Chyulu Hills National Park, which is tucked away between Tsavo West and Amboseli National Parks, has a stunning and varied landscape. Chyulu is a rough wilderness with some of the best views of Mount Kilimanjaro (The largest mountain in Africa and the largest free standing mountain in the world). It still bears the scars of its volcanic past. The reserve contains the longest lava tube in the world as well as a rocky tangle of ancient volcanic cones and craters.
Chyulu National Park is home to a wonderful variety of game, including buffalo, antelope, elephant, leopard, wildebeest, and zebra, in addition to its stunning vistas and views. In the southwest portion of the reserve sits Lake Jipe, a haven for bird watchers.
Wildlife at Chyulu Hills National Park
Low wildlife density and widespread poaching make animals wary of humans. Some of the wildlife you might observe in this beautiful national park are Eland, Klipspringer, giraffe, zebra, baboons, and Sykes’ monkeys. Elephants, buffalo, lions, and leopards are some of the other large animals that occasionally travel between this park and Tsavo West National Park.
Scenery at Chyulu Hills National Park
The lava flows and volcanic ash cones in the volcanic highlands are an amazing scenery in the park. Large black rocks are another indication that the mountains were formed by volcanic activity. Despite the scant vegetation on the lava flows, 37 different types of orchids can be found on the upper slopes. There is a catacomb of mostly unknown caves down beneath the hills.
The Ideal Season to Visit Chyulu Hills National Park
Chyulu Hills National Park can be visited all year round, but the best times to see wildlife are often from June to October and January to February when the weather is dry. It may be difficult to visit at the height of the short rains (November), and especially during the long rains (April and May). Even in the dry season, the roads aren’t in terrific shape, but things only become worse after rain.
Getting there
Via air transport, a one-hour chartered flight from Nairobi to Amboseli National Park is the quickest method to get to Chyulu Hills National Park. For those asking how to get to Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) is where international aircraft land.
Via Road transport, Tsavo West typically takes a detour to Chyulu Hills. It is 250 km (155 miles) from Mombasa and 232 km (144 miles) from Nairobi.
Tourist Attractions at Chyulu Hills National Park
- Spectacular views from the Chyulu Hills, cave exploration, and one camp site close to the park headquarters.
- Reptiles: Gecko, Tortoise, Rock Python, Puff Adder, Black Mamba
- Butterflies, tsetse flies, and dung beetles are examples of arthropods that can be seen in the park.
- Common animals include the giraffe, elephant, leopard, huge forest hog, reedbuck, mountain, buffalo, bushbuck, and eland.
Tourist activities at Chyulu Hills National Park
Game viewing
The savannah plains and dense vegetation of Chyulu Hills National Park are home to a lot of wildlife species, making it one of the best places in Kenya to go on a wildlife safari. Wildebeests, giraffes, zebras, leopards, bush pigs, elands, eastern rhinoceroses, cape buffaloes, and cheetahs are just a few of these creatures.
The greatest time to go on a game viewing safari in this park is in the morning, when many animals haven’t scattered off because of the stifling sunlight. The park’s morning and afternoon game drives are also recommended. On game viewing safaris in the Chyulu Hills National Park, the best animal sightings can be had during the dry season, which is between January and February and June and October.
Bird watching
A birder’s paradise and the ideal location for Kenya birding safaris, Chyulu Hills National Park has a good number of birds dwelling in its woodland galleries, savannah plains, and along Lake Jipe’s shoreline. In the dry season, which lasts from January to February and June to October, Chyulu Hills National Park is the best place to go bird watching. During your exciting bird watching excursion, you will enjoy seeing many colorful bird species, including the tambourine dove, African green pigeon, purple crested coucal, klass cuckoo, Eurasian nightjar, alpine swift, black crake, crowned lapwing, gray heron, great egret etc
Hiking
One of the best places to go on a hiking safari in Kenya is Chyulu Hills National Park, which is blessed with a beautiful landscape, untouched wilderness, and hills covered with lush flora. Hiking safaris in the Chyulu Hills national park takes place in the Chyulu Hills using a variety of trails that wind through the forests and up to the high elevations of the hills. While hiking, you will have the chance to enjoy viewing a variety of forest inhabitants, including primates like baboons, Skye’s forest, and many bird species, including the black crake, crowned lapwing, gray heron, great egret, African harrier hawk, white-backed etc.
Bush walks and cave tours
This exciting Kenya safari activity is done using different trails that run through a series of vegetation covered areas in the park. On this walk, you will be rewarded with sights of various species of plants like orchids, acacia trees, animals, and many birds. Chyulu Hills National Park is endowed with a spectacular vegetation cover and caves that are best explored on bush walking safaris and cave tours.
The famous Levithan Cave is the major cave visited during cave tours in the Chyulu Hills National Park. The cave tour is conducted under the direction and supervision of a safari guide, and a torch is used to illuminate the cave. While inside the cave, you may see stalagmites in the form of cones hanging from its walls and explore its two portions, the upper and lower cave sections.
Horseback riding
One of the more recent ways to experience Chyulu Hills National Park and other safari destinations in Africa is by horseback. Horseback riding is a sustainable safari activity that allows visitors to get up close to a variety of animal species and explore parts of the park that are inaccessible to vehicles while on a Kenya wildlife safari. On horseback across the park’s undulating plains, you can spot a variety of animals, including giraffes, wildebeests, leopards, cheetahs, and many others, as well as take in the gorgeous vistas of the park that the Chyulu Hills have helped to create.
Cultural tours
Kenyan cultural safaris provide a chance to interact with the locals and take you on a tour of the nearby Maasai communities that can be found near the park’s limits. The Maasai locals are nomadic pastoralists with a fascinating culture, traditions, and norms that are worth learning about. During your visit to the Maasai communities, you will be entertained by local dances and drama performed by the Maasai locals, be able to purchase locally made and exquisite necklaces, take part in the raising and milking of cattle, interact with the locals, and engage in many other activities.
Other activities at Chyulu Hills National Park includes:
Other things that guests can do while on an east African safari in Chyulu Hills National Park include:
- Photographic safaris
- Camping safaris
- Picnicking
Accommodation: where to stay at Chyulu Hills National Park
The season and the kind of lodging are the key determinants of rates/ cost of the accommodation at Chyulu hill national park. The accommodation in this park includes the following
Lodges and Camps
Exclusive and opulent lodges and camps offer some of the most breathtaking vistas in the world combined with first-rate service, delectable cuisine, and other opulent amenities, making them the ideal choice for the ultimate luxury destination. No lodging is available inside the park, although two extremely upscale hotels in Maasai concessions on the Chyulu Hills’ foothills (Ol Donyo Lodge) do offer a full range of activities.
Campsites
Chyulu Hills Campsite and Chyulu Camp have basic camping amenities like showers, toilets, running water, spotless facilities, and a thatched area where visitors can pitch tents.
Why visit Chyulu Hills National park?
- Chyulu is a rough wilderness with some of the best views of Mount Kilimanjaro. It still bears the scars of its volcanic past. The reserve contains the longest lava tube in the world as well as a rocky tangle of ancient volcanic cones and craters.
- The main draw of a Chyulu Hills safari is the tranquility and seclusion the region offers, along with the same iconic vistas of Kilimanjaro as those in Amboseli but without the crowds of tourists. Visits to the Upper Leviathan Cave, one of the world’s longest caves at 11.5 km long, are worthwhile activities after a safari.
