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Proudly Maasai, distinctly Tanzanian™ |
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We have our own operation in Arusha, Tanzania. Our top-of-the-line safari & climbing equipment is imported from the USA, but our guides are all from East Africa. Kiliwarrior Expeditions set out to create a new standard of safety, comfort and care on safari and on Kilimanjaro and we are very proud of our achievements!
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About the Kiliwarriors
Care, Service, Excellence.
How it all started
In 2003 Eben Schoeman climbed Kilimanjaro. Wilbert Mollel (a Maasai, aka "The Kiliwarrior") just happened to be an assistant guide on that climb! And that's how they met!
In Eben's own words:
"I was ashamed by the climbing experience. I felt the porters were underpaid and under-equipped. My own tent was small and cold and the food was prepared in a thin, dirty mess tent (without ground cover) where everyone crowded to escape the cold and the rain. Unfortunately the tent was too small and some porters had to wait outside while the clients finished their meals. Some long-drop toilets were overflowing and traces of human waste were everywhere. If you could not see it, you could certainly smell it. Frankly, the climb reminded me of the colonial days in Africa. "
Eben &
Wilbert became close friends during this experience.
Wilbert
lost his dad a few months before and his mom was trying hard to keep the
family together while Wilbert & his brothers & sister faced a very
uncertain future.
"Wilbert and I both knew what had to be done. We needed to set new ecological standards on the mountain and we needed to uplift the lives of his family and friends", explains Eben. " I promised to invest and to send him the best mountain equipment from the USA and to help him with sales and marketing. Wilbert promised to use the memory of his beloved father to guide him as he builds one of the most-respective companies in Arusha."
Guess what was the very first thing Wilbert did after receiving his first reliable stream of income? He did not buy a car or new house. Instead, he upgraded his mom's house so she can once again be the proud Maasai lady he once knew! A visit to Victoria's small new house is always one of the highlights when clients visit Arusha. The secret of the Kiliwarrior success clearly starts at home!
On
Kilimanjaro, the Kiliwarriors are legendary for their mountain skills and
famous thanks to their starring
roles in an
award-winning DVD,
'Kilimanjaro: The Way It Is' (available on
Amazon.com). Kiliwarrior porters
earn the highest salaries on Kilimanjaro and receive a portion of the
proceeds of the DVD sales! Kiliwarrior mountain guides (Wilbert and Faraja)
earn monthly salaries and daily allowances - allowing them to earn much
more money than their peers working for other companies. This
is a unique arrangement in Tanzania and one of the main reasons why the Kiliwarriors are so highly regarded in Tanzania and around the world.
In 2004 after many requests by esteemed clients, Wilbert and Eben decided to expand the business. By then the Kiliwarriors was the top outfitter on Kilimanjaro and their goal was to achieve the same success in the very competitive safari market.
In true
Kiliwarrior form, Eben set out to create a safari operation
like no other. He started by creating the world's first Google Earth™
map of all the game areas in East Africa - complete with exact GPS
coordinates of all main roads, lodges/camps, points of interest,
airstrips, special and private camp sites. The results of this monumental
task can be seen on
Eben's personal web site
www.go-safari.com.
Armed with unequaled
knowledge about East African places to see and visit, Eben then
proceeded to form partnerships with the best lodges, camps and safari
companies he encountered during the Google Earth™
mapping project!
Nowadays, the positive impact of Wilbert's success is spreading in his village of Sekei and beyond. It is a festive occasion when the Kiliwarriors return from the mountain or from safari! The next day, many of the neighbors jump in to help clean the equipment - with mom Victoria keeping a critical eye on things.
The future is indeed bright for a small group of young men - the famous Kiliwarriors - who work so hard to be the BEST on the challenging slopes of the highest freestanding mountain in the world, and on the majestic plains of the greatest wildlife parks in Africa!
Eben & Wilbert
Customers, care, service
The Kiliwarriors care about each client, about each other, about the environment, and about the communities they operate in.
