When one mentions viewing mount Kilimanjaro, what comes to mind is a journey to Tanzania, to either Arusha or the nearby town of Moshi. The towns are at the foot of the mountain or at the nearest one can get at the forest edge on the Tanzanian side. It is a distance away from the road and quite a disappointment for mountain viewers.

The nearer Mt Meru which is a spectacular view in itself obstructs the ordinary visitor in these two towns from getting an ideal view of Kilimanjaro. A traveler hoping to see the mountain from close range becomes disappointed because the nearer one gets to the mountain, the more trickier it becomes. In Moshi, only a portion of the mountain can be viewed, a more or less cutting edge of the mountain.

In Arusha, to view the mountain clearly requires one to drive using a four wheel drive vehicle beyond the nearby hills and ranges to get to the mountain. This will of course require special arrangements other than the ordinary travel to the town.

Other prospective viewers travel through Kenya and stop at Amboseli national park, to get a glimpse of the mountain from there. That is about thirty kilometres away from the nearest town at the foot of the mountain. It still remains a distance away from the mountain although its bigger portion is visible at an end elevation.

My observation is that the best view of Kilimanjaro is on the Kenyan side at the border town of Loitokitok. Apart from a close range front elevation of the highest peak Kibo, one is able to see the second peak of mawenzi also at close range. When the mountain is snowy, it forms a very nice view, with stripes of white that one can count without need of binoculars.

Loitokitok serves as a starting point for climbers as well, although they still have to be cleared by the Tanzania government. Climbers take between four and five days mainly due to acclimatisation. It is only about twenty two kilometres from the outward bound school in Loitokitok to the highest point at the peak of Kilimanjaro.

The ability for one to move from one point to another to get a perfect view of the mountain makes viewing even more exciting. Due to the many game parks in the neighbourhood, the investors seem to concentrate on game viewing. There are excellent accommodation facilities inside and on the outskirts of the parks. Mountain viewers are assumed to have a good view from as far as Amboseli national park.

Ardent viewers however do make specific requests to be taken to the foot of the mountain where the view is good. Most of them unfortunately leave the country without a close glimpse of the mountain mainly due to the belief that Amboseli is the nearest one can get to the mountain.

The view of Kilimanjaro at close range is an opportunity one should not miss upon visiting the parks on the Kenyan side of the mountain. It presents a golden opportunity for unobstructed view of the mountain that is made even more beautiful by a snowy peak, and an illuminating sunrise. Photography comes out at its best especially when the visitor has been guided to the best view points of the highest free standing mountain on earth.