Get out your winter wardrobes, and summer too! It is said that to climb up Kilimanjaro is to walk through all four seasons in just five days. With five distinct climate zones ranging from the lush green rainforest to the dry and rocky desert, with a final ascent to the snowy, ice capped summit, Kilimanjaro is truly a natural phenomenon. The variety of vibrant flora and fauna and diverse landscapes can be attributed to the mountain’s tremendous height and its unique location, bordering both the equator and the Indian Ocean. The variations in climate zones and temperature from the top to the bottom of the mountain create the ideal conditions for an expedition like nowhere else in the world. Here are the five different climate zones you will experience as you hike Africa's tallest peak!
Read moreJAMBO ELIZABETH: MEET OUR NEXT KENYAN KILI CLIMBER!
Elizabeth Gathoni is former student of Tembea Girls School in Kajiado, Kenya. Tembea is apart of Beads for Education whose mission is to improve the status of women in Kenya through girls' education and women's business development. WHOA travel is proud to be friends and long-standing partners with this wonderful organization, and to provide life changing adventure opportunities to these amazing women! Since 2014, we've summited Mount Kilimanjaro with 4 women from the school, and in March 2016, Elizabeth and Siodi will be the 5th and 6th Tembea woman to reach the summit of Kili with us...and on International Women's Day no less! Read, in Elizabeth's own words, what climbing to the highest mountain in Africa means to her.
Elizabeth, we're so honored to get to share this experience with you - see you in Tanzania!
Read moreWHOA is ME! with ANGIE
ANGIE RAIZIS
AGE // 30
OCCUPATION // Fitness Director
LOCATION // McAllen, Texas
HOMETOWN // Willoughby, Ohio
Angie joined us on Mt. Kilimanjaro for our Full Blue Moon Summit! Angie could be seen break dancing, showing the group some crazy yoga moves, and laughing hysterically all while climbing the highest mountain in Africa!
Window or aisle seat?
Window.
What are the three things you never leave home without when you're traveling?
1) My passport.
2) My camera.
3) My credit card.
If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?
Bringing people back from the dead.
Would you rather spend a day scuba diving with sharks, hiking in the Himalayas or hot air ballooning in Turkey?
Ooooh... I want to do all of those things, but if I can only choose one I would go on the Hot Air Balloon in Cappadocia.
What’s the hottest place you’ve been to? What about the coldest?
The hottest place I've ever been to is definitely where I live in the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas. It was 117 Fahrenheit one summer day. The coldest place was when I went home to Cleveland this past February and it was -16 Fahrenheit. The worst is that it felt even colder with the lake effect. My family lives right against Lake Erie and the wind chill factored in.
What accomplishment are you most proud of in your life?
Walking on to the Bowling Green State cross country and track teams at Division I collegiate level. Being able to compete throughout my entire college career with such amazing runners made me improve as an athlete and a person.
In what moment or trip did you fall in love with travel?
When my boyfriend took me to Chicago on an Amtrak train back in 2008.
What is the weirdest thing you've ever eaten? Where did you eat it?
Definitely escargot in Paris, France. They were so slimy and covered in this green "butter." I usually don't eat meat or dairy, but I promised myself I would try the snails. Honestly, it didn't taste too bad, but it was really flavorful and just... snails.
What is your dream adventure?
Traveling all around Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. Number 1 is to hold a koala! Then visit Sydney, Ayers Rock, scuba in the Great Barrier Reef, visit Coober Pedy and find the perfect Opal and see the underground living. Visit Melbourne, stay in the Q1 tower in Queensland and go to Castle Hill. Go to the Telstra Towers located on the summit of Black Mountain in Canberra where there is a revolving restaurant... and go to Tasmania. Visit the Bay of Fires and Cradle Mountain where there is also a Tasmanian Devil and wildlife Sanctuary. I'd then go to New Zealand and definitely try Zorbing and after that, end in Fiji to possibly cliff dive, watch a firewalking ceremony, and just relax and enjoy the culture. I've been thinking about this for a long time which is why there's so much I want to do :)
What is your mantra or favorite quote?
It is usually:
"All that we are is a result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become."
-Buddha.
But then I just heard Nelly's "Heart of a Champion" and that's sticking in my mind at this moment:
"If hard work pays off then easy work is worthless
My work habit ain't no habit man, I do it on purpose
I push myself to the limit so my talent'll surface."
GROWING UP IN INDIA AS A WOMAN: AN ESSAY FROM OUR YOUNGEST WHOA FAN
Recently, we received an email from Yesha, a 14 year old who lives in Gujarat, India. She heard about WHOA in a local newspaper, and wanted to use the time between school terms to experience the adrenaline rush of climbing Kilimanjaro for herself. How awesome is she!? In her own words, she said "I'm not exactly a woman yet." Well, Yesha, one thing is for sure: you're an inspiration and true WHOAer in our book! We can't wait to adventure with you (even though it will have to a few years)!
By Yesha Desai
When I say I live in India you guys probably think of me, a shy sari-clad girl living in a small house without light and electricity, walking kilometers to fetch water from the nearest well.
Well this may be true in some cases but when I say I live in India I mean the beautiful coastline, enormous mountains hovering in the north and guarding us and oh!! The undiscovered paradise of rivers and forests in the north east.
Yes life in India can be tough sometimes. Because no matter what religion you follow you are bound to face social suffocation.
But isn’t that the case in every country?
But unlike every other country, India is way more diverse and I have no idea how we even manage to be united as a country.
