Chemka Hot Springs Snorkeling & Serval Wildlife Day Trip

Swim in warm spring water fed by Kilimanjaro, then touch and feed wild animals in a hand-planted sanctuary.

A private day trip from Moshi combines snorkeling at Chemka Hot Springs with a visit to Serval Wildlife, a curated ecosystem in Kilimanjaro's Siha District. You swim in the turquoise spring-fed pool surrounded by palm and fig trees, then spend two hours at the wildlife lodge encountering free-roaming African lions, giraffes, monkeys and other animals. The drive takes about an hour each way, crossing sugar cane plantations and African scrubland. Lunch and private transport are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Chemka Hot Springs and Serval Wildlife

• Drive to Chemka Hot Springs
• Observe Blue Monkeys in trees
• Swim in turquoise water
• Chat with locals at small bar
• Have picnic lunch
• Drive to Serval Wildlife lodge
• Interact with wild animals
• Return to drop off place

The experience

If you have an afternoon free in Moshi, this trip solves the problem of getting to two very different places without arranging your own transport. The ride to Chemka Hot Springs takes about an hour, passing sugar cane plantations, dried river beds and acacia trees before arriving at the small pond surrounded by palm and fig trees with winding roots. The water is warm and refreshing, fed by Kilimanjaro itself, and clear enough to see the bottom. Blue monkeys often move through the trees in the morning, and the bar at the edge of the water is where locals sit and chat. You can swim, snorkel or simply float. At noon, lunch arrives.

In the late afternoon, you drive to Serval Wildlife, a lodge in the Siha District with over 3,000 hand-planted endemic plants that support the animals living there. The two hours you spend there are built around direct interaction with free-roaming wildlife: African lions, Masai giraffes, colobus monkeys, vervet and blue monkeys, bat-eared foxes, elands and ostriches. The lodge sits where you can see both Mount Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro. You return to Moshi relaxed, having moved through two very different landscapes in a single day.

What’s included

• Private transportation from your hotel in Moshi.
• lunch at midday.
• all fees and taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (14 to 70 years) · Under 14: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 9 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by Aquiline safaris and adventures

Is this one for you?This is a private trip, so you travel with your own group and set the pace at each stop: useful if you want to linger in the water or spend extra time with the animals without waiting for others. The six-hour day fits a free afternoon or a break day between other activities, and the two stops mean you see both water and wildlife without committing to a full-day safari.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is the water like at Chemka Hot Springs?

Chemka Hot Springs, also called Kikuletwa, holds water that is warm and refreshing rather than hot, fed by Kilimanjaro itself. The pond is small, surrounded by palm and fig trees, and the water is crystal clear and turquoise: clear enough to snorkel and see the bottom. Blue monkeys often move through the trees overhead.

Can I snorkel at Chemka Hot Springs, or is it just swimming?

Snorkeling is possible in the spring-fed water. Snorkeling equipment rental costs $20 if you want to bring your own gear. Scuba diving equipment is also available for $20 rental.

What animals will I see at Serval Wildlife?

Serval Wildlife is home to African lions, Masai giraffes, colobus monkeys, vervet and blue monkeys, bat-eared foxes, elands and ostriches. The animals are free-roaming within the lodge's ecosystem, and you spend two hours there with direct interaction possible.

How long is the drive from Moshi to Chemka Hot Springs?

The ride takes about an hour and follows a partly bumpy route past sugar cane plantations, then through African scrubland with dried river beds, baobab and acacia trees.

What time do I return to Moshi?

You return in the late afternoon after spending time at both Chemka Hot Springs and Serval Wildlife. The full day trip is six hours from start to finish.