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Ethical Porter Treatment2024-09-12T23:41:22+00:00

Porter Treatment

Leaders in Ethical Porter Treatment
We set the standards.

A trek would not be possible without porters. They are the backbone of all Kilimanjaro expeditions but unfortunately, they’ve been exploited by the tourism industry for years. We lead the way in working with the Kilimanjaro Porter’s Assistance Project (KPAP) to change this. We’re committed to offering fair working conditions to our porters as well as treating them honestly and transparently.

On the mountain, it’s clear to see which company takes the best care of its porters. We’ve led the way in establishing fair practices and our porters are instantly recognisable. We were the first company to provide professional matching weatherproof climbing uniforms for our porters, and we are thrilled with our latest KPAP score of 99.3%.

Our porters are easy to find because they have the best clothes, boots and climbing gear, plus the biggest smiles. They’re genuinely happy because they’re well paid, well fed and well clothed. They’re also well trained, secure in their roles and genuinely appreciated for the hard work they do.

Our guests continually tell us that our porters were the most professional, friendly, helpful, courteous and strongest they saw on the mountain. Our ethical porter treatment means Nature Discovery attracts the best porters and keeps them, so naturally our guests enjoy better treatment too.

KPAP has been the driving force for change to ethical porter treatment over the last 10 years. Based in Moshi, they are a Tanzanian Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) dedicated to improving the working conditions of porters.

KPAP recognizes Nature Discovery as the leading example for the fair treatment of porters, based on the integrity of our systems and procedures. We’re proud of our role in helping to set high standards, creating change and revolutionizing how porters are chosen, outfitted, treated, paid and tipped.

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Our Ethical Porter Treatment Practices:

  • Fair Hiring ProceduresOur porters do not have to pay bribes to get work. All our porters are registered and chosen from a database which tracks performance and ensures fair work distribution. This system is unique to Nature Discovery and no other company even comes close to using it.
  • Highest Porter Wages and Bonuses – Our porters, mountain guides and core crew have the best payment packages on Kilimanjaro with some of the highest overall compensation packages including wages and bonuses. We go to extreme measures to ensure our porters receive their full salary and are paid on time.
  • Strict Weight Limits – We go to excessive lengths to strictly uphold weight limits of 20kg per porter, carrying scales on every trek to ensure loads are never exceeded.
  • Porter Welfare Officers – At the start of every trek our Welfare Officers inspect porters, check their equipment and ensure our fair porter treatment system is being practised in a transparent manner.
  • Monitoring Porters – During treks we use independent Monitoring Porters to implement and provide constant feedback on our fair practice systems.
  • Appropriate Clothing – We are the original (and still one of the few) companies who provide matching professional waterproof and windproof raingear to ALL our porters on every trek.
  • Comfortable Sleeping Arrangements – We provide tents with floors and closed-cell sleeping pads for porters who do not have their own. Our porter tents are meticulously designed and fabricated to the highest standards to keep them warm and dry.
  • Medical Treatment – In the event of injury, we provide medical treatment to our porters just as we would for our paying trekkers.
  • Hearty meals – We exceed the guidelines set forth by KPAP by feeding our staff well and providing them with three meals a day. Most guide companies feed their porters one meal a day which is probably why our porters are happier, healthier and stronger!
  • Private Transport – We transport our porters to the start of the trek and provide return transport home at the end of each trek. Most companies only hire porters who are ‘available’ at the gate.
  • On-going Training – In addition to Wilderness First Responder certification, we provide wilderness first-aid, language and environmental responsibility training for our porters. We’ve translated the Leave No Trace (LNT) principles into Swahili and continue to train over 600 porters on LNT’s outdoor ethical guidelines.
  • Fair Practice First and Forever – We were the first tour company to implement these fair practice procedures and we remain committed to them. Our professional and highly experienced team of managers, guides and porter welfare officers ensure we’re always ‘on it’. We’re widely recognized for these efforts by everyone, including the porters themselves, whose opinion we value most.

Our commitment to ethical porter treatment and fair practice serves Nature Discovery and our guests well. There’s no doubt that we attract the friendliest, most reliable and most honest porters in Tanzania, and give them the best training.

It pays off in so many ways; our happy, highly trained porters make for safe, happy, relaxed climbers and trekkers.

Our commitment to practicing fair treatment for porters is a top priority, and we are recognized by KPAP as the company who pioneered these changes.
Our commitment to practicing fair treatment for porters is a top priority, and we are recognized by KPAP as the company who pioneered these changes.

From the blog:

Ethical, Sustainable Tanzanian Gift Idea

Wondering what to gift that special person who has everything? If you’d like to show how much you care about them AND about helping make the world a better place, please consider donating to The Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP).

99.3% Proof of Our Fair Porter Treatment

Nature Discovery was one of the first Kilimanjaro Guide Companies to partner Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project (KPAP). We cherish and embrace our role as leaders in establishing the standards of ethical porter treatment on Kilimanjaro.

Best Responsible Guide Company

Working with Upendo to plan this amazing experience was absolutely wonderful. She was thoughtful, knowledgeable, professional, and impressively responsive. When we arrived, she helped us have an amazing experience in Arusha, Ngorongoro Crater, Kilimanjaro, and Arusha National Park. Even when we came out of the mountain trek a day early, she made us wonderful last-minute accommodations. Upendo is a dream to work with.

