West Kili - Hemingway's Camp

We departed Arusha and headed towards Moshi. On the way, a turn off for Sanya Ju appears, which leads in the direction of Mt Kilimanjaro National Park. The tarmac road ends and then a series of interconnected dirt roads lead out towards the Western side of Kilimanjaro. This area, seldom visited is termed West Kili. We continued on these dirt roads, stopping for a picnic lunch along the way. Eventually at a very discreet turn off, we made a left at Olmolok village. These smaller roads winded down towards some plains. In the distance we could see Amboseli Park on the Tanzania / Kenya border. Off to our rights were views of Mt Kilimanjaro.
As it became dusk, the clouds parted and revealed the snow-capped top of Kilimanjaro. At sunset, the colors were a vibrant magenta, the whole landscape becoming rich in texture. We drove up a big hill for sundowners and watched the sunset over this marvelous landscape. Just before it became dark we headed to our luxury tented camp - Hemingway's http://www.hemingways-camp.com/ This exclusive luxury camp is set under shady acacias on the plains of West Kili. The nearby hills have 360 degree views towards Amboseli and Kilimanjaro. The remoteness of the camp gives the place a pioneer bush experience.
This area is contiguous with Kenya's Amboseli Park and thus, the elephants that roam around are docile and approachable. The herds are large and often times come into camp. The area has lesser Kudu, Gerenuk, Bat eared Fox, and Striped Hyaena - heard in the mornings. Game such as Giraffe, Zebra, Buffalo, Impala, and Bushbuck are common. Predators such as Lion, Leopard, and Cheetah also live in the area, however, much harder to see. The area is ideal for bush walks, game drives, and bush lunches. The camp is set in a local Masaai area, and bed night fees are given to the local community, as well as employment opportunities at the camp. This area is a wildlife management area, where local villages run and protect the environment. Local Masaai graze their cattle with animals living alongside.
We took a long bush walk our second day and met up with the crew for a nice bush lunch. In the afternoon, we took a siesta and then went up the hill to catch sunset shots of Kilimanjaro. We bought a goat from a local herdsman and had a proper Masaai meal. First, they suffacated the goat, so as not to lose any blood, and then they skinned and gutted the goat. We ordered some beers around the camp fire and watched the fresh goat meat cook near the fire. Eating goat like this - could be one of the best bush meals around. Goat meat is delicious, including the intestines!
Masaai drink the blood from the goat and eat the kidneys raw. While my Western mentally did not allow for my taste of true bushmanship, I did enjoy cooked liver, stomach, and linings. The cooks are great in the kitchen and made nice medium rare steak pieces of fresh goat. At the time we were the only guests, so if we didn't finish the goat, plenty of folks from the camp would. This place is a real treat, very special...

Hemingway's camp in West Kili is the start of Summits Africa 'Plains to Peak' trip, which begins with a couple of nights of bush and then trekking up the Lemosho route for 9 days. The 'Plains to Peak' trek is the Ultimate Kilimanjaro Expedition.

You can view a detailed itinerary, set departures, and pricing here:
http://www.summits-africa.com/kilimanjaro/kilimanjaro-the-Lemosho-route-plains-to-peak.htm