8-Day Kilimanjaro Lemosho Route – Perfect for Beginners and Nature Lovers

Customer Reviews

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  Julia

  · June 3rd, 2025
  It’s taken me nearly five months to write this review because the experience was truly traumatizing. What was meant to be a life-changing and rewarding adventure turned into a stressful, unsafe, and emotionally exhausting ordeal. I’m sharing this to help others avoid what we went through. ⭐ The Only Positive: The Porters The porters were absolutely amazing—hard-working, kind, and did everything they could to help us. They are the only reason we managed to get through this experience at all. Unfortunately, the problems were entirely due to the owner of KWESA and the lead guides. 🚫 Reputation and Red Flags After our climb, several people (including professionals from other tour companies) told us that KWESA is known to be one of the most problematic operators in the region. They have been mentioned negatively in the news, are on “red lists,” and have had serious issues with local authorities. I wish we had known this before booking. ❌ Major Issues 1. Bait-and-Switch on the Route We booked and paid for the 9-day Northern Circuit route, which was confirmed and never questioned during planning. But once we reached the first camp, the guides suddenly told us we couldn’t do that route anymore. They claimed it was too dangerous, hard to access in case of emergency, and not suitable. We were pressured into switching to the shorter Lemosho route (7 days), using scare tactics and vague justifications. We managed to push it to 8 in the end but it was a constant battle. Afterwards, we spoke with other climbers and tour companies who confirmed that many groups did the Northern Circuit at the same time without any problems. We felt completely misled and manipulated. 2. Dangerous Guiding and Lack of Care On day 4, I was experiencing serious altitude sickness. Despite that, the guides tried to push me to skip a camp and double the distance the next day. Their reasoning? “It’s better to get it done as fast as possible” they said, as if rushing would increase my chances of making it —when in fact, the opposite is true. The more days on the mountain, the more your increase the chance of success. That same day, during the high-altitude acclimatization test, I developed a severe headache and needed to descend immediately. My friend chose to stay to complete the acclimatization as planned. Shockingly, the guide left her alone at high altitude—something that is both extremely dangerous and strictly against safety protocols. 3. Verbal Abuse and Physical Intimidation On the final day of the climb, the tension escalated. Even the porters were fed up and left early to report the guides and company to the Porters Society. The head guide became aggressive—he yelled at me and repeatedly slammed his hand against my shoulder because we hadn’t filled out the tipping form yet (we had already explained we’d do it after returning to the hotel). 4. Theft and Hotel Incidents Back at the hotel, we discovered that $150 had been stolen from our locked valuables. The bills had also been exchanged into large denominations—likely an attempt to prevent us from tipping the porters individually. We insisted they go to the bank and change the money back, which they eventually did. The theft was caught on security camera and the police viewed it - The hotel receptionist was the one stealing and she admitted to it. Another guest had money stolen from her room as well. Our stored luggage had been searched through, and some items had been tampered with. The owner of KWESA was hostile, manipulative, and genuinely frightening. We had also booked a safari with them, but we were so scared we had to cancel it last-minute with the help of the police. 5. Inadequate Equipment The tent we were given leaked when it rained (luckily the porters did an amazing job putting a tarp (waterproof cover) on it every day, and the sleeping bag I rented was completely inadequate for cold mountain conditions—it was thin and offered almost no insulation. When we wanted to donate 13 kg of high-quality clothing to our porters before the climb, the owner refused and claimed the porters “already had everything they needed.” That was clearly not true. It was heartbreaking to see them struggle when we could have helped, but were stopped by his negligence. I place full responsibility for this disaster on the owner of KWESA. He runs his company through fear, manipulation, and complete disregard for both his staff and his clients. What could have been one of the greatest achievements of our lives became one of the worst experiences we've ever had. Please, do your research and avoid KWESA at all costs.
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  Trip date: January 2025
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  Slawomir

  · September 27th, 2024
  We had a great time climbing Kilimanjaro. Fantastic team, great service, knowledgable guides. For best experiance, Kwesa is a company to go with.
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  Kilimanjaro Wonders Expedition Safari commented on this review

  Thank you, Slawomir Dzialach We’re thrilled you enjoyed the trek. It was a pleasure guiding you to the summit of Kilimanjaro. We hope to see you again on your next adventure!
  Trip date: September 2024
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  Marten

