All posts by G&M Blog

Ethiopia Historic Route

Ethiopia Historic Route – Unforgettable and unique

Traversing Ethiopia’s Historic Route is a mesmerising and unique travel experience that will leave you with unforgettable memories, fabulous photographs, and many unanswered questions.

priest angels

Mention that you are going to Ethiopia, and most will immediately reference the famines of the 1980s, tell you that there is nothing there and ask you why you want to go? Well you can be fully confident in your response that Ethiopia has some of the world’s most spectacular, exciting and least visited historical treasures. Or you may not wish to tell them at all, so that you can preserve the intimate secrecy of this very special travel destination and keep its treasures all to yourself!

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Madagascar Wildlife Holiday – is it on your bucket list?

A Madagascar Wildlife holiday is sure to be on the travel wish list for all wildlife enthusiasts.

Did you know that Madagascar is the fourth-largest island in the world? Situated in the Indian Ocean, just off the coast of Mozambique, this wonderful island country is naturally an excellent destination for a wildlife holiday. For wildlife enthusiasts looking to experience something different from the usual safari routes of East or Southern Africa, a Madagascar wildlife holiday can offer a diverse range of ecosystems and hugely varied wildlife. The island is also an ideal destination if are interested in Africa’s rich history and culture.

Wildlife holidays to Madagascar are always unique and exciting!

A central chain of high mountains occupies more than half of Madagascar and is responsible for the differences – scenically, climatically and ethnically – between the east and west coasts. The narrow strip of lowland on the east coast is mainly covered by dense rain-forests. The broader west coast landscape is mostly Savannah. The southern tip of Madagascar is semi-desert with great spiny forests of cactus-like plants.

Madagascar is surrounded by turquoise seas, pristine beaches, and coral reefs, which offer excellent diving as well as the possibility of whale watching. The marine life here is simply among the best in Africa.

In terms of biodiversity, the island is one of a kind. There are roughly 200,000 known species with about 150,000 being endemic. This makes Madagascar a wonderful and unique wildlife holiday destination. There are more than 35 types of lemurs, 3,000 species of butterfly, 1,000 orchids and 7 kinds of baobab tree!  The island bursts with unusual and colourful flowers as well as a diversity of reptiles, amphibians and birds. You will return with great memories of your Madagascar wildlife holiday!

A Madagascar wildlife holiday can offer fabulous sightings of unique species such as Indri and Aye Aye as well as time to relax on delightful beaches on Ile Saint Marie and Nosy Be.

Read more about Gane and Marshall Madagascar here

Is a Madagascar wildlife holiday on your wish list? Or have you already been lucky enough to go? We’d love to hear your thoughts on Madagascar, please use the link to leave a reply above.

Visit the Madagascan Tourist Board here.

Climb Kilimanjaro ~ Which Route?

Climb Kilimanjaro! Which route is the best?

The first thing to decide once you have decided to Climb Kilimanjaro is which route to take? But there are so many routes to choose from!

The most popular routes offered by many trekking companies are:

  • Marangu Route – 5 days, stay in huts, same route up and down, very, very crowded
  • Machame Route – 5 days, varied and challenging, very crowded. An extra day can be added

Routes offered by Gane and Marshall are:

Rongai Route – 7 days, avoid the crowds, tends to be slightly drier than southern and western routes, approach from the north, descend via Marangu Route.

Lemosho Route – 8 days, for good acclimatisation and a greater chance to reach summit. Over the years this has been our most successful and popular Kilimanjaro itinerary.

Shira Route – 8 days, approaching through the west offers magnificent scenery. Mainly follows the same trail as Lemosho Route. There are Open Group Departures every week during the climb seasons at low and affordable prices.

The Northern Circuit – 9 days, via Shira Plateau, the northern flank, Gilmans Point and Uhuru Point. The descent is via the scenic, wilderness Mweka Route.  A superb route for the intrepid explorer.

When you begin your research to select your route, you will discover that if you go quickly it is cheaper. So you may be asking why not climb quickly?

Well, Gane and Marshall have just published an acclimatisation profile which explains the pros and cons of the shorter routes. It’s pretty simple really – the shorter the climb, the more discomfort you suffer, the more likely you are to come down early with Acute Mountain Sickness, and your chances of actually reaching Uhuru Point are seriously reduced. So you may pay less but you may also get nowhere near your goal – the summit! Read more in our Kilimanjaro Acclimatisation Guide.

Climb Kilimanjaro! Which company is best?
When your life could potentially be at stake it is essential to choose an operator with the highest mountain safety record. Jeremy Gane selected African Walking Company after researching and working with several operators in Tanzania. Their outstanding level of service and commitment to the care of their staff and the environment shone out. Many subsequent testimonials from Gane and Marshall clients have proved that this decision was the right one. Not only have Jeremy Gane and AWC worked together on large projects such as the Comic Relief celebrity climb of Kilimanjaro, they have also helped countless individuals summit Kilimanjaro – happy and healthy! You can read more about Climbing Kilmanjaro with African Walking Company here.

Kilimanjaro Climb Support Staff

Meet the team who will take you to the top!

Climb Kilimanjaro! You made it!

When you reach the summit of Kiimanjaro, you will no doubt take a photo like this!

Climb Kilimanjaro Summit

And you will receive one of these to proudly show your friends and family.

Climb Kilimanjaro Certificate

To help you plan your Kilimanjaro trek you can read more about Kilimanjaro here at www.kilimanjaroclimbs.com

We’d love to help you Climb Kilimanjaro. If you have any questions please ask them by using our Reply link.

If you have already Climbed Kilimanjaro do share you experiences with us by using the reply link.

See you on the top of Africa when you Climb Kilimanjaro!

See our image gallery of Climb Kilimanjaro on Pinterest.