Kikuletwa Hot Springs

Kikuletwa, often called Chemka, is a set of spring-fed pools in otherwise dry country west of Moshi, where water filtering down from Kilimanjaro and Meru comes back to the surface warm and startlingly clear. Fig and doum palm roots hang into the water and the visibility is good enough to see the bottom several metres down. It has become a standard day trip from Moshi and Arusha, with a rope swing, changing huts and food stalls.

What you actually see

• The clear pools - spring water clear enough to see several metres down.
• The fig roots - tree roots hanging into the water around the edges.
• The warm temperature - water arriving from the mountains at a comfortable heat.
• The rope swing - the drop into the deepest part of the main pool.

When to go

Year round; the springs run at a constant temperature. Weekends and holidays bring crowds from Moshi and Arusha. Weekday mornings are quietest.

Honest expectations

The track in is rough and takes longer than the distance suggests. Weekends are crowded and noisy with music. Litter around the pools has become a problem.

Nearby

Moshi is east, and Arusha is west.