gTy,
Congratulations on climbing Mt. Whitney! I try to do one splurge hike every year. In January, I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, and highly recommend it. I did the 7 day Machame route, and thought it was ideal. The profile (up and down) allowed me and my fellow hikers to acclimate well, so that all 6 of us made it to Uhuru peak. It was also a very scenic route, and it allowed us to see a lot of different climate zones. I used Zara Tanzania Adventures (zaratours.com) and found them to be quite adequate. If you want a lot of hand holding and flowers on the table, Zara is not for you. But if you want decent gear, good food and someone to lead you to the top, Zara was perfect. They are also well priced and own their own hotel near Moshi. A lot of folks on this site have climbed Kili, and I am sure that they will add their experiences as well. If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask.
