Mount Meru

Climbing Mt. Meru is usually skipped in favour of its bigger neighbour Mt. Kilimanjaro to the west, but the sheer beauty and challenge of this three-day climb makes it a must-do for obliging itineraries. The early parts of the trail pass through lush rainforests of fig trees and colubus monkeys high in the canopy.

As you climb higher, the cloud forest clears in the late afternoon to reveal striking vistas of Kilimanjaro and the volcano chain on the edge of the Rift Valley. The last distance before the summit passes over the crater ridge – an exhilarating experience, and not one for the faint-hearted.

So while Kilimanjaro offers the chance to scale to the ‘roof of Africa,’ its slightly smaller neighbour is certainly not lacking in adventure.