Looking for a Cheap Kilimanjaro Climb? Think again.

Nobody likes to pay more than necessary to climb Kilimanjaro. But we implore you to do some research into the working conditions of porters before you decide to climb with a budget operator. You may unknowingly be rewarding a company’s unethical behavior and exploitation of others.

There is a fair share of budget operators who offer cheap climbs. But in return for that low price, these operators engage in appalling practices that are often out of sight to the tourist. These include:

• Paying porters less than minimum wage or not at all
• Allowing guides to take tips and wages meant for porters
• Feeding porters only once or twice a day
• Requiring porters to pay the operator a fee for food or camping on the mountain
• Forcing porters to carry loads greater than the weight limit
• Allowing porters to climb with insufficient clothing
• Providing poor shelters (such as mess tents) for porters to sleep in

Please watch this nine minute video (made in 2008) that describes the plight of porters on Kilimanjaro.

We hope that once you are aware of the issues surrounding porter mistreatment, you will only support Kilimanjaro operators that demonstrate their commitment to porter welfare.

KPAP partner companies, like Ultimate Kilimanjaro®, are leading the industry to improve working conditions for all porters on Mount Kilimanjaro.

Fighting for the fair treatment of porters is an uphill battle. There is strong resistance to change from certain local operators who have considerable power and influence over government and park regulations.

In order to stop the abuse, tourists need to stop supporting the behavior, and boycott budget operators as a whole. There are many other reasons why you should never climb with a budget
operator.