Chyulu Hills National Park Kenya is a beautiful green nature safari destination with verdant rolling hills of endless green, great blue skies and unique landscape views. It a great site for the nature lovers. The park is abundant to large mammals such as buffalo, bushbucks, elands, elephants, leopards, giant forest hogs, bush pigs, reedbucks and giraffes along with variety of reptiles and insect. It is also home to various bird species which can be spotted on the hills. Bird species like Orange ground thrush, Cinnamon bracken warbler, Shelley’s francolin, White –starred robin, Ayres’s hawk-eagle, African crowned eagle, Martial eagle and Abbott’s starling among others.
Chyulu Hills lies about 150 kilometers east of the Kenya Rift. More so, the hills are comprised of several hundred small flows and cones.
Attractions in Chyulu Hills National Park
Breathtaking views from the Chyulu Hills, cave exploration, one camp site next to park headquarters.
Reptiles species such as; Black Mamba, Puff Adder, Rock python, Gecko, Tortoise, Lizard.
Insect /arthropods; which include dung beetles, Butterflies, Tsetse fly.
Common Animals like Buffalo, Bushbuck, Eland, Elephant, Leopard, Giant forest hog, Bush pig, reedbuck, Mountain, Steenbok, Giraffe.
More so, Chyulu hills stuns as a green hills of Africa and one of the youngest mountain ranges in the world, that has been formed up over 500 years ago. More fact, the park is volcanic scenery though the human encroachment with cattle and poaching are the main problems here. It is home worth a visit to the upper leviathan cave which raises round 11.5kilometer long, making it a remarkable trip to Kenya Safaris.
Despite Chyulu Hills is a mountain range based in Makueni county South Eastern Kenya. The hills form a 100 kilometers long volcanic field in elongated North west to South East direction – making its highest peak to raise over 2188 meters high.
This National Park is also part of the Tsavo conservation area which expands towards Tsavo West and Tsavo East National Park and to a nearby Kibwezi forest which is controlled with unique species like Neoboutonia macro calyx, Cassipourea malonasana, IIex mitis, Prunus Africana among others.
Generally, Chyulu Hills National Park located about 150 kilometers east of Kenya Rift valley and composes the eastern flank of the hills. It is owned by Kenya Wildlife Service and the western flank of the hills covered by the West Chyulu Game Conservation. It was gazette as a national park in 1983, covering an area of about 741 square kilometers.
The name Chyulu means ‘spotted Hills’ – Chyulu hills is a rugged wilderness with high signs of its volcanic origins and beautiful place that offers spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro –known as World’s African highest mountain.
Activities to do at Chyulu Hills National Park Kenya
They include; Horse riding, camping, mountain climbing, bird watching among other.
Hiking
This is one of the major activity carried out in various trekking trails that leads you to explore the mountain ranges and the views for wildlife and birds are incredible. The hiking experience also offers gainful views of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Game viewing
The national park harbors vast of mammal’s species such as wildebeests, bush pig, elephants, cheetahs, antelopes, black rhino, steenbok, zebra, eland. There are various animal trails that leads you to abundant of wildlife.
Some reptiles to see include; black mamba, monitor lizards puff adder and rock python among others.
Birding
Chyulu is a great hidden site for birding, hosting more than 350 bird species of both migratory and residential birds. The best spotting area for birds is at Chyulu hills and Lake Jipe found at the south western side of the park.
Mountain Biking
Its best done along the rugged landscape of the chyulu hills.
Horse riding
This is one of the perfect way to explore the untouched wilderness of Chyulu hills national park at a close view.
Visit the Larva caves
The park hosts one of the deepest lava tubes in the world with the Leviathan caves which raises 11.5 kilometer long. To make it to its top take about 3 to 4 hours from the park’s entrance.
Culture experience
Visit the park and be able to meet the local people who stay around the park and get to learn about their unique life style.
Best time to visit;
The park can be visited throughout the year though the best time for visit the park is during the dry months of June to October and January to February.
How to get there;
By roads; Driving from Kibwezi, then turn right off the Mombasa road ‘’coming from Nairobi’’ at Kibwezi, onto a sign posted road that leads after 9 kilometers to Kithasyo Gate and park headquarter.
By road from Tsavo west; It is possible to enter the park from Tsavo west.
By Air;
Chyulu Hills National Park has two airstrips.
