes the tents can be a 100m away from the public toilets which were very dirty - limited water to clean them. The final night of climbing to the summit was very cold = -13c and windy. Hands and nose were cold. Wear 4-5 layers on top and 3+ on legs. The final ascent is very very very slow walking, with a long line of people. When you stopped, you got cold. Handwarmers a good idea. At the Uhuru Peak, we got some great photos and video - search Youtube for 'markreadau'. After only 20mins at the top, we headed down. From Barafu Camp, 9.5 hours of walking to the summit and back. Add another 3.5 to Mweka Camp and it was a hard day. Overall, a fantastic experience that was well managed. Oxygen was carried, but not needed. Baraka even carried my daypack when it got hard. Back in town, final certificate and a beer - well earned! There was also no expectation of tips too. Ask these guides!
Next was the Safari with Edward (guide) and Joesphat (cook). I was the only person. Great experience visiting 4 different Convervation areas + National Parks - Tarangire, Ngorongoro, Serengeti and Lake Eyasi. Tarangire had the most elephants. Ngorongoro is compact and quick to see everything. Serengeti is huge, but had the most lions, zebra and wildebeest. Lake Eyasi (salty) was quiet and peaceful. Edward was a great guide and lots of fun. Very knowledgeable and easily to have a conversation with. Joesphat cooked great food for us and had a great smile. Both spoke good English and provided a good amount of interaction, without being bossy or imposing. All travel by Land Cruiser. Good vehicle, no issues. Ask for these staff!
Last was Zanzibar. Fair Travel organised a domestic flight and recommended a good hotel with competent staff and food. Foreign owned (Finnish owner), and local staff. Good pool.
Overall, a great trip. I had lots of activities planned and Fair Travel come through great. Locals operate on (Tanzania time) so expect some things to take 2, 3 or 4 times longer than at home, but learn to relax. Finally, I'd like to call of Jorin, Baraka, Robert, Edward and Joesphat for making a memorable trip for my first time to Africa. Life long friends made!
Would I book through them again - absolutely!!!
Written November 19, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Karel
7 contributions
Feb 2019 • Couples
We had an incredible experience on a 9 day camping safari trip through Tarangire, Lake Manyara, Serengeti and Ngorogoro Crater. The staff at Fair Travel from start of finish made our holiday an unforgettable experience!
Our first contact was with Jorin who helped us plan the perfect customised trip for 2. Jorin was very responsive to all our communication. He was very patient and updated the itinerary to meet our every request providing useful suggestions and recommendations along the way. We opted for a 9 day camping safari spanning the end of January and the beginning of February 2019.
On arrival we were picked up from the airport and taken to our lodge where we would spend 1 night before the safari began. On the day of our arrival Emmanuel from Fair Travel stopped by to explain the trip and allowed us to ask any remaining questions we had. The following morning we were picked up by our guide Edward & our chef Josephat. From there the adventure began!
Edward and Josephat were the perfect hosts. Edward is an incredible guide and a fountain of knowledge. He would spot animals from afar and based on the behaviour of the animals he would know something was about to happen and he would position the car in the perfect spot to get the best views. Josephat made very impressive and delicious food in the small camp kitchens. We’ll always be amazed by the freshly baked bread in the middle of the Serengeti. We requested local cuisine and Josephat definitely delivered. Every day we got all sorts of different dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We definitely gained a few kilos!
We wanted to experience as much as we could and Edward accommodated. Every day we did game drives from dawn to dusk. Edward is clearly very enthusiastic about the nature in Tanzania, he seemed as keen as us to do as many game drives as possible. Despite the fact that we went in the low season when the grasses were higher we saw more animals then we could have imagined. This was in great part down to Edward’s skills as a guide.
As expected, the campsites were basic, but sufficient. The tent was large enough to easily fit 2 people. We opted for camp beds (cot beds) which we found very comfortable. We ate our dinner under the stars and listened to the animals from our beds. As the camp sites are located within the parks you have the added benefit of not having to travel in and out of the parks for game drives.
Overall all it was a truly unforgettable and incredible experience thanks to Fair Travel.
The main reason we chose Fair Travel was because the guides/chefs are paid fair wages and this certainly turns out to be the case. Not only do they pay their staff a fair wage they also go the extra mile supporting local people/businesses and having minimal impact on the ecosystem.
We would whole heartily recommend Fair Travel for anyone wanting to go on safari in Tanzania.
Our first contact was with Jorin who helped us plan the perfect customised trip for 2. Jorin was very responsive to all our communication. He was very patient and updated the itinerary to meet our every request providing useful suggestions and recommendations along the way. We opted for a 9 day camping safari spanning the end of January and the beginning of February 2019.