In India, it's like festivals are life and the art of living is just a colorful festivity. Year round we have festivals after festivals. Shops beaming with lights and presents to shop and of course food.
How can anyone describe India without the mention of food? Having a vibrant history and culture we always have a reason to celebrate and with heaps of extremely delicious delicacies.
From quiet villages to ever growing cities life in India can be fun. You may imagine that a person might get bored here but there are lots of fun things to do. Just like Hollywood we have our own film industry- Bollywood.
Just like I said before, India is a country of diversity. Our national language is Hindi but in every country people speak different languages. Just like in my state Gujarat we speak Gujarati, in the Maharashtra they speak Marathi etc. There are more than 15 main languages and many other tribal ones. Most people in India speak at least 3 languages if not more.
I am quite sure that a few of you reading this blog will be joining the cycling trip in India in 2016 , held by WHOA. As much as negativity you may have about India, all I can say is that people here are extremely helpful and kind. You may find then intruding your privacy sometimes but….What can I say it's in our culture to help people.
Learn more about WHOA travel's 2016 India Adventure here.
WHOA is ME! with SARAH
SARAH WANGUI WAIME SWAG
AGE // 25
OCCUPATION // Nutritionist
LOCATION // Nyeri County Kenya
HOMETOWN // Othaya, Kenya
Sarah's smile and laugh lit up the mountain! She proudly represented Kenya and Beads for Education in March 2015, when she summited Mt. Kilimanjaro with a group of twenty-five other WHOA women. The following week, she got married...so we like to think of it as the first ever bachlorette party on Kilimanjaro!
Window or aisle seat?
Window all the way. I can't afford to miss the beautiful sceneries.
What are the three things you never leave home without when you're traveling?
1) My super Y320 phone that keeps me updated and has an 8GB memory card that can store more than four thousand photos. And it has very cool country music on it.
2) Bouncy wet wipes (they are comfy) and my tooth kit.
3) My travel bag; it has everything I need.
If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?
Listener; so that I could hear what people need to help them achieve.
Would you rather spend a day scuba diving with sharks, hiking in the Himalayas or hot air ballooning in Turkey?
I would definitely go hot air ballooning in Turkey, because I think to be airborne would be really fun.
What’s the hottest place you’ve been to? What about the coldest?
Hottest = In northern Kenya, in a place known as Samburu next to Turkana. Oh, it was hard staying outdoors.
Coldest = Limuru in central Kenya where I was born. It's always cold. I moved away, because I could not bear the cold, but people survive there.
What accomplishment are you most proud of in your life?
I got married to the love of my life, on March 15th, after summiting Kili. which was an adventure that prepped me to be ready for life and the beauty it brings forth. I also completed my schooling; I achieved a Diploma in Clinical and Community Nutrition.
In what moment or trip did you fall in love with travel?
I did a 100 mile walkathon from Isinya to Amboseli with BEADS for Education which was pioneered by Debby Rooney. Even though I was young then, it gave me an adventurers mindset and since then I have always been open to similar opportunities so when I met with Debby in January 2015 and she asked me if I would hike Kili with WHOA travel, I loved the idea and started prepping immediately.
What is the weirdest thing you've ever eaten? Where did you eat it?
Bulgha (some weird looking seed, almost like millet). When boiled, it appears like soggy bran and it tastes and smells weird. I only had a spoonful. It was in Samuru in a school known as Lobarisherek primary.
What is your dream adventure?
I dream of one day going to Israel; soaking in the Red Sea, visiting the tomb of Jesus, and traveling the world.
What is your mantra or favorite quote?
"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has courage to lose sight of the shore." -Andre Gide
JAMBO SIODI: MEET OUR NEXT KENYAN KILIMANJARO CLIMBER!
Siodi Namunyak is a 24 year old teacher and former student from Tembea Girls School in Kajiado, Kenya. Tembea is apart of Beads for Education and their mission is to improve the status of women in Kenya through girls' education and women's business development. WHOA travel is proud to be friends and long-standing partners with this wonderful organization, and to provide life changing adventure opportunities to these amazing women! Since 2014, we've summited Mount Kilimanjaro with 4 women from the school, and in March 2016, Siodi will be the 5th Tembea woman to reach the summit of Kili with us...and on International Women's Day no less! Read, in her own words, what climbing to the highest mountain in Africa means to her.
Siodi, we're so honored to get to share this experience with you - see you in Tanzania!
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADVENTURE
by Siodi Namunyak
Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to get to Africa’s peak next year. I am grateful to you and to Debby for making this possible. I am especially happy because many people at my level do not have the capacity and might never be able to get to that peak.
My main reasons of wanting to climb Kilimanjaro is to satisfy my spirit of adventure and also to test my limits. I have never seen snow in my life and I don’t know how my body will react to it as well as how its functionality will be affected. I have also never stayed for a day without taking a shower and I guess that is one of the things I will certainly forgo for a day or two. Besides, I was born right at the foot of Kilimanjaro, though on the side that faces Kenya, Amboseli. My parents and their ancestors have lived there with their livestock where they have co-existed with the wildlife of Amboseli. Since my childhood, I have woken up every morning and seen this feature that no Maasai history could explain to me until the time I gained formal education and knew it is a geographical feature.
Read moreICYMI: Our ears are burning...and we like it!
People are talking about WHOA! Check us out on the Travel Channel, featured as their Type of Travelers and 2015 Travel Trends for adventure travel that gives back.
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