Chemka is a clear, cold-looking pool of warm spring water under the trees, near Moshi. People come to swim and lie in the shade. That is the entire plan, and it is a good one.
- Also called
- Kikuletwa hot springs
- Where
- Between Moshi and Arusha, off the highway
- Kind
- A swimming day
- From Moshi
- About an hour
- Water
- Spring-fed, clear, and deep in places
- Not
- A hot bath, despite the name
A pool in the bush
Chemka, or Kikuletwa, is a spring that has been widened by swimmers into a series of clear pools and a short channel, set in dry bush north of the Moshi–Arusha road. Fish are visible in the water. Fig trees give the shade. It is a local swimming place that visitors have adopted, and on a Saturday it feels like one.
The name oversells the temperature. Come to float, not to soak. Bring sandals for the stones, and a day with nothing else in it.
When to go
Any dry weekday. After rain the track in is slower and the water can cloud. The month hardly matters if you are already in Moshi. Avoid the national holidays if you wanted quiet, or embrace them if you wanted to see how Moshi spends a Sunday.
BestGoodQuieter or wetter
The day between other days
Chemka is the recovery day after Kilimanjaro, when legs do not want Materuni's downhill, and it is a pleasant day before a safari pickup. It is not a destination to fly to Tanzania for. Paired with a real plan, it is one of the days people talk about later, which is more than most hotel pools achieve.
Packages that include Chemka Hot Springs
These are the trips in our list that spend time here. A price is the starting price of that trip. A sample trip is a plan we can run. The camps and the price are confirmed when you ask.
All safaris
Questions people ask
- It is a warm spring, not a steaming bath. Most people find it refreshing rather than hot, which is what you want at noon in the lowlands. There are deeper channels. Swim within yourself.
- The site is public and busy on weekends, with a local fee and simple food. We still prefer to send a driver and a guide, because the last stretch of track is confusing and the weekend crowds are easier with someone who knows the quieter corner. Weekdays are calmer.
References
The facts on this page were checked against these sources and written in our own words. Gate hours, fees and wildlife numbers change. We link the authority instead of printing a figure that will go stale.
Last reviewed 2026-10-28.
