A boat ride on Lake Naivasha and a walk on Crescent Island

Lake Naivasha is the place to see hippos up close, from the safety of a boat, and Crescent Island is one of the few places in Kenya where you can walk among giraffes. Together they make a perfect half day.

The boat ride

Boats leave from lodges and public landings along the southern shore. A typical ride lasts one to two hours. You will see groups of hippos in the shallows, with only their eyes and ears above the water, and plenty of birds: pelicans, cormorants, herons, kingfishers and African fish eagles, which boatmen often call down to snatch a fish from the water.

Look out for the drowned trees standing in the water. Like several Rift Valley lakes, Naivasha has risen in recent years, flooding parts of its shore.

Crescent Island

Crescent Island is the rim of an old volcanic crater, now a peninsula curving out into the lake. It is a private wildlife sanctuary with no big predators, so you can walk among Rothschild’s giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, waterbuck, impalas and gazelles with a guide. Most boat trips can drop you at the island’s landing, and there is an entrance fee paid on arrival. Allow about an hour and a half on foot.

Tips

• Agree the price and the length of the ride before you set off, and check there are life jackets for everyone.
• Go in the morning, when the water is usually calmer and the birds are active.
• Bring a hat and sun cream; there is no shade on the boats.
• Never walk near the shore after dark, when hippos come out to graze.

Make a day of it

Have lunch by the lake, visit Elsamere, the former home of Born Free author Joy Adamson, or spend the afternoon in Hell’s Gate. Read our guide to Lake Naivasha.