On arrival we were picked up from the airport and taken to our lodge where we would spend 1 night before the safari began. On the day of our arrival Emmanuel from Fair Travel stopped by to explain the trip and allowed us to ask any remaining questions we had. The following morning we were picked up by our guide Edward & our chef Josephat. From there the adventure began!
Edward and Josephat were the perfect hosts. Edward is an incredible guide and a fountain of knowledge. He would spot animals from afar and based on the behaviour of the animals he would know something was about to happen and he would position the car in the perfect spot to get the best views. Josephat made very impressive and delicious food in the small camp kitchens. We’ll always be amazed by the freshly baked bread in the middle of the Serengeti. We requested local cuisine and Josephat definitely delivered. Every day we got all sorts of different dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We definitely gained a few kilos!
We wanted to experience as much as we could and Edward accommodated. Every day we did game drives from dawn to dusk. Edward is clearly very enthusiastic about the nature in Tanzania, he seemed as keen as us to do as many game drives as possible. Despite the fact that we went in the low season when the grasses were higher we saw more animals then we could have imagined. This was in great part down to Edward’s skills as a guide.
As expected, the campsites were basic, but sufficient. The tent was large enough to easily fit 2 people. We opted for camp beds (cot beds) which we found very comfortable. We ate our dinner under the stars and listened to the animals from our beds. As the camp sites are located within the parks you have the added benefit of not having to travel in and out of the parks for game drives.
Overall all it was a truly unforgettable and incredible experience thanks to Fair Travel.
The main reason we chose Fair Travel was because the guides/chefs are paid fair wages and this certainly turns out to be the case. Not only do they pay their staff a fair wage they also go the extra mile supporting local people/businesses and having minimal impact on the ecosystem.
We would whole heartily recommend Fair Travel for anyone wanting to go on safari in Tanzania.
Written February 24, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LeprechaunTraveller
Paris, France39 contributions
Jul 2018 • Solo
This summer I climbed Kilimanjaro with an extraordinary team from Fair Travel Tanzania. I loved every moment of my 8 days on the Lemosho Route, let by Merinyo and 30 porters, guides, chefs and a wonderfully mad group of Australians & Americans.
Fair Travel is the only non-profit NGO among the 300 companies going up the mountain. The employees are paid fairly and there is no tipping unlike many other companies which take advantage of their workers and expect them to survive entirely on tips. Everyone got fed 3 times a day. The food was all sourced locally.
We had lots of fun and there was lots of singing and dancing up & down the mountain.
I would highly recommend talking to Jorin Eichhorn or Karen Zoe Kelley.
Fair Travel is the only non-profit NGO among the 300 companies going up the mountain. The employees are paid fairly and there is no tipping unlike many other companies which take advantage of their workers and expect them to survive entirely on tips. Everyone got fed 3 times a day. The food was all sourced locally.
We had lots of fun and there was lots of singing and dancing up & down the mountain.
I would highly recommend talking to Jorin Eichhorn or Karen Zoe Kelley.
Written December 22, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
catherineawarner
Atlanta, GA2 contributions
Sep 2018 • Friends
First off, I want to say that the two people who impacted my trip the most were Mirenyo (Mirenyo Lucas Kivuyo) and Modi (Izina Mshana), my two guides. If you are booking through Wayfairer or Fair travel, they are both worth requesting as they were an amazing team and made the experience unforgettable. I could not say enough good things about them! Now for some more specific details about my trip though, but more about them later!
I happened upon Wayfairer/Fair travel through the Responsible Travel website. They provided me with three recommendations and I was most impressed by Wayfairer, who were very up front about their mission to provide treks by fairly treated employees (guides, cooks, porters). From doing the math (costs including salaries of each employee, daily park pass, tents, food, ancillary team costs, etc), it is very clear that many companies do not treat their employees fairly. The easiest place for money to come from seems to be the bottom of the food chain or the porters. Many of these companies then rely on tips to survive, which is not a reliable way to run a business.
Wayfairer/Fair Travel actually creates their employee salaries with a tip already factored in. However after spending 8 days with my group, I still wanted to leave a small tip of $280 or $20 per person (which was about one extra day of work for most of the team).
While I was very excited to have booked with a company that reflected such a socially and environmentally-sustainable philosophy, there were several instances that Wayfairer's lack of communication made me nervous. Occasionally, their email response times were long or I had received a generic email about payment that went into my spam folder, with no follow-up. Furthermore, while Tom did send us a general packing list several weeks before the trip, it would have been a lot more beneficial if a phone call had been scheduled to go over the details of what he (or the Fair Travel crew) would suggest bringing on the trip. While the provided packing list listed things as required, recommended or optional, it was still very hard to navigate. How many days should I expect it to be cold, how many layers will I be wearing (at camp and while hiking), how many people are happy they brought hand warmers? Some of these questions I would not have even thought of until afterwards, but it would have been nice if Wayfairer had anticipated them and provided more guidance.
