Meru Slopes Tours & Safaris — Attraction in Arusha

Talking to the operator Geoffrey is very responsive on WhatsApp and was able to answer all of our questions. I was intially confused about what Geoffrey's role was until we arrived in Tanzania. Geoffrey is the main operator and helps with transportation, accommodations, in charge of the money, and hands you off to other main guides (independent guides) for the experience that you choose.

Mt. Kilimanjaro - planned for 7 day Lemosho route and ended up with 6! After the hand-off between Geoffrey to William (our lead guide for climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro), we needed to rent gear.

Gear: Meru Slopes provided us with some gear: tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, food/water, toilet paper, hiking poles, and head lamps. The gear shop is also independent and required an additional payment. William was also renting out cheaper gear as compared to the gear shop: hiking boots ($15) and daypack.

The experience: William (lead guide) and Emmanuel (assistant guide but only in name) were truly amazing guides. William helped us with the gear and being in contact with Geoffrey, and Emmanuel did everything else William could do: spot out flora (plants endemic to Kilimanjaro) and fauna (i.e. monkeys); maintain morale through talking, singing, and words of encouragement; could gauge our physical and mental strength more than we could understand ourselves (seeing that we were walking at an above average speed and adjusting the route, knowing how hikers usually feel after a certain hike or after summit and knowing the right move afterwards--aka descending); helping with falls, opening our water bottles, putting on gear, carrying our gear!, piggy backing up the mountain, the list could go on lol but to keep it short: they were helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable.

Porters and Comfort: We were given two buckets of warm water before every meal and a bar of soap to clean ourselves. There was one porter, called the waiter, who was there to serve us hot water (with every meal), snacks (popcorn+nuts+cookies) before dinner?!?!, bring our meals (legit a 5 course meal on mt. Kilimanjaro: soup, protein, veggies!, and some sort of carb) to our tent, and later remove the plates. They also gave us an additional flashlight (2 if you ask nicely). He also may have been the guy to wake us up every morning o: This is what you're paying the big bucks for.

Safari Mudy was our lead guide for the Safari and I'm so glad we had him because he always had a positive attitude, answered all of the group's questions, navigated the roads in each park safely and efficiently, and was just overall on top of his game--to the point of giving us the experience to see all of the big five! He does have a quirky personality that gets some getting used to, but at the end of the day, you can tell he's an animal lover (especially for birds) and hopes you (as the visitor) had a great time in the parks. We also had a cook named Dulla. His cooking is AWESOME! We had sweet pancakes every morning, really good vegetarian options for lunch and dinner, and everything tasted very fresh and healthy. The roads are paved, but be prepared for bumpy rides. In addition, be prepared to get dusty as windows and the roof will be open. Animals are often found near the side of the road, but sometimes they are further away which means that having a pair of binoculars is a must! Mudy provides 1 extra set, but otherwise, you mean have to share with others if they didn't bring one either.

Camping We chose the cheaper option which meant staying in campgrounds. The campgrounds are definitely an upgrade (if you climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro previously) because there's running water at every bathroom! Additional amenities at each bathroom include: soap, toilet paper, a bidet, and a warm shower.

Gear We went in June, dry season, which means there aren't many mosquitos in the parks and campgrounds. It also means that the nights and early mornings are really cold--so remember to bring a puffy jacket...

