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Discovering Lake Chala and Severin Safari Camp in Tsavo West | Road Trip To Northern Kenya Part 3
Video by Liv Kenya
Tsavo West, Severin Safari Camp, and Lake Chala complete the Taita-Taveta discovery loop.
Place
Lake Chala
Water
Chala, Taita Taveta County, Kenya
A steep-walled volcanic crater lake on the Kenya–Tanzania border, its blue-green water hidden in the dry country east of Kilimanjaro.
Firsthand material by Liv Kenya
Why go
Why visit this place?
Lake Chala—also written Lake Challa—feels concealed until the crater opens below the rim. Its volcanic form, changing color, border setting, and Kilimanjaro watershed make it one of the corridor's most distinctive landscapes.
When you arrive
What to expect
The lake is viewed from a high and sometimes steep crater rim. Access points, permission, fees, paths, and available activities can vary, and the Kenyan approach should not be treated as an unrestricted public park.
Local knowledge
Local tip
Confirm the operating access point before leaving Taveta. Do not descend the crater, enter the water, or follow an unfamiliar path without current on-site permission and safety guidance.
Visiting
Getting there
From Taveta, follow the road north toward Chala village and then the local lake approach to a mapped Kenyan viewpoint. The Journey is about 18 km, with a slower final section.
Typical visit: 2.5 hours
Best time: Daylight is essential for the approach and crater rim. Confirm weather, road conditions, access permission, and closing expectations locally.
Planning your visit
How to get there
Start with a practical route to Lake Chala.
Mombasa to Kakuma through Turkana
Liv Kenya's complete 2022 expedition from Mombasa through Voi, the Taita Hills, Taveta, Tsavo West, Nairobi, Eldoret, Kitale, West Pokot, Lodwar, Lake Turkana, Kakuma, and Kalobeyei.
Follow this Journey →Taveta lakes and Tsavo West
Lake Jipe, Grogan's Castle, Tsavo West, Severin Safari Camp, and Lake Chala lead back through Voi to Nairobi.
Follow this Journey →Taveta to Lake Chala
Follow the Chala road north from Taveta and approach a Kenyan viewpoint over the steep-walled volcanic crater lake.
Follow this Journey →Continue exploring
Continue from Lake Chala
This Place can also become the starting point for another discovery.
Mombasa to Kakuma through Turkana 2 videos available.
Liv Kenya's complete 2022 expedition from Mombasa through Voi, the Taita Hills, Taveta, Tsavo West, Nairobi, Eldoret, Kitale, West Pokot, Lodwar, Lake Turkana, Kakuma, and Kalobeyei.
Continue with this Journey →Taveta lakes and Tsavo West 2 videos available.
Lake Jipe, Grogan's Castle, Tsavo West, Severin Safari Camp, and Lake Chala lead back through Voi to Nairobi.
Continue with this Journey →Where is it—and how do you reach it?
Exact map location; directly connected routes are shown
Further viewing
See another view of Lake Chala
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