Visit the impressive crater in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro. Lake Chala is located some 55 km northeast of Moshi town on the southeastern flank of Mt. Kilimanjaro on the Kenyan border. In fact, the international boundary between Tanzania and Kenya runs through the middle of the lake! Are you up for a swim to Kenya?
Your Rafiki guide will arrive at your accommodation armed with a tasty lunch. From here you will be transferred to Lake Chala. From Moshi it will take about 1.5 hours, and from Arusha it will take about 3 hours to get to the lake.
During the ride you’ll get to see a variety of landscapes, but from our own experience we know that many of you will end up taking a nap in the car for an hour or two (especially when we leave early morning from Arusha).
Once arrived at the Lake Chala area, the car stops at the Lake Chala Safari Camp. From here we will head towards the lake. Lake Chala Safari Camp is a beautiful private game reserve overlooking Lake Chala.
Upon exiting the car, the first thing you notice are the green and quiet surroundings of the lake. It’s so much more peaceful than the quiet cities, but there are also many things to do. Lake Chala offers great hiking routes and is a great place to swim or take the kayak to paddle around the lake! You can even fish with the locals. In the area of the lake you might be able to spot animals such as baboons, velvet- and blue monkeys, and maybe a cute little dik-dik or kudu. Sometimes even an elephant!
After exploring the lake, you can take some time to relax, float around, or stop at the local bar for a nice, cold beer (or a Konyagi). If you haven’t opted to camp at the lake, we will drive back to Moshi/Arusha in the late afternoon.
Possible overnight: There’s also a possibility to make this a two-day trip, where we’ll camp near the lake. A sweet adventure where we set up camp and light a fire underneath the star-filled heavens. Because of the green surroundings, there’s little to no light pollution, which offers a great opportunity for stargazing. If you’re interested in this, please send us an inquiry.
* This day trip is possible both as a private excursion and as a group. If you’d like to join a group, please send us an inquiry, and we will find a group for you to join!
