Mandara Huts Camp

Mandara Huts Camp Elevation: 2720 m.a.m.s.l.

The Mandara huts campsite is an accommodation point used by climbers scaling Mount Kilimanjaro via the Marangu Route. It is also worth noting that this campsite is the first one you come across along the Marangu route and one of the few sites that boast of A-shaped huts, wooden cabins as a form of accommodation on Mount Kilimanjaro what the capability to house 6-8 people per cabin and a total of 60 climbers at one go

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Mandara Huts facilities

One of the facilities on Mandara includes a mess hall that acts as the dining hall on mount Kilimanjaro where meals are taken. Another notable feature on the Mandara hut campsite is the ranger’s office that acts as the administration block for registration formalities, for climbers entering or leaving the campsite.

Mandara huts campsite also has another house set aside for porters and guides. The rooms are not self-contained, meaning the bathroom en-suite rooms are not available and the toilets have to be shared. The style for building the W.C.s is similar to other campsites on Mount Kilimanjaro with the W.Cs’s structures standing at the center of the camp. the middle of the camp with a mix of a few pit latrines.

The Mandara huts campsite is usually used to ascend Mount Kilimanjaro via the Marangu route since most climbers don’t stay overnight during descent as they proceed to the park’s exit gates.

One Day Hike to Mandara Hut

Since it would take you a total of about 8-9 hours to get from Moshi Town to Mandara Hut and back then it is possible to do a day hike to Kilimanjaro’s Mandara Hut. Driving from Moshi town takes about 1 hour to reach Marangu Gate (1860 m) where the actual hiking begins. Hiking from Marangu Gate to Mandara Hut (2700 m) takes another 3-4 hours. Descending from Mandara Hut to Marangu gate takes another 2-3 hours. Then driving back to Moshi town from Marangu gate takes another 1 hour.

What you will see and Visit: Black & White Colobus Monkeys, Blue monkeys, many Birds species, visit the Maundi Crater.

Altitude gain:	1860m to 2700m
Distance (one way):	8 km
Hiking time:	3 – 4 hours up / 2 – 3 hours down (total time 5 – 7 hours)
Habitat:	Mountain Forest

Click here to see the full 1 day itinerary to hike to the Mandara Hut

Advantages of Mandara Huts Campsite

The main advantage of the Mandara Hut campsite is that tents are not necessary here,

The other advantage is this camp has a regular water supply sourced from the streams nearby.

Disadvantages of Mandara Huts Campsite

You have to carry your own meals and prepare your own meals despite the availability of a mess hall. Porters will take care of the carrying and preparing of the meals.

Since Marangu Route does not require tents for accomodation, there is not enough to pitch up tents at the Mandara Hut campsite.

Location of Mandara Huts campsite

Encompassed by huge trees, the Mandara huts campsite is located inside the rainforest region vegetation of Mount Kilimanjaro. This region is full of wildlife and plenty of rainfall, making the surface of the pathways always wet and somehow slippery with a normal quantity of humidity and relatively good temperatures as compared to the other regions of the mountain.

Approximately 1 km away as you go upwards, is the Maundi Crater, whereby you can get one of the best glimpses of the Mountain peak and a good view of the rainforest below.

The Mandara Hut Campsite is located to the South of Mount Kilimanjaro approximately 3 hours from the entrance gate.

The next campsite after the Mandara Huts campsite is the Horombo huts while there is no previous camp before this one, only the Marangu Gate which is the entry point.