  · July 27th, 2024
  Really enjoyed our tour with Kwesa! Good price for the trip and the whole team was very friendly and kind, felt like a big family. They gave us unforgettable experiences, thanks a lot!
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  Kilimanjaro Wonders Expedition Safari commented on this review

  Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re overjoyed to hear you had a great time and felt at home with our team. It warms our hearts to know we could create such memorable experiences for you. Regards, Swaleh Rashidi. Kwesa Tour IT manager
  Trip date: July 2024
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  Andrea

  · June 30th, 2024
  I did the Lemosho Route with Kwesa Tour on June 2024 as solo guided by Mariki and it was one of the best experience of my life! Lemosho Route has a wide variety of vegetations and offers a nice path and I think it is one of the best choices to conquer Uhuru Peak. Anyhow the best part was the support received by the team and my guide Mariki: unfortunately acclimatization was not easy for me and I had to face issues from second half of day two, untill the end of day four, nevertheless following the advices of Mariki and thanks to his incredible support I was able to complete the tour in 7 days. Kwesa also offers a cozy and familiar place to stay at killibase, don't miss the opportunity!
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  Kilimanjaro Wonders Expedition Safari commented on this review

  Thank you Andrea for your great feedback about your adventures with us. Please help to spread it all over there World. Kindly Regards. Edward. Kwesa Tours. DIRECTOR
  
  Trip date: June 2024
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  Saba

  · March 22nd, 2024
  Very pleased with my trekking experience with Kwesa tour. The director Edward was great human. He truly made me feel like home. I am so glad I opt out using western companies and decided with local companies. My guide Tulzia, the waiter Juma and the whole crew that were supporting me in my journey to conquer Kilimanjaro were truly amazing people. I initially signed up for 8 days so summit day will be my birthday but ended up completing it in 6 due to misunderstanding but ended up being great. When I got back they threw me huge birthday party which ended up being the best. Also I ended up going as private since no one else has signed up for that day which worked out great. Please choose local companies and support locals.
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  Kilimanjaro Wonders Expedition Safari commented on this review

  Dear Saba V, Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience with KWESA Tours! We are thrilled to hear that your trekking adventure on Kilimanjaro was a memorable one. It warms our hearts to know that Director Edward and the entire team made... Show more
  Trip date: March 2024
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  MathiasAigner

  · November 15th, 2022
  Strong company serving its guests and community alike. Staff is personable, friendly, and accommodating. Quality excursions include knowledgeable guides in applicable transportation. 8 days climb via Lemosho and we were taken care of far more than expected. Would definitely use KWESA TOURS for any future trip to Tanzania.
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  Trip date: November 2022
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  Frederic

  · June 16th, 2022
  Overall, my son and I had a really good experience, we got to the summit and all the team was great and really nice. I only give 4 stars because, just like the last reviewer, my son would have liked to live the group experience and we were the only two. I'm on a tight budget, and I had to pay way more than expected since I had to pay the tips for a team of 10 people all by myself.
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  Trip date: June 2022
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  Keisha

  · June 3rd, 2022
  The staff were lovely and went out of their way for me, the food was excellent and I made it to the summit and back safely. However, I would not recommend them. I booked and payed for an 8 day climb, they had no intention of taking me for 8 days, there was no option, the itinerary only existed for 6 with no refunds for the 2 days, it felt like I was being rushed so they could sell me more tours on those days. I also booked a group trek advertised as around 10 people, as a solo traveller being in a group was very important to me, but when I got there they informed me they do the treks privately. This also meant I had to pay way more in tips than intended as it was only me ($420 US for 6days on top of the tour price)
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  Trip date: May 2022
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  Denis

  · February 18th, 2022
  I had a perfect experience with KWESA doing the 8 days Kili tour via Lemosho. Hadj was the kindest and most responsible guide you could wish for. Food and service were excellent. Everything was super well and professionally organized. I highly recommend this trip and this tour operator!
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  Trip date: February 2022
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  Keith

  · January 24th, 2020
  Excellent overall all experience. Had no trouble reaching the summit with no symptoms of altitude sickness. However back at base camp I had a terrible asthma attack. Worst in 52 years. My inhaler did nothing to calm the attack. Our guide, Tom, immediately took charge and had me start down the mountain with the help of two porters. Without their help I may not have made it down.
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  Trip date: January 2020