Chyulu Hills National Park

The Chyulu hills are a mountain range are located in eastern Kenya near the towns of Voi and Tsavo. Chyulu Hills National Park shares the border with Tsavo National Park. The mountain range’s highest peak is 2188m and the foot hills stretch hundred of kilometers to form the Chyulu ranges. These chills form a natural birder that separates the Amboseli and Tsavo eco-systems.

The park is recorded to have several porous rocks that drain the falling rains and later flow out at the Mzima springs, Galana river and Tsavo river.  The rest of the Chyulu eco-system (741sq km) is savannah grassland, thicket and motane forests.

Chyulu National park was gazetted in 1983 and is managed by the Kenya Wildlife service. Part of the national park extends into Tsavo west national park while the west Chyulu game Conservation is a wildlife project managed by private Maasai communities

Wildlife

The Tsavo and Amboseli regions are known to have more than 500 species of wildlife. Chyulu is thus no exception to this diversity. Some of the species of mammals in the park include forest bush pig, black rhino, elephant, bush buck, mountain reedbuck, giraffe, lion, leopard, zebra, wildebeest, steinbook and buffalo among others. Some of the reptiles in the park include Black mamba, puff adder, monitor lizard and rock python. Watch sight of the rare dung beetles, butterflies and tsetse flies

More than 350 birds are found in this eco-system and they include a few rarely sighted species. Some of the birds in Chyulu Park include the Taita Francolin

Other attractions near Chyulu Park include the lakes, Jipe and Chala on the border with Tsavo West park, clear view of the Kilimanjaro, some several kilometers away in Tanzania and cultural tours to the masaai communities living near the park.

Getting there

The park is located a few kilometers (10km) off the main Mombasa-Nairobi highway. From Naiorbi city, the park is 230km and 20km from Mombasa airport. Follow the sign post 1km past the Kibwezi turn off and then drive 10km to the park gate. All drives in the park should be with a robust 4wd since the roads are dusty during the summer yet muddy after the rains

There are two airstrips within the park while tourists can alternatively use the airstrips in Tsavo West or Tsavo East National Parks. Flights and charters from Nairobi and Mombasa airports are available at the different airstrips.

Activities

The park is open every day 7h00 to 18h00, all through the year. Some of the interesting activities within Chyulu Hills National park include hiking, safari walks, camping, horse riding, cave exploration and the bird watching among others.  The weather is hot and dry for most of the year hence tourist can visit the park any time of the year

Accommodation

There is no major accommodation facility within the park but Kenya Wildlife service runs 3 campsites in the park at Kithasyo and a guesthouse at Kiboko. There are luxury safari lodges in Tsavo west national park for overnight and dinner.