About Lake Chala
Lake Chala is a deep crater lake on the border between Tanzania and Kenya, on the lower eastern side of Kilimanjaro. Forest clings to its steep walls, and far below the water changes from blue to turquoise to green as the light moves across it. It is not a national park, simply a quiet and striking place to spend a day or a night, and it is one of the easiest side trips from Moshi either side of a climb.
What you will see
The crater formed roughly 250,000 years ago and is about 98 metres deep. Rather than rivers, it is fed mostly by groundwater that seeps down from Kilimanjaro, which helps explain how still and clear it looks. A fish called the Lake Chala tilapia lives here and nowhere else, and it is now critically endangered. Around the rim you are likely to spot blue monkeys and colobus in the trees and fish eagles over the water. In the dry season elephants sometimes wander across from Tsavo on the Kenyan side. On a clear morning Kibo rises behind the crater, snow on its summit.
Things to do
- Rim walk: forest paths along the crater edge, with long views down to the water
- The descent: a steep trail to the shore, then a stiff climb back up
- Kayaking: sometimes offered on the lake; we check whether it is running before you go
- Birding: forest and water birds along the rim
Swimming is not safe here. A visitor was killed by a crocodile in 2002, and the Kenya Wildlife Service advises that the water is unsafe, so please enjoy the lake from the rim and the shore.
When to go
June to October and January to February bring the clearest skies and your strongest chance of seeing Kilimanjaro behind the crater, and the rim paths are drier too. In the rains the gravel road is slower and cloud often hides the mountain. Our Tanzania weather guide explains the seasons.
Getting there
From Moshi the journey takes around one to one and a half hours: along the main road to Himo, then on gravel through farmland in Rombo District. Kilimanjaro International Airport is the nearest airport, so Chala is just as easy to reach on the first days of a trip.
How it fits your trip
Chala makes an ideal rest day. Some travellers come the day before a Kilimanjaro climb for an easy walk that loosens the legs and tests new boots after a long flight. Others come afterwards, when a slow day by the water and an early night are exactly what tired muscles need. Because it is so close to Moshi, it also fills a spare day neatly if a flight or a safari start date leaves a gap in your plans.
Where to stay
There is a lodge and campsite on the crater rim, so you can stay overnight and watch the colours change at dusk and dawn. Otherwise it works well as a day trip with a picnic lunch. Send us your dates and we will fit it around your climb.
