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.

Background

Other names for the springs are Maji Moto, in full Maji Moto ya Kikuletwa, and Chemka Hot Springs, and they lie in a village called Chemka. Chemka is Swahili for boiling, a reference to the way the water wells up out of the ground. The site belongs to Masama Rundugai ward in Hai District of the Kilimanjaro region. Its outflow joins the Kikuletwa River and finally reaches the Pangani River. The Chagga people historically treated the place as sacred. The water stays around 27°C and can be 6 to 10 meters deep. Catfish and red garra live in it and nibble dead skin from bathers' feet, and the surrounding forests and wetlands draw birdwatchers.

Source: Wikipedia, "Kikuletwa Hot Springs"

What you'll find

• 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.

Good to know

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.

Key facts