When you contact the Kiliwarriors, you talk directly to Eben or Carol Ferris (co-owners in the USA). Then Eben discusses the itinerary with Wilbert (co-owner in Arusha) and/or the guides. There are NO 3rd-parties and NO fancy offices - with low overhead costs the Kiliwarriors are able to offer private, luxury safaris at a fraction of the costs of their big-name competitors. And most importantly, your money goes where it matters most - to the people & countries of East Africa and NOT to booking agents in overseas offices.
Kiliwarrior owners each have a HUGE stake in the success of every safari or trek. This is VERY different from the majority of companies in East Africa (and their overseas agents). Wilbert and Eben are not anonymous; when we mess up there is nowhere to hide! It takes a great deal of confidence in a product to put one's name on it!
In comparison, most owners of other companies are far removed from the day-to-day safari operation and has little or nothing to do with your safari itinerary!
About Eben
You
will immediately notice Eben's extensive knowledge of East Africa.
He
was born in Africa and returns at
least four times a year. Eben is the creator of the most complete & accurate
set of online maps of East Africa safari parks (visit
www.go-safari.com
), he is the producer of an award-winning series of films
about climbing Kilimanjaro (visit
Amazon.com ), and he is currently working on a new series
of Hi-Definition films about planning East African safaris! Eben and
his wife Carol handle all bookings and marketing for the Kiliwarriors. We
are heavily invested in East Africa and contribute both money and
motivation to our Kiliwarrior family. We pay all expenses such as
salaries, vehicles and equipment.
About Wilbert
Wilbert Godfrey Mollel comes from the famous tribe of the Maasai, in Northern Tanzania. Wilbert is famous on Mount Kilimanjaro as the "KiliWarrior" since he was born in the Ngorongoro Crater highlands.
He and his family moved to Arusha to further their education. Wilbert is very close to his family. Since he lost his dad a few years ago, most of his profits go towards helping with the education of his brothers and beautiful sister.
Wilbert with his family:
Agrey, Wilbert, Hosea, Gilliard, Anna, and mom Victoria
Wilbert is a licensed Mountain Guide with the Kilimanjaro National Park Board. He holds a 1st Aid certificate and is fluent in English and French. He has lost count of the times he's been to the top of Kibo!
About our Company
We are active members of various Organizations including American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), and the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO).
Kiliwarrior Expeditions is registered with a class "A" Tourist Agent License (TALA) according to the conditions and regulations for issuing TALA licenses as specified in the Tourist Agents (Licensing) Act 1969 and Tourist Agents (Licensing) Regulations 1998.
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The Maasai-owned Kiliwarriors are based in Arusha, Tanzania with a small sales office in the USA to simplify international enquiries and credit card processing. We are one of the most recognized outfitters in Tanzania, beloved by our clients and respected by our peers. In 2005, we were the first outfitter to recognize the importance of Google Earth™ and GPS technologies when designing safari itineraries. Today, we are known worldwide as the pioneers of Google Earth™ safari maps for East Africa. For example, by combining GPS statistics of the wildebeest migration and the exact locations of special camp sites and lodges we created a new series of migration maps that are invaluable for planning safaris to the Serengeti/Masai Mara eco-system. Using our mapping knowledge, we are able to design the best possible itineraries using the very best mobile and permanent camps and lodges in East Africa! Most agents and overseas operators have no idea of the exact locations of lodges and camps; as a result they often book their unsuspecting clients at the wrong camps at the wrong locations at the wrong times of the year! Every safari itinerary and trek is carefully designed and overseen by company founder Eben Schoeman, who works with his Maasai partners to create unforgettable safari memories! Today, the Kiliwarriors are known around the world for our spirited style on Kilimanjaro and on safari (see us in action in an award-winning film ), our wonderful and exceptionally loyal clients (read their testimonials) and our superior knowledge of East Africa parks and wildlife areas (see our Google Earth™ maps) |
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