Staying at Mandara Hut on Kilimanjaro – a trekker’s guide

Mandara Hut (2,720 m) on Kilimanjaro is the first campsite you encounter when trekking the Marangu route. It's located in a clearing within the montane forest band that encircles lower Mount Kilimanjaro. It offers a fantastic view of Mount Kilimanjaro's summit, Uhuru Peak.

Mandara Hut is used by Marangu route trekkers on both the ascent and descent. It's where they spend their first and last nights on the mountain. It's also used by trekkers who ascended via the Shira route, as they too descend along the Marangu route.

Mandara Hut is the first campsite along the Marangu route

As is the case with all of the campsites along the Marangu route, the facilities at Mandara Hut include several A-framed, wooden sleeping cabins. (So the name Mandara Hut is a bit of a misnomer; it should perhaps be called Mandara Huts instead.)

The cabins are fitted with simple bunk beds and mattresses, and each can sleep six or eight people. There's another large cabin where the mountain crews sleep.

The campsite also has a mess cabin that serves as a dining room. And, finally, there's an ablution block fitted with pit latrines (aka long drops).

A section of the Marangu trail leading to Mandara Hut

The trail to Mandara Hut (2,720 m) starts at Marangu Gate (1,860 m), one of the entrances to Kilimanjaro National Park. It usually takes about three hours to trek from the gate up to the campsite.

The path to Mandara Hut is well-established and relatively flat, and leads you through beautiful and tangled rainforest. It's also usually damp, if not wet, and so can be a bit slippery.

Most of the people on this early section of the Marangu trail are tackling their first day of a Kilimanjaro climb. But there are also day hikers walking the trail. Such folks are usually walking to Mandara Hut and Maundi Crater as part of a roundtrip day hike.

Speaking of Maundi Crater ...

An outwards view from the rim of Maundi Crater

A highlight of staying at (or visiting) Mandara Hut is that it's within easy walking distance of Maundi Crater. In fact, the two are only a kilometre apart.

Maundi Crater is a small natural depression that offers fantastic views from its rim of the mountain's forested foothills and the plains beyond. You can even see into Kenya on clear days!

The crater itself is also an attractive feature, as it's ringed by thick rainforest but the bowl is quite open, supporting mostly tussocks and a few low-lying plants like red hot pokers in season.

A beautifully gnarly tree in the forest of Kilimanjaro

Being located within the forest of lower Kilimanjaro, Mandara Hut is surrounded by plenty of beautiful and impressive vegetation. The forest here is a closed-canopy mixed rainforest. It contains many camphorwoods, yellowwoods and tree ferns, among other species.

We also want to mention that the Kilimanjaro impatiens is a beautiful, vibrant little flower that can only be found in the rainforest of Kilimanjaro! So be sure to look for this beauty during your time in the forest.

A black-and-white colobus monkey

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, there are 87 species of forest mammals on Kilimanjaro, which include various primates, carnivores, antelopes and bats.

Some of the standout animals you can hope to see during your time at Mandara Hut are black-and-white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, bush babies and duikers.

We also want to let you know that a sub species of the Kilimanjaro swallowtail butterfly can only be found on Kilimanjaro. So if you see a modest-looking brown-and-white butterfly, don't dismiss the moment, as you might be seeing a very rare little specimen!

Naturally, we recommend walking quietly a little ways into the forest surrounding the campsite to actually try to spot animals. The same goes for birds.

There are various bird species to try to spot in the forest. Notable residents include the wattled ibis (which has iridescent green patches on its wings), Kenrick’s starling (an all-black bird, so it takes some work to spot it), and Abbot's starling (this one has white on its tummy, making it an easier find).

If you're keen to know more about the wildlife you might encounter during your time on the mountain, please read What animals will I see on Kilimanjaro?

Finally, if you'd like to know more about the Marangu route (and why we at Follow Alice don't actually recommend choosing this particular trail up the mountain), please read The Marangu route on Kilimanjaro – a day-by-day itinerary.