Another area where I feel Wayfairer could improve on would be better guidance on the different types of medication that are usually taken while on the mountain. While I do understand that Wayfairer cannot give firm recommendations since they are neither doctors or know a person’s medical history--in truth, medication is a very important part of the climb. Although it may not be required, enough people are taking it to make your clients want to be aware of it. Wayfairer only recommended we consult with a doctor, but Wayfairer should be the experts because to be honest, doctors are not (and I am a doctor!). For most doctors in the US, their training on altitude sickness will be comprised of a brief review of acetazolamide (Diamox) which they are taught can be helpful for altitude sickness. They will not know anything more about the research, more recent literature or even dosages. Wayfairer should know the most recent research and be able to tell me “Research suggests acetazolamide/steroids/NSAIDs may be helpful for altitude sickness, typically given in doses of ____. However, as I am not a medical professional, I am not able to prescribe any of these to you or give you precise recommendations”. As I am a doctor, I reviewed the literature on both acetazolamide and steroids (dexamethasone/prednisone) as they relate to altitude sickness. My sister and I both took 250mg of acetazolamide twice daily as well as ibuprofen three times per day (as suggested to be helpful for inflammation by more recent research). On summit night, we both took a 1 mg/kg pulse dose of prednisone. While no one person can say whether this medication got us to the top without any problems, we did make it with my sister only getting a mild headache as we reached the summit.
As for the entire crew that traveled with us up the mountain, they were absolutely amazing. Mirenyo and Modi were our head and assistant guides and they were the perfect team. Mirenyo was personable, incredibly engaging, funny, and added a boost of positive energy when my sister and I were starting to feel sluggish or tired. Modi was more reserved, but very sweet, helpful, and conscientious. They were the perfect balance. They helped each other out and were the primary reason we made it to the top for sunrise. During the summiting hike, my sister and I were struggling to stay motivated to make it to the top, but we were so grateful that Mirenyo kept pushing us to not give up. By the end of the trip, my sister and I felt very connected to our entire team.
Unfortunately, all week I was experiencing mild diarrhea (in retrospect traveler’s diarrhea that abated immediately after 1 dose of azithromycin) that I had been controlling with Immodium (loperamide). After hiking 6 hours to the summit, 3 back to base camp and 4 to our final camp, I think I was not able to recuperate my losses and I woke up the next morning feeling terrible. The remaining 4 hours down the mountain was almost harder than the summit. I was taken to the health center where I spent 6 hours getting fluids and a few tests. It was then I realized I had hiked down with a fever, which was 102 F in the hospital (39.9 C). This is where the Fair Travel team really came in. Both off the ground people from Fair Travel spent all afternoon at the hospital with my sister and I to make sure we were taken care of, which was incredible. While it was not the best way to end the hike, it made for a good story and really solidified my deep respect for Fair Travel.
In conclusion, I am most happy to have chosen Wayfairer because it allowed me to work with Fair Travel. While I have no true regrets about going with Wayfairer, I would recommend booking directly through Fair Travel for a Mount Kilimanjaro trip. While Tom was nice and very much believed in the mission of the company, he seemed to be more of a middle man in the operation. Fair Travel was the primary actor that organized the entire trip, the rentals and the guides. The entire team were Fair Travel employees.
I feel so grateful and lucky to have had this experience climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro with my sister. And also for reaching the top! I cannot say that either one of us trained particularly hard for the experience, but we are both in good baseline shape (she is a marathon runner and I do primarily interval training). That is not to say it was easy, I think we were mostly lucky. We climbed in parallel to someone who does Iron Mans and he said Kilimanjaro was even harder!! To be fair though, we found only summit night to be incredibly hard. The rest of the time you are forced to hike extremely slowly for acclimatization purposes, but I think this really helps to make it a more doable trek. I never got sore or felt like it was too intense.
In the end, I would recommend, book and sing Fair Travel’s praises forever.
I happened upon Wayfairer/Fair travel through the Responsible Travel website. They provided me with three recommendations and I was most impressed by Wayfairer, who were very up front about their mission to provide treks by fairly treated employees (guides, cooks, porters). From doing the math (costs including salaries of each employee, daily park pass, tents, food, ancillary team costs, etc), it is very clear that many companies do not treat their employees fairly. The easiest place for money to come from seems to be the bottom of the food chain or the porters. Many of these companies then rely on tips to survive, which is not a reliable way to run a business.
Wayfairer/Fair Travel actually creates their employee salaries with a tip already factored in. However after spending 8 days with my group, I still wanted to leave a small tip of $280 or $20 per person (which was about one extra day of work for most of the team).
