I adored ascending Mount Meru! First of all, I had neither enough money nor time to do Kilimanjaro (700 pounds minimum, 7 to 10 days), the same for Mount Kenya just opposite (minimum 350 pounds), especially as there is a 35 pound visa fee for entry to Kenya. I therefore "fell back" on Mount Meru, which requires a minimum of 3 or 4 days climbing for only 240 pounds.
It was an excellent choice, for Kilimanjaro, when I eventually went there, had its head permanently in the clouds (climbing to the top is therefore pointless), and Mount Meru is already very high! I bivouacked for 3 and a half days with good guides and good equipment. The view is splendid and impressive! It is a horseshoe shaped volcano actually facing Kilimanjaro. In between the two, you can see Momela Lake. Honestly, the expedition is magnificent!