Lake Challa is a unique caldera lake, surrounded by a 100 meters high crater rim. This lake straddles the border between Tanzania and Kenya. This lake is 49km from Moshi town in Tanzania & 8km from Taveta, Kenya providing the perfect getaway from the towns to soak up nature’s beauty.
This lake has a great diversity of life, from lush lake shore forest to stunning volcanic savannah from river beds marvelously carved through ancient rock, to thick bushes or open. Walking at Lake Challa is a magical experience that will put you back in touch with nature.
The water flows in and out of the lake through the grounds believed to be coming from Mount Kilimanjaro springs. Depending on the time of year the lake’s color ranges from deep blue to turquoise and green.
Things you can do at lake Challa
· Walking and hiking, the scenery around the lake have small hills you can hike to, also being a crater lake you will have to descend to and ascend from the lake providing a tremendous short hike adventure.
· Canoeing, with fewer visitors canoeing at the lake is great and peaceful.
· Swimming, a swim is a tempting activity at the lake but advised to be a good swimmer before you decide to dive into the challa waters.
· Sightseeing, the scenery around the lake is beautiful, and you can relax and enjoy the lake views from the crater rim.
Getting to lake challa
Being at the border between Tanzania and Kenya this lake can be accessed from either country, the best way to get to lake challa will be by hiring private transportation from the nearby towns (Moshi in Tanzania & Taveta in Kenya) as there is no public transportation to the area which is quite remote. It is an hour and 40 minutes drive from Moshi town.
Accommodation at Lake Challa;
There are not many accommodations near the lake. One we would recommend is lake challa safari lodge and campsite located just at the crater rim it will be a perfect place to stay while you soak up the beauty of challa.
