Lake Naivasha National Park

You’ll be amazed at the variety and drama of the parks, lakes and preserves surrounding Lake Naivasha. Here the birdlife is full, varied and constant as is the parade of wildlife with over 100 species of hunters and grazers. As befitting such a variety of landforms, you’ll find more types of safaris here than anywhere else on earth…each one allowing you to enjoy a different aspect of the wildlife! Take a water safari to get close to the birdlife, then hike, bike or even horseback ride past zebra, giraffe and antelope. The possibilities, like the wildlife, are endless.

The Lake Naivasha Area is a constant gift of surprise, color and nature’s bounty. You’ll find plenty for everyone here. The parks, preserves, lakes and attractions described below are all a short drive from each other. This high-altitude, freshwater lake with its sterling blue waters hosts hippo and many other aquatic life. You can take a water safari and enjoy the rich birdlife of cormorant and pelican while zebra and antelope graze nearby on the shore.

The area is characterized by plentiful acacia trees and flower farms awash with roses and carnations. What better way to view and get up close to the wildlife than to be astride an animal yourself! In the Naivasha area at Sanctuary Farm you can take the most unique type of safari – a guided day tour on horseback. The land here is heavy with acacia trees and you’ll traverse this rich forest coming upon giraffe, wildebeest, impala, zebra, gazelle, dik-dik and buffalo. From Sanctuary Farm you can walk across a nearby causeway to this privately-owned game sanctuary.

Crescent Island is a small gem of a park and not overly visited as some others are. You can take an easy stroll and picnic alongside the rich bird life and gently grazing wildlife. Or, enjoy a guided walking safari observing pelicans and cormorants along the shore. You’ll also find buffalo, zebra, giraffe, impala, gazelle and many others.

In fact, there are more animals per acre here than any other Kenyan Park. lso, a quick jaunt away are the dramatic cliffs, canyons and unearthly steam vents of Hell’s Gate National Park. You’ll find many opportunities for hiking and even bicycling past the impala, eland, gazelle, baboon and buffalo inhabiting the park. Great columns of steam billow up from the springs and geysers here, and you can take a dip in Africa’s largest natural mineral pool. True to its name, Crater Lake is a small but stunning jade-colored volcanic lake. From this center the sanctuary extends with many hiking trails including one along the crater rim. There are easily over 20 scenic vistas along this impressive crater walk. Ever climb a volcano? Here you can and enjoy fabulous views along the way. Mount Longonot (2776 m /9107 ft.) is an extinct volcano that last erupted in the 1860’s.

Mt. Longonot National Park was created to protect the volcano and its environs. The word ‘Longonot’ comes from the Maasai name Olo Nongot which means ‘Mountain of Many Summits.’ Close to Lake Naivasha is one of Kenya’s most colourful reserves – Lake Nakuru National Park. Bright pink flamingoes abound here, sometimes in the millions, while endangered rhinos wallow amongst the birds, presenting a pictorial paradise. As if to compete for the best spectacle, the land shows itself off with immense rocky escarpments, dense acacia forests, wooded hills and unexpected waterfalls. You’ll find other bird life here with an abundance of pelicans, cormorants, kingfisher, ostrich, stork as well as herons and eagles.

The endangered and rare Rothschild’s giraffe are protected in the park and you’ll also be on the watch for lion, leopard, cheetah and the entertaining baboon, vervet and colobus monkeys. Be sure to visit the park’s several viewpoints where you’ll be greeted with vistas of the Rift Valley. Lion Hill, Out of Africa Lookout and Baboon Cliff are favorites.