Chyulu Hills National Park, Kenya

Cinder cones, extinct volcanoes, springs bubbling from a subterranean river, savannah, dense thickets and montane forest...these are the features which characterise the dramatic landscape of the Chyulu Hills.

Dividing the open plains of Amboseli in the west and the iconic Tsavo in the east, the Chyulu Hills lie in the Kibwezi district of Kenya.  It is in fact the world's youngest mountain range, its highest peak reaching an impressive 2160 metres above sea level.  The magnificent Mount Kilimanjaro can be seen looming in the distance, crowned with cloud, from some of Chyulu's highest points. 

All the volcanoes here are now extinct, with two of them, Shaitani and Chainu, erupting last in the mid-nineteenth century.  However, the effects of this erstwhile hive of volcanic activity are still palpable today.  Chyulu's underground river is formed from rainfall which soaks through the porous rocks of of the mountains and cones, which then goes on to feed two crucial  permanent sources of water – the Tsavo and Galana rivers. 

The forests and thickets which flank the sides of Chyulu's peaks have created a series of caves which are a wonder and a joy to explore.  Wildlife which is commonly found in this area include elephant, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, eland, bush pig, wildebeest, steenbok and reedbuck.  More rarely sighted creatures include lion, leopard, cheetah and black rhino.

Photos of Chyulu Hills National Park