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The volcanic Chyulus are Hemingway’s Green Hills of Africa. With their rolling summits capped by cloud forest they lie in the heart of Maasailand midway between Amboseli and Tsavo, with unrivalled views of Mt Kilimanjaro. You could fit the whole of the Mara into this little-known corner of Kenya; yet accommodation is confined to just two luxury lodges. One is Campi ya Kanzi, situated on a 400,000-acre Maasai ranch and renowned for its friendly house-party atmosphere and Italian cuisine.
Besides game drives in search of lion, cheetah and elephant, it offers wonderful walks, romantic sundowners, and a checklist of 400 birds including Verreaux’s eagles. The other lodge is ol Donyo on the adjoining Mbirikani Ranch at the Amboseli end of the Chyulu range. You can wake up here, as I did, to see giant tuskers browsing in the acacia woodlands below. Beyond the trees lies a miniature Serengeti of open grasslands and granite kopjes that you can explore on game drives or on horseback without ever seeing another vehicle.
Chyulu Hills: Green Hills of Africa
Chyulu Hills National Park is one of Kenya’s most troubled parks. Each time I visit, I see more livestock within the park’s boundaries than I do wildlife – a few scampering Sykes’ monkeys are about it. The scenery iss lovely (the Chyulus were Hemingway’s ‘Green Hills of Africa’) and there is rarely another vehicle in sight (I have often been the only paying visitor to the park). But if you’re talking about Chyulu Hills as an ecosystem, then that’s a different story. Two outstanding lodges – Ol Donyo and Campi ya Kanzi – occupy the mountains’ western flanks (which are actually outside the park boundaries) and run fabulous conservation programs with strong ties to local Maasai communities). On this side of Chyulu Hills, I’ve always enjoyed fine views of Mount Kilimanjaro, and spent time tracking lions, leopards and elephants. There’s also a small, heavily protected rhino population here.