The Great Rift Valley Safari - Kenya
Enjoy a tour safari in this East African Great Rift Valley - one of the world wonders! With a trench of about 5400 miles long up to Red Sea, the Rift Valley is a tourist’s paradise. A visit to the Great Rift Valley will expose you to the soda Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha. Lake Nakuru is a sanctuary to the thousands of flamingoes (bright pink birds). On the other hand, Lake Naivasha (a deep green fresh water lake) is home to hippos, kongoni, zebra, giraffes, impala and buffaloes alongside birds that include fish eagles, black Crakes, a variety of herons, lily-trotters and many other bird species. Excellent birdwatching, good fishing, and a range of splendid lodges, camping sites and hotels make Lake Naivasha a wish for most visitors to Kenya.
Among the first parks in the area is Mount Longonot National Park based around a young volcano (2,776m). It is a result of the massive eruptions responsible for the Great Rift Valley formation itself. With magnificent v-shaped valleys and ridges occupied with forests that offer sanctuary to a variety of birds and animals, Mt. Longonot offers a variety of game viewing activities alongside rock climbing, hiking, and biking.
In the same area is the Hell’s Gate National Park well known for its Auger Buzzards, Verreaux’s eagle, geysers and vulture breeding ground, extinct volcanoes and obsidian deposits. Some of the activities available in this park include nature walk, camping, cycle and rock climbing plus game viewing. The park’s beauty is enhanced by the magnificent rock gorges and natural stream vents. The animals in this park include lions, leopards, buffaloes, hyrax, hartebeest, eland, giraffes and antelopes among others.
Northwest of this park, is Lake Nakuru - a world famous park for the stunning flocks of the Lesser Flamingoes which strike you with a pink colour at your first sight of lake. Covered with an attractive range of wooded and bush grassland the area is endowed with a vast range of eco-diversity. Some of the animals at this lake include a big herd of hippos, black and white rhino, warthog, Mountain Reedbuck, buffaloes, Rothschild giraffe, impala, klipspringers, impala, and a vast birdlife. The park is a haven for the world-renowned ornithologists, wildlife film makers and scientists.
From lake Nakuru northwards the next destination is Lake Bogoria National Reserve. Here is a shallow soda lake covering an area of 30 sq km within a maximum depth of 9m, and was listed as a Ramsar-protected wetlands site in 2000. Recently the lake gained fame as the “new home for Flamingoes” with a migrant population of up to two million birds. The area is of great significance to an ornithologist with over 135 bird species recorded. The lake is covered with blue-green algae which attracts thousands of flamingoes seasonally. The bushy grasslands is a sanctuary to a variety of animals including the rare Greater Kudu antelope.
The last stop on the Greater Rift Valley circuit is Lake Kamnarok Game Reserve. This little-visited reserve lies in the heart of the beautiful Kerio Valley, sandwiched between Cherangani and Tugeni Hills and divided by Kerio River. Prolific birdlife, crocodiles, elephants, wonderful landscapes and the chances to get totally off the beaten track are the main attractions here. Animals found here include bushpigs, buffaloes, waterbucks, elephants, and aquatic birds such as grebes and pelicans.
With a varied landscape, wildlife, panoramic lake views, and splendid accommodation the Rift valley area should not be missed by serious safari holiday makers.
Accommodation in the Rift Valley area can be obtained in the following places:
- Fish Eagle Inn - next to Fisherman’s Camp offers mid-range accommodation with some top-end facilities (sauna, pool, satellite TV, etc.)
- Lake Naivasha Lodge - (Top End) is a pleasant place with spacious cottage-style rooms.
- Waterbuck Hotel (Top End)- is also an excellent place to stay in.
