Lake Naivasha Things to Do

As you drop down into the Rift Valley from Nairobi, it's impossible to ignore Mount Logonot, probably the largest of the recent volcanic cones in the area. It is currently dormant, and its attractively symmetrical form is a useful point of reference on the landscape.

It is apparently a fairly easy hike to the rim of Logonot's crater - whose highest point is 2,886m above sea level - but it takes about an hour to hike from the parking area. If you've expended all that effort, then it would be a shame not to take advantage of your hard-won altitude and hike around the rim to take advantage of the view, but this will probably take you another three hours, so be sure to slather yourself in sunscreen, don a hat and long sleeves to avoid sunburn and bring enough water to counteract dehydration.

We unfortunately didn't have time to do this when we were in the area, so we could only admire Logonot from a distance ... yet another good reason to return!

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I'll freely admit that I'm a sucker for old farm machinery, so imagine my delight when we drew into Elementaita Weavers (on the southern shore of Lake Naivasha) and were confronted with these beauties!

I have a particular weakness for old bulldozers, so the ancient Caterpillar caught my eye ... although the prospect of a ride on a vehicle with metal tracks and no suspension to speak of is not one that I would have relished!

Kenya's national parks differ from their counterparts in Southern Africa in two significant aspects: one is that they allow people (and their livestock) access to the park, and secondly, in the case of Hell's Gate, they allow tourists to explore by mountain bike.

Bikes are available for hire at the main Elsa Gate, and it looks like loads of fun! The roads are well maintained gravel, and the park is relatively flat for the most part (with a few steeper sections towards the south). I always prefer game viewing options where you are in the open, rather than confined in a vehicle, and this would be a great way to admire the landscape, spot game and get a workout all at the same time! See the website below for up to date entrance fees and ancillary costs - at the time we visited, bike hire for the day was 500 Kshs, which seems very reasonable indeed.

Hell's Gate doesn't have too many large predators (mostly leopard and hyaena, which tend to be shy and solitary), so probably the worst that will befall you (if you'll excuse the pun) is that you will take a tumble off your bike, or you'll get sunburned to a cinder! When we were there, a group of young Americans were just finishing their tour - most of whom were wearing vest tops - and they varied in shade from rosy to lobster! If you choose this option, remember that you're at altitude and pretty well on the equator, so slather on the sunscreen, put on a hat and wear a long sleeved top.

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I would only recommend this if you are interested in the life of Joy and George Adamson or have a passion for home made cakes!
We took a boats from our campsite on Lake Naivasha along to Elsamere. Unfortunately for us there was a storm building at the time the so it was a rather rough trip along the lake.
On arrival at Elsamere you are taken into a room and shown an old documentary programme about Joy Adamson - I and most of the adults found this interesting, but the children found it a little heavy going. Anyway it lasts about 40 - 45 mins, but do watch out for the chairs as they were literally falling apart and a couple of people nearly ended up on the floor!
You are then free to wander around the house and grounds and help yourself to a huge selection of freshly made cakes, tea and coffee. The gardens are nicely situated overlooking the lake and there are tables and chairs set out where you can sit and enjoy your afternoon tea. Watch out for the Colobus monkeys in search of cakes!
There is also a small shop selling books, souvenirs etc and cottage accomodation should you want to stay longer.

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Quite unwieldy looking birds but so graceful in flight. Having a wingspan of around 3.60 metres (12 feet) helps them to glide effortlessly through the air. Using the same sort of running on the water technique as the flamingo, beating their wings at the same time gets lift-off for the up-to 15 kg Great White Pelican.

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Although you don't get a lot of time here, it is well, well worth it. Although not really an island, the land is in a crescent shape, seen before mainly in the film "Out of Africa". This isprivate land and as such the film-makers imported the animals here for the needs of the film, and were left when they were finished. Seems a little contrived but actually being able to walk amongst the animals and be close up like this was frankly, superb. Of course there are no predators here so the animals can wander around and visitors only risk a possible stampede by the Wildebeest and Zebra.

NOTA ; Even though you are allowed to walk here, these are still WILD animals and must be treated as such.

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One of the tricks of the boatman is to use fish to get the Fish Eagle out of the tree. He holds the fish above his head and then whistles. When the bird is about 100 metres away he then tosses the fish into the water. And there is breakfast for the Eagle..... We did this three times and the birds never miss the fish. Quite a spectacle.

My excuses for the lousy quality of the photos, as it was very low light at 8 in the morning, so I've had to "photoshop" the Light/Contrast a bit to get some sort of image. Easy enough to follow the sequence through.

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You have to go into the Lake Naivasha Country Club to hire a boat out, although you don't have to to be a member. As you enter the grounds the office is on the left. Cost is $25 per boat that includes the visit to Crescent Island, altogether with the walk you have about 3 hours which made a break between Nakuru and Maasai Mara.

Out on the water there are a multitude of birds and animals to see, including Hippos, Kingfisher and Fish Eagles. The driver of the boat actually takes some fish with him to tempt the Eagles from the trees. An act but a spectacle at the same time. The Hippos were all sleeping or at least dozing while we were there, but you can judge the size of them from the first photos. Seem quite placid, but Hippos are known to be the most dangerous of African animals, don't get between the mother and her young or between them and the water. Hippos do come out of the water from time to time and always take the same path, there and back, and will NOT stop for anyone in their way.