Gretchen Warner, USA

Very well organized safari and activities, great choice of accommodations. Upendo helped a lot with organizing the perfect safari, communication was always very fast and clear. The biggest Thank You goes out to Mbise who was a reliable, funny, and heartwarming guide, who made us feel comfortable the whole trip, showed us amazing wildlife and taught us a lot about Tanzanian life and culture.

Anna, Austria

We had the most exciting moments of our lives! Our main guide Polite and his well-organized team were amazing. We could feel their overall experience, care, knowledge, and safety in every step. Even the hardest moments they didn’t give us a single doubt that we will not make it to the peak! Keeping us in positive thinking and perfect organization helped us reach the Peak of Kilimanjaro!

Laura Kaukenaite, Lithuania

I have just returned from the trip of a lifetime to Tanzania with Nature Discovery. I completed the 8-day Grand Traverse Kilimanjaro Trek, followed by a two-day Safari in Tarangire. The entire trip was extraordinary. Everyone who supported us on the Kilimanjaro trek was kind, caring, generous, professional, happy, and supportive. I strongly recommend Nature Discovery for the trip of a lifetime!

Katrina, Australia

If like us you have done a huge amount of reading/research and are unsure which tour operator to use, then look no further than Nature Discovery. The communication from the central office is quick and clear as you email direct to the office in Arusha. We undertook two trips with this company and could not fault them.

Michelle, UK

Very well planned and very nice both the organization and the guide. Very supportive during all the organization and the hotels chosen have been incredible. Very recommendable.

Ana, Spain

Très bon circuit avec un guide très professionnel où on a pu voir des milliers d’animaux dans leur lieu de vie. Des instants magiques. La journée à Longido était super avec Sambeke. Juste j’aurais aimé partir une fois au lever du soleil en safari. Émilie a été super disponible à l’écoute de nos attentes. Sinon tout était au top. Voyage juste magique.

Lamera, France

Excellent support from Emilie from Nature Discovery, who organized our safari. She listened carefully beforehand to understand our wishes and adjusted our itinerary accordingly. Contacts by email and WhatsApp were very fluid and responsive. We felt very well accompanied throughout our entire trip. The safari itself ran perfectly. Our guide and driver, Joseph, was very friendly and attentive.

Sophie Valais, France

It was fabulous! Excellent organization, super guide. If it was possible, we could come back again just with Nature Discovery. We have a lot of memorable pictures. It was a wonderful trip. Thanks a lot.

Cochemé, France

It was the second time now that we went on safari with ND and it was the best decision to book it with them again. Everything was so easy, the correspondence was uncomplicated, same as the organization and planning of the trip. If we needed any assistance or help even before the trip, it was no problem at all. We always felt safe throughout the trip.

Janine, Germany

Very good safari, enjoyed a lot. Good communication from start to end. Our guide was experienced and very nice. Recommendations!

Markku Nieminen, Finland

Excellent safari, with a great guide/driver (Nelvin) and a perfect contact officer (Emilie). We saw what was supposed to be expected (Mara River crossings) and much more. We are strongly recommending Nature Discovery for a Northern Tanzania safari (including a Zanzibar extension).

Marc Lebrun, France

C’est Emilie de Nature Discovery qui nous a organisé ce SAFARI photos. Ce fut parfait : très professionnel, tout à la hauteur de nos esperances aussi bien les parcs que les lodges, et aucun incident à deplorer. Cerise sur le gateau: notre guide Joseph PANDA, parle parfaitement le français, plein de savoir sur la faune, repere les animaux mieux qu’une paire de jumelles et est très attentionné.

Mantovani Mireille, Nouvelle Caledonie

Our safari with Nature Discovery has been the experience which changed our lives! We spent 10 days in the north to see the migration, each day a new adventure in the parks, being part of nature. The camping in public camps has been unforgettable: totally immersed, no price! Emilie, Henry our guide, and Jacks our cook made the trip perfect.

Augusta & Andrea, France

Tout d’abord sachez que nous avons été enchantés de notre voyage en Tanzanie. La partie Nord que vous avez organisée a été parfaite, elle a pleinement répondu à nos attentes. Les lodges étaient tous super bien très différents des uns des autres. Mais surtout la réussite de cette partie du voyage tient à un nom… Joseph ! Il a été exceptionnel à tous niveaux, professionnel, précis, discret, humble.

Pierrette Mercadal, Nouvelle Calédonie, France

Excellent organization with a very good choice of accommodation. Quality welcome and contact on arrival. Pleasant and competent French-speaking guide, thanks to Joseph and Emilie for this wonderful trip.

Brigitte de Coulon, Switzerland
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Our Partners in Sustainable Tourism

KPAP Logo

KPAP‘s mission is to improve the working conditions of the porters on Kilimanjaro

Travelife Logo

Nature Discovery received the Travelife Partner award in recognition of our leading role in sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility.

Carbon Tanzania Logo

Carbon Tanzania link Tanzania’s threatened forests and their communities with the international carbon market.

Sentinel Outdoor Institute Logo

Sentinel are highly trained professionals with a passion to provide knowledge of outdoor leadership and skills and risk management.

We Are Africa Logo

Nature Discovery is part of the coveted ‘We are Africa’ tribe

Leave No Trace Logo

Leave no Trace protects the outdoors by teaching and inspiring people to enjoy it responsibly

Atta Logo

Atta represents African tourism interests at the highest levels, in a continuing dialogue with many tourism ministries, tourist authorities and associations.

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The Tanzania Association of Tour Operators’ objective is to be an effective change agent to promote regional and global competitiveness in tourism trade and investment.

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