I started the hike with an open mind and heart, and finished with my soul full of stories — not just of mountains and altitude, but of healing, connection, and rediscovery.
For me, travel isn’t about ticking places off a list.
It’s about reconnecting with myself, shedding expectations, and creating space to live more truthfully.
Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro wasn’t just a bucket list item — it was a milestone.
A quiet commitment I made to myself in April 2024, after realising that progress doesn’t always come in leaps, but in the steady decision to keep moving — one step at a time.
Kilimanjaro became the symbol of that promise.
A journey I chose to begin on Christmas night, 2024 — intentionally, quietly, and on my own terms.
Getting There: The Long Night FlightsOn Christmas Day, I boarded my 8:25 PM flight. The journey had two legs: Singapore to Doha on Qatar Airways (8 hours), followed by a connecting flight to Kilimanjaro via Qatar-operated Oman Airlines (another 8 hours).
By 9:30 AM, we arrived at the lodge. By 10, I was in my room, unpacking and sorting my gear. It was starting to feel real.
Shall I give you a tour…? I can hear it! YES!
I quickly learned to embrace the local rhythm of life.
Here, everything moves pole pole — slowly, gently, one step at a time.
Most things start 30–45 minutes “later than scheduled,” but no one’s in a rush. It’s not inefficiency — it’s intention. It’s presence.
And if you’re climbing Kilimanjaro, it’s a mindset worth adopting early.
At 5 PM, before dinner, I met Jafary — my mountain guide.
Though I’d originally booked the Lemosho Route as part of a group hike, no one else signed up. It became a private trek — which, to be honest, felt like a blessing.
Jafary’s proposed route differed from the one listed by the tour operator, but his reasoning was sound: better acclimatization, smarter pacing, stronger endurance. I trusted him. His presence was calm, capable, and deeply experienced.
I nodded and said yes without hesitation.
Dinner was a buffet BBQ in the lodge’s open courtyard. I tried my first Kilimanjaro Beer — a local wheat brew with a slightly heavier body than German wheat beers, but a flavor that lingered in the best way.
That night, I went to bed early. Jet lag still clung to me, but so did something else — excitement.
Tomorrow, I’d begin the climb.
And I already knew: this was going to be more than just a hike.
The journey had only just begun. From the moment I touched down in Tanzania, every detail — from gear checks to unexpected delays — became part of a deeper rhythm unfolding.
But what lay ahead? 7 days on the mountain. Hours of silence. Moments of awe. A trek that would demand every bit of grit, grace, and gentleness I could offer.
In the next part of this series, I’ll share Day 1 on the mountain — the first steps into the forest trail, my inner thoughts as I hiked in solitude, and the small moments that reminded me: I am never really alone in nature.
Continue my journey with me as the altitude rises, and so does the reflection. 🏔️
CAREER
QUALIFICATIONS
ACCOLADES