On the first place, you have to know that Geofrey, head of the company, will do his utmost in order to fulfill all your needs. Do not hesitate to ask him about whatever you may need to know cause he will be pleased to help. In my case, I had to change my whole trip due to changes in my flights and he gave me the solution right away without any issue. He postponed my safari one day in a few minutes. He was very responsive and collaborative and he provided the best service in spite of the mishap. Regarindg the safari, I picked the 6 days (5 nights) choice. It was simply amazing. Nature is amazing and all the spots were really beautiful and we got to see plenty of animals. I think the most important element when going in a safari is your guide, and we were incredibly lucky having Florian with us. He knows Serengeti like the back of his hand! It is incredible to see him navigating around the place following his experience, his knowledge and his insticts. He makes you feel you are in good hands and safe, and he brought us to the best and coolest spots in the area. In my case, he did all he could to get us to see as many animals as possible. He was very calm, handling in a relaxed way all kinds of situations, providing lots of info about the animals, their behaviour and many curiosities about nature and wildlife. And of course, without his eyes we couldn't have probably seen anything! His driving was always very good, although the paths in nature are rough. He drove all the time in the most smooth possible way. He is a PROFESSIONAL, with big letters. His kindness and gentleness really got my heart. Another important element during these kind of adventures is the cook. In my case, Moshi was with us during the whole trip and he made the experience even better. He cooked delicious meals everyday. And besides his cooking skills, he made us feel as a team and he did a great work keeping all of us engaged and going in the same direction. He is very enthusiastic and positive and his joy is contagious. It was a pleasure to share time with him too and learning more about Tanzanian cuisine. 10 points for Moshi! The camping supplies were also very good. The mat was pretty comfortable as it was a foam mat thick enough so you could not feel the ground. The sleeping bag provided was really warm; in the night it can be chilly and it was more than enough. Tents were also of good quality. When we were in Simba camp it was rainy during the night and the tent was always dry and provided enough protection. So you don't have to be worried about being comfortable, dry and safe. We also stayed first and last night in Fanaka lodge and I can say it is a cool place. It is beautiful and rooms have a decent size, good and warm shower, comfy bed and they even have a swimming pool. The car was fully equipped and it felt always very safe. It looks quite new and very well-maintained. Seats were very confy and there are plugs in every seat, so you can charge your devices if needed. Each seat has a huge window, so you will not miss anything! And the top can be opened as well,so you can have an even better look around and it is perfect if you like taking pictures. I also stayed in the accommodation offered and owned by Meru Slopes in Arusha and it is highly recommended. Location is ideal, so it will take you just 5-15 walk to the main spots in the city. Rooms are spatious and clean, bed with mosquito net, shower is warm and all elements in the room and bathroom are working well. Meru Slopes makes a really good job and the whole staff are professionals you can trust 100%. Treatment is exquisite. My general view: Value for money is guaranteed. My feelings: I did not have to worry about anything. I just got into the car and enjoyed my experience to the most. I know Meru Slopes will alaways...

We made it to the top of Kilimanjaro! And our time along the way was pretty cushy. We had a team of 9 to take care of just the two of us: 6 porters to carry supplies, tents, etc, 1 cook and 2 guides. We had hot, delicious food for every meal and a big tent with chairs and a table for eating. The food definitely helped to keep our mentality positive which helped a lot in reaching the goal. We would leave the camp before the porters but by the time we reached the next camp, the porters had already set everything up! The guides, William and Emmanuel, were experienced, knowledgeable, and strong, and every one of their recommendations turned out to be the right decision for us. All we had to do was put one foot in front of the other, which turned out to be completely necessary as we needed all our efforts and focus on the summit night, which was still incredibly challenging. But we really couldn't have made it up there without this team.

We originally booked the tour for 7 days along the Lemosho route. We were doing well the first couple days so the guides recommended that we shorten the trek to 6 days by hiking to the base camp on the 4th day and summiting that night. It turned out to be the right decision for us in the end because we were still able to make it and it gave us time to rest before our safari but I wonder if it would have been a little less painful if we had taken more days.

We were a little blindsided by the tipping culture as we hadn't researched it beforehand and the tour operator didn't say anything about tipping, we were only informed about it at the start of the trek. It comes out to be a pretty hefty amount, for us about 20% of the cost of the trek and I wish this was made more clear when we made the booking. I feel pretty bad about this but we weren't able to pay the right amount (the "right amount" is quoted everywhere online; we just didn't do that research until now). Other than this, the tour operator is very responsive over Whatsapp and helped us out a ton in preparing for this once in a lifetime experience. Our bags were delayed at the airport and so we basically didn't have anything with us, but William was able to help us buy or rent everything we needed to make it to the top.

Meru slopes is also a great company to go with on a safari. We did a 7 day safari with Mudy as our guide, and we went to Tarangire, Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Lake Manyara. Mudy made sure we saw absolutely every animal! Some of them we definitely got really lucky, like the leopard and rhino, which are very rare and we only saw from far away. But Mudy was also hardworking and always made the right decisions, for example when looking for the great migration river crossing. He asked if we wanted to have lunch in the jeep in order to maybe get a better shot of the river crossing, and as it turned out we did get one! Mudy was also a great driver on the bumpy and unpaved roads of these wild Tanzanian parks, and he drove safely and quickly when he needed to get us to see an animal. Overall my only complaint is that his English could be better as his accent is hard to understand.

Our cook, Dulla, was absolutely amazing and cooked such delicious meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Dulla made a lot of cheese dishes and even made pizza with the limited supplies available. My favorite dish was this bean stew for lunch.

We did a camping safari and the tents and mattresses were comfortable, nice, and warm. Meru slopes was very well equipped and provided everything we needed for a...