Our best decision was to start our safari trip at Kaliwa Lodge near Kilimanjaro instead of driving directly to the bustling town of Arusha. Kaliwa Lodge is set in the rainforest with breathtaking views of Kilimanjaro and is the best place to get acclimated to the time zone and get over jet lag, waking up to the sounds of birds and monkeys and a delicious and hearty breakfast. We arrived late in the evening and stayed two nights. On our full day, we decided to do the Machame Walk, organized by the lodge. Our guide was Omega, a young local known to many in the village. He was fantastic, and we learned so much about the Chagga people, their history, daily life, and agriculture (vanilla, coffee). The highlight of our walk included stopping at Uduru primary school, where we had a great time playing and dancing with the children, and a delicious lunch at the home of Joanne, who taught us firsthand how coffee is made. The Machame walk starts out slow and easy, but it could be a moderate hike for some, especially going down to the waterfall. The activity lasts about five hours. I would highly recommend this walk ($27 per person). Pros: • Rooms are spacious and comfortable • The friendliest people work there • View of Kilimanjaro • Delicious breakfasts Cons: • Inconsistent water temps/flow (our shower was lukewarm and trickled; our friends was super-hot) • Dinner was $20 per person, which Is a bit pricier than expected, but there is no other option
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