mount kilimanjaro

Kilimanjaro is the highest point of the African continent and the tallest free-standing mountain in the world. Yet its summit is surprisingly accessible, requiring little more than proper clothing and a walking stick. The ascent begins in an area of tropical coastal scrubland, giving way to lush montane forest on the footslopes, inhabited by elusive elephant, leopard, buffalo, antelope and primates. Higher still lies the moorland zone, where a cover of giant heather is interspersed with huge lobelias. Above 4000 metres, alpine desert supports very little life other than moss and lichen, which in turn transforms into a white world of ice and snow towards the summit.

Best time to go: The clearest and driest conditions are usually found from December to February. The months of July to September are also dry but usually colder.