Kilimanjaro porters are at the bottom of the food chain. A cut throat price war rages on the slopes of Kilimanjaro and when budget operators cut corners to save money, the porters are the first to suffer. Porters are not usually employed permanently. Some quality responsible operators have teams of porters that they use on all their climbs, but most porters freelance. They may walk to the national park gate every day, sometimes for many miles, hoping that someone will be looking for porters. That's where many budget operators pick up their porters.
Budget operators do not pay their staff well, in some cases not at all. Porters don't have many options. There are many more porters available than needed and they are all desperate for work. A porter on a budget Kilimanjaro climb may not get paid at all by the company. Those porters rely solely on your tips to feed their family. Correspondingly you will be expected (and if needed hassled) to pay much higher tips than you would on a quality climb. Your porters will likely still end up with less money in their hands, since few climbers are aware of this. (And if you pay all tips to the guide to distribute the porters may see little if any of the money.)
They spend six days on the mountain, climbing in ragged clothes and shoes with 25 kg on their head and back. After you set out in the morning they pack up your tent and all the other equipment, they race past you to set everything up again at the next camp (sometimes for lunch also), they help the cook, do the dishes, serve your dinner, carry all the water from the nearest stream, boil it so you can have a hot wash. Porters work very hard, all the time wondering if they will receive any pay for this or not. Porters don't have their own sleeping bags or tents. If they were rich enough to afford something like that they wouldn't be portering!
A responsible climb operator will have tents and equipment not only for clients, but also for staff. That costs money. Carrying that equipment up and down the mountain needs extra porters. That costs money. Feeding the porters in a way that actually sustains them during the climb also costs money, both for the food itself and for carrying it up the mountain. On a cheap Kilimanjaro climb, those are the first costs that get cut. Every year several Kilimanjaro porters die, but you won't hear about it. They die of exposure (freeze to death), a result of the insufficient clothing, shelter and food supplied to them during the climb.
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Highly recommended! Joseph created a fantastic, customized tour for my family. He listened to our many criteria and put together a wonderful package. He was always available and very responsive. Since we were on a safari that utilized flights within Kenya, there was no opportunity to enjoy Joseph's company (as others have commented). However, he made it a point to come to the airport at the start of our adventure and make sure we were all set. This was a small gesture that epitomized his character (I don't think this would have happened with a large tour provider). March 2023
This was our first safari and such an unforgettable experience. Communication with Joseph, the tour operator, was quick and easy. The proposed itinerary he provided was informative and we were able to easily modify it before finalizing everything. We enjoyed all the places we stayed at and there was something unique about each one. The game drives were just wow (super sawa sawa!). The tour guides/drivers (John in Kenya and Rajam in Tanzania) put in a lot of effort in finding the animals at the top of our list (leopard, rhino, calves, as well as a cheetah hunt and the most awesome selfie with an elephant). Each game drive was unique. There were so many encounters that left us awestruck—we’re still ooh ahhh-ing over our pictures and processing everything we experienced. Joseph was with us for the whole trip; he was quite knowledgeable about birds, which was a bonus. He also assisted with logistics (providing documents quickly for visas needed prior to arrival, getting us through border crossings, and arranging dinner reservations at a restaurant we wanted to go to prior to taking us to the airport). This was one of the best experiences we’ve ever had and we have White Plains Safaris to thank for that. They are reliable, prompt, friendly, and well worth the money. February 2023
Our experience with White Plains Safaris and Joseph was amazing! The service was impeccable since the very beginning: during the reservation process, Joseph was extremely helpful, flexible and very honest. After booking, he supported us in any way he could, including paying for our Visas as we had some issues doing that online by ourselves! He was also very helpful in creating the itinerary, which proved to be amazing as it offered great game drives and diversity of landscape. Things kept being perfect throughout our trip; the accommodations he had reserved were very nice and always positioned perfectly, to avoid extra driving. During the game drives he was very accommodating and always asking for our feedback to make sure we had the best time. He brought us in amazing spots thanks to his unstoppable Land Cruiser and we got to see many animals including 3 leopards from very close! We also enjoyed his company very much and he was always able to answer our questions and providing interesting insights on the animals, the parks and Kenya in general. We always felt safe and well taken care of, so I would (and will) strongly recommend Joseph and White Plains to anyone looking for a good time in Kenya and Tanzania. January 2023
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