Travel With Tamara | Experience the Lakes of the Great Rift Valley

Drive around Lake Nakuru

Kenya’s most famous experience is surely safari, but have you considered visiting the little yet lovely Lake Nakuru National Park. On the floor of the majestic Rift Valley, this national park has everything you could wish for. Easy to navigate in your own vehicle and little visited by tourists, Nakuru offers a truly private game viewing experience. Bring a tent and camp or stay at one of the lodges around the park’s perimeter.

At only 188km², the park is one of Kenya’s smallest; however, the experience it offers is up there with the best. Nakuru’s flamingo-filled lake lies at its heart. Around this lake is an ecosystem of astonishing diversity. Both sides of the lake are lined with escarpments that rear from the valley whose peaks provide sweeping views over the lake and beyond. To the southern end of the lake is the grassy savannah for which Kenya is renowned, filled with grazing eland, hartebeest, impala and rhinos. Beyond the plains, set into forested cliffs, is Makalia Falls, a spray of water that plunges into a rockpool alive with birds.

According to the Kenya Wildlife Service, the park is home to 56 species of animals, 450 species of birds and 550 different plant species. Take your time to find them all, spending a whole day circumnavigating the lake. The park, filled with hidden gems, will make you want to stop often. Start at dawn for sunrise over the lake; take a picnic for a long lazy lunch at one of the picnic sites high on the cliffs; pack plenty of drinks so you can enjoy sundowners at one of the viewpoints; and cruise back to your lodge or campsite as the sun turns the lake a vivid red.

At only a couple of hours’ drive from Nairobi, this park with good roads and clear signs is a delight. And the varied landscape, stunning views and wealth of wildlife make it an ideal destination for your next trip out of town.

Take a boat to Ruko Community Conservancy

As you gaze across the gleaming waters of Lake Baringo you might see, far in the distance, a small island. Not only home to endangered Rothschild giraffes, Ruko Community Conservancy holds the key to peace in the region.

Lake Baringo, one of only two of Kenya’s fresh water Rift Valley lakes, has a surface area of 130km². The lake is home to over 470 species of birds and made the Guinness Book of Records for recording the highest number of bird species seen in 24 hours in 1986 – a record that remains unbroken. The lake has several islands – one of which boasts Ruko Community Conservancy.

The Il Chamus and Pokot peoples had been in conflict for many years when, in 2006, their elders came up with a plan. With the help of the Northern Rangelands Trust, a consortium of community conservancies, they decided to form a conservancy. Unperturbed by the lack of animals on the island, they brought eight Rothschild giraffes by boat. Although this species of giraffe is endemic to the area and was once widespread, it had been obliterated by the conflict. It’s estimated that the population of Rothschild giraffes has dropped to fewer than 670 of which around 40% are in Kenya and 60% in Uganda. This valiant effort reintroduced the species to the land of its home.

The peacemakers formed a team of rangers from both tribes. They named the conservancy Ruko, an amalgamation of the names of the two areas: Rugus and Komolion. Visit this exciting conservation project and you can take boat trips on the lake, go bird watching and explore the island. The small fee you pay to the conservancy goes to a good cause, being split between conservation programmes and community projects like education and healthcare.

The joy starts when you step from the mainland onto a boat and chug gently across the luminous lake. Your heart will truly lift when you reach the island and see these giraffes that not only stand for the preservation of a species but also symbolise peace in the area.