The Chyulu Hills offer an amazing walking territory with gently undulating grasslands mixed with thick patches of forest. Hike alongside the wild game.
Chyulu Itinerary.
Day 1: Nairobi – Chyulu Hills.
Depart Nairobi around 08:00 hrs, a 3-hour drive down the Mombasa road will bring us to Kibwezi. Here we will deviate from the tarmac, and take a dirt road, for the 30 km. This marks the start of our walk to the caves. A picnic lunch of cold cuts, salads, bread and cheese, and soft drinks will be served. An hour’s walk will lead us to the entrance of the caves. The afternoon will be spent exploring. Dinner and an overnight stay in a fly camp.
Day 2: Chyulu – Caves.
Explore segments of one of the longest “Lava Tube” caves in the world – Leviathan. These caves, which are relatively rare worldwide, are thought to have been formed when liquid magma. The magma was of explicit kind and viscosity and streamed down an incline of a particular angle. The surface layer cooled and solidified; however, the lower part, which was actually liquid, kept streaming down. At this point, somewhere up the hillside, a collapse of the surface crust occurred, through which air entered. A tube evacuated itself just below the surface. The afternoon and evening are spent down in the caves, looking at some of the fascinating formations found therein. There are sinkholes, lava ropes, stalagmites and stalactites, benches, and, of course, the auxiliary, water-formed features.
Day 3: Chyulu Hills summit
After an early breakfast, depart by road for the top of the Chyulu Hills. An amazing walking country with gently undulating grasslands, mixed with thick patches of forest. A chance to encounter groups of eland and other antelopes, giraffes, zebras, and wildebeests, with somewhat less opportunity to see elephants, lions, buffalo, and other game that live nearby. The views of spectacular Mt. Kilimanjaro, which is only 50 km away. Overnight in fly camp along the crest. It is likely cool and breezy, with a low cloud in the early morning.
Day 4: Trekking
A full day of walking
Day 5: Chyulu Hills – Nairobi
Early morning game drive or short walk before a late breakfast / early lunch. It’s then along the Crest Road and down the western side of the hills for the drive back to Nairobi, arriving before nightfall.
Options are numerous and differ, and most of the time, we can be flexible to adapt new proposals whilst on safari. For instance, one may wish to spend an extra day caving (or cut out a day), thus spending less time (or longer) walking the Chyulu. The itinerary might be shifted from 3 – to at least 7 days and is regularly combined with a visit to the National Parks – Tsavo/Amboseli.
Options are, of course, many and varied, and in many cases, we can be flexible about the itinerary for accommodation facilities and the extension of the safari destinations.
