Over the past weeks we have compared Kilimanjaro, honestly, one mountain at a time, with the seven great treks and climbs it shares the world's daydreams with: Everest Base Camp, the Inca Trail, Mont Blanc, Elbrus, Aconcagua, Mount Kenya and its neighbour Meru. Every one of those pieces answered the same question: this one, or that one?

The final comparison in this series is the closest to our hearts, because these two mountains share a horizon. Mount Meru stands barely seventy kilometres from Kilimanjaro, close enough that from Meru's summit ridge at dawn you watch the sun rise directly behind the Roof of Africa, floating on the clouds across the plain.

Kilimanjaro is not a technical climb. It does not require mountaineering experience. It does not require exceptional fitness. It requires the ability to walk uphill for six to eight hours per day across eight consecutive days.

Living in the UAE gives you a lot of advantages in life. A year-round tan. Tax-free income. Bottomless brunch. What it does not give you is any meaningful preparation for climbing Africa's highest mountain. No altitude. No cold. No hills worth mentioning. If you are a UAE resident thinking about Kilimanjaro, this guide is written specifically for you.