Central Kenya and the Great Rift Valley

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Kenya ’s geographical diversity is born of the Great Rift Valley, an awesome natural divide that bisects the country. An age old route for both human and animal migration, the floor of the rift is home to a series of freshwater and soda lakes, each one supporting its own unique ecosystem. At several of the soda lakes the visitor can witness the astonishing spectacle of thousands of flamingo (both lesser and greater) gathering together to feed and breed.

The Rift is surrounded by dormant volcanoes, calderas and mountain ranges. Mount Kenya, whose striking peak (17,000 ft) is held sacred by the local Kikuyu tribe, provides one of the worlds rarest sights, equatorial snow. The surrounding highland forests and Aberdare ranges are alive with Elephant, Buffalo, and the rare Giant Forest Hog and elusive Bongo antelope.

Lake Naivasha is surrounded by impressive mountains. On the eastern wall of the rift valley is the Aberdares Range (rising to 4265m). To the west is the Mau Escarpment at (3117m).

To the north you can see Eburru at (2950m) and to the south is the impressive Mount Longonot with its awesome crater and which is a popular climb. It rises to 2776 m.

South of Lake Naivasha you will find the green Crater Lake, which is part of Crater Lake Game Sanctuary. To the south of Naivasha is Hell’s Gate National Park, its famous for its cliffs and scenery. Its an excellent place for cycling and walking into the spectacular gorge. The gorge has hot springs and fascinating rock formations, which are used as a location for film Tomb Raider. Hell’s gate got its name from the Geothermal Area where the underground steam is harnessed for electricity.

Crescent Island on the eastern shore, is the rim of a submerged crater. Parts of the movie ” Out of Africa”, about the life of Karen Blixen, were shot here. It is privately owned, but one can arrive by boat or car and take a pleasant walk.

Naivasha is famous for its birdlife and within a short time one should have seen a dozen different varieties including Fish Eagle, Pelicans, Ibises, Superb Starlings, Grey-backed Fiscal Shrikes, Hoopoes, Love birds, Egrets and Lilly Trotters (Jacana). The lake is also famous for its many hippos. There is also an abundance of other game around the lake like Eland, Grant’s Gazelle, Giraffe and occassional cheetah and leopard.

Lake Nakuru National Park is located appr. 156 km from Nairobi. Lake Nakuru is a very shallow strong alkaline lake. The park has a beautiful landscape of surrounding woodland and grassland. You will find areas of marsh and grasslands, rocky cliffs and outcrops, stretches of acacia woodland and hillsides covered with Euphorbia forest. Lake Nakuru National Park has an abundant birdlife and is famous for its hugh numbers of the greater and lesser flamingo.

Apart from birdlife, the park has a lot of wildlife including the white & black rhino.