Things to do in Moshi

Moshi sits directly below Kilimanjaro, close enough that cloud cover decides whether the summit shows itself each morning. The Chagga people farm its lower slopes, coffee and bananas planted in the same small plots for generations. The town itself is smaller and quieter than Arusha.

At the foot of the mountain

• Materuni. A waterfall and coffee-farming village on Kilimanjaro's slopes, under an hour from town.
• Kikuletwa hot springs. Warm, clear pools shaded by fig trees, a common add-on to a Materuni day.
• Kilimanjaro gates. Marangu, Umbwe and the other trailheads, each a different route up.
• Moshi town. A market, the clock roundabout and a Chagga cooking class, for a rest day between treks.

Six ways up the mountain

Every route up Kilimanjaro takes at least five days, mostly to give the body time to acclimatise. Marangu alone has huts instead of tents. It's the fastest route at five to six days, but also the least likely to succeed.

Machame, the most popular route, runs six to seven days and posts a noticeably better success rate. Lemosho and Shira take longer still, seven to eight days, trading time for a higher chance of reaching the top. Longer is generally safer here.

A shorter day hike into the rainforest reaches Mandara Hut without ever aiming for the summit. It's a half-day taste of the mountain.

Practical

• Weather. Moshi town itself is mild, 23-29C by day; the mountain runs through five climate zones above it, and it's below freezing at the crater rim regardless of season.
• Getting around. Kilimanjaro International Airport is about an hour away; most trekkers are collected by their operator rather than arranging a taxi themselves.
• Gear. Warm layers for the summit night are essential even in the hottest month down in town; most operators rent the specialist kit.
• Tipping the crew. Guides, cooks and porters are tipped separately by role, in cash, at the end of the trek — a meaningful part of their income.