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Dead trees standing in the shallows of Lake Naivasha under a blue sky with white clouds

Lake

Lake Naivasha

Lake Naivasha is the highest of the Rift Valley lakes and one of the few with fresh water. About two hours from Nairobi and an hour from Nakuru, its shores are lined with yellow fever trees, papyrus and lodges, and its water is home to hundreds of hippos and a great variety of birds.

Why visit

Naivasha is the easiest place in Kenya to mix wildlife with a relaxed lakeside break. A boat ride takes you close to hippos and fish eagles, Crescent Island lets you walk among giraffes, and Hell’s Gate and Mount Longonot are close by for cycling and hiking. The area is also the centre of Kenya’s cut-flower industry, with large greenhouses around the lake.

What to see and do

  • A boat ride: hippos, pelicans, cormorants, kingfishers and fish eagles swooping for fish thrown by the boatmen.
  • Crescent Island: a guided walk among giraffes, zebras, wildebeest and waterbuck.
  • Elsamere: the former home of Joy Adamson, author of Born Free, with a small museum and afternoon tea on the lawn.
  • Lake Oloiden: a smaller, saltier lake next door, sometimes visited by flamingos.
  • Hell’s Gate: just south of the lake. See Hell’s Gate National Park.

Hippo safety

Hippos leave the water to graze on the shore at night and are dangerous on land. Never walk near the water after dark, keep to the paths in lodge grounds, and follow the staff’s advice.

Tips

  • Agree the price and length of a boat ride before you set off, and make sure there are life jackets.
  • Mornings are usually calmer on the water than afternoons.
  • Read about a boat ride and Crescent Island.
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Impalas, a male with long curved horns and a young one, among bushes on Crescent Island Sanctuary

Crescent Island

Walk among giraffes

A private wildlife sanctuary on a crescent-shaped peninsula in Lake Naivasha, where you can walk among giraffes, zebras, wildebeest and antelope with a guide.

A sheer orange cliff above grassy slopes in Hell’s Gate National Park National park

Hell’s Gate National Park

Cycle among the zebras

A small park of red cliffs, volcanic towers and a deep gorge south of Lake Naivasha, where you can walk or cycle among zebras, giraffes and buffalo.

Mount Longonot rising above farmland and trees in the Rift Valley Volcano

Mount Longonot

Hike a crater rim

A dormant volcano rising to 2,776 metres above the Rift Valley floor, with a steep trail to the rim and a walk around a forested crater.

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