Lake Chala Day Trip Details
Eight kilometers from Taveta on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, the lake is impossibly clear with steep crater walls.
Lake Chala is a beautiful area located on the western side of Kilimanjaro at the Kenya/Tanzanian border, about a 2.5-hour drive from Moshi. The lake is filled and drained by underground streams. Located near the slopes of Kilimanjaro, the lake is amazingly clear with steep crater walls. It is the deepest inland water body in Africa with a depth of about 3km. Due to the enormous depth boating is recommended. Visitors can hike at the lake and enjoy the beautiful view and fresh air. Aside from plenty of fish, Monitor lizards, baboons, monkeys, and common snakes may be seen by chance.
Day 1
We leave Moshi town early in the morning and heard towards Himo town using Taifa road which is the main route. It’s approximately 30 km from Moshi town to the small town of Himo. From Himo we will head 10km towards the Taveta border (Kenyan and Tanzanian Border). The route is Tarmac with much-reduced traffic. just a few meters before the border we will go left towards the route that leads to Lake Chala. It is 14 km from the lake here. The route is rough with gravel and rocks and is dusty all the way to the lake. At approximately 6 to 7 km to the lake, the vegetation changes to the evergreen forest that is host to many mammals like elephants, Primates, Antelopes, and different species of birds. It’s 4 hrs from Moshi town to Lake Chala.
On reaching the lake we will have a picnic lunch, then we will rest for some time before descending down to the Lake. At the lake, you can have a boat ride around the lake. After spending some time here we will go back to our vehicle and return to Moshi. Overnight camping at the lake is an option, allowing a return back to Moshi the following day. Many clients will add in a waterfall day trip on day 2 if they choose this option.
What’s Includes
Guide
Mineral water
Transport
Lunch
Village Fees
What’s not included
Things of personal nature
Swimming Cloth
Tips for the guide