Top Tips for the Best Things to Do in Great Rift Valley, Kenya

The Great Rift Valley is a Kenyan attraction for both tourists and locals who enjoy its beautiful lakes and escarpments, which provide havens for plentiful wildlife. The place attracts several species to its sparkling lake shores and is a birdwatcher’s paradise. One of the most fascinating aspects of the park is that huge flocks of flamingos wade near hippos and other game species.

The Great Rift Valley is home to the most well-known lakes in the world: Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru, and Lake Elementaita. Visitors to the region enjoy exceptional sightings of white rhino, leopard, Rothschild’s giraffe, and an assortment of plains game.

The lakes of Southern Kenya – Nakuru, Elementatita, Naivasha, Bagoria and Baringo – are all unique and support a staggeringly large proportion of Kenya's wildlife. The saline Bagoria is sometimes home to huge flocks of lesser flamingos and contains more true geysers than any other area in the world. However, beginning from the remote North, the first of these lakes is Turkana. Known as the Jade Sea, it is home to a range of incredibly resilient life-forms. The lake is rarely visited and is the largest desert lake in the world, supporting Africa's biggest population of Nile Crocodiles and rare species such as the African fish eagle and saddle-billed stork.

Baringo is a crucial stop off for the migrant bird population. It supports 500 species of bird and is one of Kenya's most popular parks because it is home to thousands of pink flamingos. Nakuru takes its name from the Maasai word nakuru meaning 'lake' and is famous for its hippos and flamingos. Naivasha, which means 'cold water', is famous for its hippos and white-bellied fish eagles.

Elementaita attracts a large number of flamingos. Just as lakes Natron and Magadi attract the birds because of their salt content and rich volcanic soil, Elementaita is also vital to life in the Great Rift Valley.

Here are some of the best things to do when visiting the Great Rift Valley in Kenya.

A Unique Experience at Lake Nakuru National Park

Lake Nakuru National Park overlooks Lake Nakuru, a famous soda lake found in the floor of Kenya’s Rift Valley. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it offers visitors an opportunity to see two of the Big Five, leopard and rhino that might be harder to spot elsewhere. Lake Nakuru is now home to the largest number of black rhinos in the country. The park's birdlife is another major attraction for travelers who visit Lake Nakuru National Park. Over 400 species of birds populate the sky here, including pelicans, cormorants, and flamingos.

A boat ride to crescent island in Naivasha is an unforgettable experience.

There is just one “Crescent Island Game Sanctuary”. Located on Lake Naivasha, in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya. It is one of the most beautiful parks in Kenya and is often called Naivasha’s best-kept secret. Surrounded by water, it is actually a peninsula and is currently only accessible by boat from the East or West side.

The shores host abundant birdlife including pelicans, cormorants, and fish-eagles with their haunting cry. There are more animals per acre than any other Kenyan Park, hence many film companies have been to the Island to film the herds of Wildebeest, Waterbuck, Zebra, and Gazelle.

Hippo graze all over us at night then sleep under the acacia or rest in the water by day. Often you can see  three generations of Giraffe at a time, all of whom have been born on the Island. And if you're lucky you may see one of the beautiful Pythons who live here. 

From the top of the hill, there is a 360-degree view across the Lake from Longonot to Hell’s Gate to the Mau Escarpment to Eburu and onto the Aberdares.  Walking along the ridge in the golden hour before sunset whilst watching the animals grazing with the water shimmering beyond, is what Africa is all about.

Ready to visit the Great Rift Valley in Kenya? Why not let Drunken Elephant Mara safari experts help tailor-make a safari that's right for you, from the comfort of your own home.