While I was very excited to have booked with a company that reflected such a socially and environmentally-sustainable philosophy, there were several instances that Wayfairer's lack of communication made me nervous. Occasionally, their email response times were long or I had received a generic email about payment that went into my spam folder, with no follow-up. Furthermore, while Tom did send us a general packing list several weeks before the trip, it would have been a lot more beneficial if a phone call had been scheduled to go over the details of what he (or the Fair Travel crew) would suggest bringing on the trip. While the provided packing list listed things as required, recommended or optional, it was still very hard to navigate. How many days should I expect it to be cold, how many layers will I be wearing (at camp and while hiking), how many people are happy they brought hand warmers? Some of these questions I would not have even thought of until afterwards, but it would have been nice if Wayfairer had anticipated them and provided more guidance.
Another area where I feel Wayfairer could improve on would be better guidance on the different types of medication that are usually taken while on the mountain. While I do understand that Wayfairer cannot give firm recommendations since they are neither doctors or know a person’s medical history--in truth, medication is a very important part of the climb. Although it may not be required, enough people are taking it to make your clients want to be aware of it. Wayfairer only recommended we consult with a doctor, but Wayfairer should be the experts because to be honest, doctors are not (and I am a doctor!). For most doctors in the US, their training on altitude sickness will be comprised of a brief review of acetazolamide (Diamox) which they are taught can be helpful for altitude sickness. They will not know anything more about the research, more recent literature or even dosages. Wayfairer should know the most recent research and be able to tell me “Research suggests acetazolamide/steroids/NSAIDs may be helpful for altitude sickness, typically given in doses of ____. However, as I am not a medical professional, I am not able to prescribe any of these to you or give you precise recommendations”. As I am a doctor, I reviewed the literature on both acetazolamide and steroids (dexamethasone/prednisone) as they relate to altitude sickness. My sister and I both took 250mg of acetazolamide twice daily as well as ibuprofen three times per day (as suggested to be helpful for inflammation by more recent research). On summit night, we both took a 1 mg/kg pulse dose of prednisone. While no one person can say whether this medication got us to the top without any problems, we did make it with my sister only getting a mild headache as we reached the summit.
As for the entire crew that traveled with us up the mountain, they were absolutely amazing. Mirenyo and Modi were our head and assistant guides and they were the perfect team. Mirenyo was personable, incredibly engaging, funny, and added a boost of positive energy when my sister and I were starting to feel sluggish or tired. Modi was more reserved, but very sweet, helpful, and conscientious. They were the perfect balance. They helped each other out and were the primary reason we made it to the top for sunrise. During the summiting hike, my sister and I were struggling to stay motivated to make it to the top, but we were so grateful that Mirenyo kept pushing us to not give up. By the end of the trip, my sister and I felt very connected to our entire team.
Unfortunately, all week I was experiencing mild diarrhea (in retrospect traveler’s diarrhea that abated immediately after 1 dose of azithromycin) that I had been controlling with Immodium (loperamide). After hiking 6 hours to the summit, 3 back to base camp and 4 to our final camp, I think I was not able to recuperate my losses and I woke up the next morning feeling terrible. The remaining 4 hours down the mountain was almost harder than the summit. I was taken to the health center where I spent 6 hours getting fluids and a few tests. It was then I realized I had hiked down with a fever, which was 102 F in the hospital (39.9 C). This is where the Fair Travel team really came in. Both off the ground people from Fair Travel spent all afternoon at the hospital with my sister and I to make sure we were taken care of, which was incredible. While it was not the best way to end the hike, it made for a good story and really solidified my deep respect for Fair Travel.
In conclusion, I am most happy to have chosen Wayfairer because it allowed me to work with Fair Travel. While I have no true regrets about going with Wayfairer, I would recommend booking directly through Fair Travel for a Mount Kilimanjaro trip. While Tom was nice and very much believed in the mission of the company, he seemed to be more of a middle man in the operation. Fair Travel was the primary actor that organized the entire trip, the rentals and the guides. The entire team were Fair Travel employees.
I feel so grateful and lucky to have had this experience climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro with my sister. And also for reaching the top! I cannot say that either one of us trained particularly hard for the experience, but we are both in good baseline shape (she is a marathon runner and I do primarily interval training). That is not to say it was easy, I think we were mostly lucky. We climbed in parallel to someone who does Iron Mans and he said Kilimanjaro was even harder!! To be fair though, we found only summit night to be incredibly hard. The rest of the time you are forced to hike extremely slowly for acclimatization purposes, but I think this really helps to make it a more doable trek. I never got sore or felt like it was too intense.
In the end, I would recommend, book and sing Fair Travel’s praises forever.
Written October 1, 2018
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