KILIMANJARO

Location: Located 45km from Moshi (60km from Arusha).
At 5895m (19,455ft) above sea level, Mt Kilimanjaro is Africa's highest mountain and lures thousands of climbers every year. Many of the plants and some of the animals on Kilimanjaro are endemic. The mountain's lower reaches are savanna, with montane forest above 1800m; the higher reaches change from forest to heath and moorland, then to highland desert before finally becoming glaciers, ice and snow. The national park protects the area above 2700m, starting almost at the point where the forest ends.

Wildlife rhythms: Most climbers trekkers don't attempt Kilimanjaro during the long rains (March to June) because it is too dangerous; climbing during the short rains (October to November) is also difficult. On the mountain you must be accompanied by a licensed guide.

Wildlife highlights: Although wildlife is present in the forest below 2700m it is difficult to see -black-and-white colobus, blue monkeys, turacos and horn-bills are the species most com-monly encountered. There's good raptor and sunbird viewing on high moorlands. The diversity of habitats (forest, mountain moorlands and desert) makes 'Kili' a botanist's delight.

What to do: Mountain climbing.