Author: TranquilKilimanjaro

What you need to know if you're on a Mount Kilimanjaro trekking tour with the failed travel agent. The travel giant company,  Thomas Cook collapses after last-minute bailout plans to save the failing firm which has been running for 178-years. The tour company based in the U.K has ceased to trade with immediate effect, this is according to the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority. Thomas Cook has gone ahead to publish travel advice for tourists on holiday with the affected company at the following website thomascook.caa.co.uk. Apart from Mount Kilimanjaro climbers that have booked with Thomas Cook, many tourists around the world have also been affected by this situation either while on holiday or with long term plans of coming to Tanzania for Mount Kilimanjaro trekking tours with Thomas Cook. Fortunately, we can advise you what to do next and to claim a refund on your tour to Kilimanjaro if Thomas Cook goes into administration. Atol protection for Kilimanjaro climbers The Atol travel plan protects people who buy Mount Kilimanjaro package holidays that are all-inclusive plus a flight, through UK tour operators and agents like in the case of Thomas Cook. If you have booked a Mount Kilimanjaro package or just a flight to Tanzania through the Thomas cook, Atol protection ensures you do not lose your money or be left stranded in Tanzania as Atol protection means they will be flown back home free of charge. Clients who have already booked and actually paid for an upcoming Mount Kilimanjaro climb with Thomas Cook should a right to a refund as part of the Atol scheme. Unfortunately, if you didn’t book your tour as part of a package you might not be Atol protected, but you may still be able to claim a refund of some sort through your travel

Well, who has never heard of it? Mt. Kilimanjaro, the icon, the name so engraved in most of us, well, I presume most of us. It would be safe to say that but then again this series of articles would stop here. This African icon nicknamed the 'roof of Africa has intrigued the local population as well as early European explorers. In 1885 Jim Thompson made an unsupported claim that Kilimanjaro, to the locals meant Mountain (Kilima) of Greatness (Njaro). This is understandable considering the tribes living around the mountain and their reverence to the mountain in relation to their beliefs and day to day life. The Roof of Africa looks imposing and beautiful all at the same time even from afar.   Our towering mountain is located in East Africa, in the beautiful country of Tanzania. Mount Kilimanjaro is located near the border of Tanzania and Kenya, just 3 degrees south of the equator, and yes, it will be a surprise on you upon seeing snow on the inviting mountain summit. So towering is the mountain that its visible from the towns of Moshi, Arusha, in Tanzania and also from the Tsavo and Amboseli parks not very far away in neighbouring Kenya.   The exact mountain specifications are 24 miles wide, and 49 miles long. And the mountain boasts of 3 craters that add to the air of mystery that Kilimanjaro has. The volcanic craters are Kibo, Shira and Mawenzi. The smallest but the oldest of the peaks is Shira standing at 3962 m. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your stand on mother nature, the volcanic centre became extinct.   Kibo is categorized as dormant and not extinct and it's the highest of the three peaks. Standing at 5895 m high and at 1.5 miles wide. Mount Kilimanjaro's Uhuru peak

On Friday, wildlife rangers, soldiers, and large volunteer teams worked to put out a major forest fire that had been burning for over a week in Mount Kenya national park. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the government agency in charge of national parks, claimed the fire started on Saturday and that it had damaged more than 80,000 hectares (200,000 acres) surrounding Mount Kenya. KWS claimed in a statement that "we have made considerable progress in suppressing the Mt Kenya fire," but that new breakouts have been reported. Shuttle runs were flown by helicopters to help the volunteers who were working in the forest to put out the fire. Others created massive water drops to put out the flames. The mountain's top, which stands at 5,199 meters (17,057 feet) and is Africa's second tallest after Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, was coated in ice and snow patches above the clouds of smoke. Rangers from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), and the Kenya Defence Force (KDF) were among those who fought the fire (KDF). "Hundreds of community people, volunteers, KWS and KFS rangers, and KDF teams are busy creating fire breaks and putting out flames on the mountain," the Mount Kenya Trust, an organization dedicated to forest conservation, stated on Friday. The park straddles the equator, some 193 kilometers (120 miles) northeast of Nairobi, with the mountain at its heart. The United Nations designated Mount Kenya as a World Heritage Monument in 1997, and climate change is listed as "possibly one of the most important long-term dangers to the site."

The two Little Mix musicians are hiking Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise money for a good cause courtesy of Comic Relief. Leigh-Anne Pinnock and Jade Thirlwall of Little Mix have teamed up to scale the highest peak in Africa. They joined the #ReturntoKili campaign to support Comic Relief's Red Nose Day together with other British celebrities. A British nonprofit organization called Comic Relief is devoted to eradicating poverty, especially in Africa. Each year, the group holds Red Nose Day to raise money for its causes. By overcoming the difficult conditions and difficulties of climbing Kilimanjaro for an entire 8 days using the Lemosho Route, Jade and Leigh-Anne hope to inspire their supporters and others to donate to the cause. The two girls are persevering and are currently on Day 4. They have climbed through torrential downpours, and Jade has even experienced acute altitude sickness, yet they continue. We have no idea how they manage it. As they traverse the challenging terrain to improve the lives of others, Leigh-Anne and Jade are as inspirational as they come. We are excited for them to reach the top and wish them luck as they continue on their journey. Visit the Comic Relief website to follow the team, donate, or learn more about the challenge. Nine well-known celebrities, including Love Island's Dani Dyer and Little Mix's Jade Thirlwall and Leigh-Anne Pinnock, scaled Mount Kilimanjaro in support of Comic Relief after weeks of preparation. The crew, which has been climbing the mountain for the last week, has reached their goal after climbing 5895 meters despite suffering from altitude sickness, nausea, tiredness, and a ton of blisters. Leigh-Anne Pinnock of Little Mix sent an extremely moving statement on her Instagram page after hitting the top over the weekend.   View this post on Instagram  

'I'm going out on top,' says defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, 35, who announced his NFL retirement after a stellar 13-year career by revealing a flag on the peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest point. As he announced his retirement on Monday, Ngata expressed his thanks with a "heart full of gratitude." From the 19340ft summit at Uhuru Peak, a banner reading "I'm retiring from the NFL on top" was hoisted. Ngata, a two-time All-Pro who appeared in five Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl, was a two-time All-Pro. From the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, defensive lineman Haloti Ngata declared his retirement from football. On Monday morning, the 13-year NFL veteran shared a selfie of himself on the 19340-foot peak, waving a banner that said, 'I'm retiring from the NFL on top.' 'Just a man on top of the world, full of appreciation in his heart.' Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to play the game I love for 13 incredible years,' he wrote on social media. 'I may be done playing football, but the connections, memories, and lessons I've gathered along the road are priceless.' 'No one who has ever given his all has ever regretted it. I'm leaving with no regrets, only the satisfaction of knowing I gave it my all and had a great time doing it.' Ngata, a two-time All-Pro who appeared in five Pro Bowls and won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens in 2013, was a 35-year-old native of Inglewood, California. He played nine seasons with the Ravens after being selected No. 12 overall in the 2006 NFL Draft, followed by three seasons in Detroit and one in Philadelphia. The Ravens were in the top five in the league in run defense in seven of his nine seasons in Baltimore. Ngata has 519