WHAT ARE THE TOILETS LIKE ON MOUNT KILIMANJARO?
Any trekkers will be asking themselves about toilet facilities up on the mountain, but we realize that not everyone is comfortable in asking us! So, as we at Toto Africa Adventures like to be upfront and honest about this delicate subject, here’s the true situation.
I need to go to the toilet on Kilimanjaro. What are my options?
Firstly, let’s put your mind at rest. There are public toilets at every camp stop on a Kilimanjaro trek. You’re going to need to lower your expectations though. Forget porcelain loos with lockable doors, marble sinks with soap dispensers, hot water and hi-tech hand driers. We’re talking about a wooden shack (usually without a door, let alone a lock) that surrounds a deep hole in the ground.
You’ll have to get used to squatting and near-zero privacy. Also, while Kilimanjaro National Park staff do their best to keep these facilities clean, it’s an uphill struggle (geddit?) because almost everyone on the mountain uses them. This means that the erm, bouquet, of Kilimanjaro’s public ‘long drop’ loos can often be a) challenging and b) cut with a knife. However, the natural views afforded by these dunnies are sensational so… swings and roundabouts.
The standard toilet facility on Kilimanjaro is the public ‘long-drop’ toilet.You will find these at all the campsites along the route, but please note that they are not available at picnic lunch stops. To describe them accurately, these consist of a simple wooden hut constructed over a deep hole in the ground. There really is not much more to them than that. You have to sit or squat. It is fair to say that as these are public toilets, they get a lot of use and therefore can become quite dirty.
Help! I’m shy. Can I get a private toilet on Kilimanjaro?
Trekking Kilimanjaro is an immensely bonding experience. In time you’ll come to regard your guides, porters and fellow trekkers as honorary brothers and sisters. All the same, this doesn’t necessarily mean you’d be comfortable ‘dropping your fudge’ in front of them. Don’t panic. There is an alternative to the ‘toilet shack’.
The second option is the ‘portable private loo’. This amounts to a proper chemical toilet (with a seat, no less!) that is contained within its own discreet tent for total privacy (if not soundproofing). A portable private loo is for the exclusive use of you and your group only. As with the shacks, though, it is only set up and available in camp.
The trek’s porters are responsible for cleaning, maintaining and transporting the loo between camps, so at least you have the assurance that your ‘comfort breaks’ will be sanitary and conducted in privacy.
A lot of Kilimanjaro trek operators will levy an additional charge of anything from $100-$200 for the privilege of being able to use a portable privy. You’d need to spend a hell of a lot of pennies to break even. That’s not the case with Toto Africa Adventures; the use of a portable private toilet is included as standard with every one of our climbs because we look after the needs of our trekkers and don’t cut corners (end of own-trumpet-blowing).
