Our Lemosho route trek up Mount Kilimanjaro in Jun 24 with Popote Africa Adventures was nothing... read more
Our Lemosho route trek up Mount Kilimanjaro in Jun 24 with Popote Africa Adventures was nothing... read more
Summiting Kili with Popote this summer was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and I... read more
I did the Rongai 6 day route with a friend of mine. We are both 28 years old and with a good fitness level.
For the trek, we had a staff of 11 people: 2 guides (Florian & Sanka), 1 cook (Meja), 1 waiter (Michael), 1 summit porter (John) and 6 regular porters. Our guide Florian came the day before our trip to pick us up from the airport and gave us a briefing at the hotel. He also did a gear check to see if we had everything what we needed. It was really good that we checked it because we ended up renting a sleeping bag with a confort zone down to -15°, which is actually needed
During the trip our two guides took really good care of us and demonstrated excellent knowledge of the terrain and the weather. They did every eveing a health check and a briefing for the next day (what to wear, what to carry in our daypack, how long to walk and through what vegetation zone). They also constantly make sure you drink enough (at least 3 litres) and don't go too fast ("pole pole"). During the summit hike, they will cheer you up and offer help by carrying your daypack for some time, so that you can get some "rest"
We also had a great cook, who prepared our breakfast, lunch and dinner. We even got some extra snacks from him. The team will always make sure you have enough food and I guarantee you won't be starving for the next couple of days. They really push you to eat with incredibly big portions, which is actually really good because of the altitude you'll slowly lose your appetite... or was it simply because we ate too much :)
We had an excellent waiter called Michael. He woke us up every morning and brought us hot water for washing. He also made sure that we had hot tea or coffee every morning before getting out of the tent. With Michael, you will be served every meal to your tente with extreme kindness. Although, I would have preferred to have more autonomy and independence as I am used to being on the mountain by myself with a gaz cooker and canned food, this is how it works with most companies: they ensure you keep focused on the wonderful landscapes and your actual trek.
Out of the porters, I would also like to mention John who was designated our summit porter to help us with last push for the summit at night. I promise his warm cup of tea at Gilman's point was a delicious life saver.
Overall, this unique and emotionally intense experience has been made possible thanks to the expertise of the whole Popote Africa team. "One team, one dream. Non-stop to the top"
My friend and I were beyond happy with our amazing experience climbing with Popote. No complaints on any front. The staff was professional, friendly, and made our experience amazing. From the moment we stepped out of the airport, to the moment they dropped us off at the airport, Popote was on top of it and did everything necessary and beyond to make our experience amazing and not stressful. Food and all other services camping were immaculate. I would highly recommend booking through Popote to anyone!
Myself and a friend conquered Kili with Popote and it was the best adventure I’ve had yet. I credit my incredible experience to the beyond wonderful staff. Every staff member was dedicated to making our experience the best it could be. We got to know each staff member and they got to know us and with ease we all became quick friends. The food was very satisfying, our camping accommodations (portable toilet, tents, etc) were more than comfortable, and our guides were so phenomenal. Not to mention they took great care of us from the moment we landed to the moment we departed. All together, it made for an experience that completely exceeded my expectations, summiting was just the cherry on top! I would book again with Popote and highly recommend it to aspiring Kili climbers that want a pure and magical Kili experience. Thanks Popote for an adventure I won’t forget!
Popote are simply the best guys you could wish for when climbing Kilimanjaro. The whole team from Sabino and Redeem in the office through to each and every one of the porters and guides were 100% focussed on ensuring we had the best possible experience. We climbed the Lemosho route as a family of 5 and had a team of 21 to take us up the mountain - 3 fabulous guides in Shani, Dulla and Safi, plus our wonderful cook who never ceased to amaze us with what he could produce at the top of a mountain!! Crazy Willy kept us smiling during the whole trip as well making sure we all ate and drank plenty and Mickey the porter was an absolute star coming back down to help with daypacks if anyone was flagging! Every single one of the team was always smiling and enthusiastic and we literally wouldn't have made it without them. On summit night my husband and both of the older children struggled with the altitude and Shani, Dulla, Safi, Willy and Honest literally physically helped them up, carrying their daypacks, producing hot ginger tea when the sickness hit and supporting them when they didn't think they could make it. I really can't put into words how amazing these guys are - having looked at the other teams on the mountain there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that we had the best people looking after us in Popote.
A huge thank you to everyone at Popote for making my dream come true!!
We had a great Tanzania experience with Popote. We booked a Kilimanjaro trek followed by a 3 day Serengeti/Ngorongoro Safari. Sabino and his team organized everything impeccably, they showed great flexibility in adapting to some major change of plans as well from our side.
The trek through the Lemosho route was professionally organized, guides Stanly and Khatibu deserve special mention for their patience and never-ending smiles through the trek. Both were highly experienced and that contributed greatly to the success of our trek. We were a group of 4 and our vegetarian preference was taken care of very well.
We went on the Safari after the trek and here too, guide/driver Kent ensured a great experience, with his keen eye for spotting the elusive hyena, leapord and other wildlife.
Sabino also organized our sightseeing and shopping expeditions around Moshi, not really part of the itinerary.... just an example of their flexibility.
All in all, highly recommend Popote!
I climbed the Kilimanjaro Machame route with guides Jamal and Florian for 7 days. They are the best guides on that mountain, constantly concerned with our health and progress and also just very nice and funny guys, always up for a good laugh.
Lead guide Florian is extremely competent and experienced. He could reassure us and answer to our every question or concern. It is thanks to him and his “pole pole” pace that we all made it to the summit, and in good time.
We had three delicious meals per day thanks to chef Boka, had a clean portable toilet thanks to Yula, got great pictures, motivating fist bumps and hot tea during summit night thanks to the adorable Masanja, and the crazy waiter Fela cracked jokes and danced with us during meals.
The other porters were so helpful and gave us the best swahili lessons we could hope for. The overall atmosphere with the whole crew was great, they made me laugh a lot and I felt safe and cared for at all times.
No negative points here. Would 100% recommend. Asante sana Popote!