LAKE BARINGO

Location: 285 north of Nairobi, approx. 4 hrs.
Lake Baringo is a fresh water lake four hours drive from Nairobi in the Rift Valley. The lake area is a haven for birds and is home to over 400 species making it a must on any ornithological safari itinerary. Gibraltar Island on the lake has the largest nesting colony of Goliath Herons in East Africa.

Lake Baringo is the traditional home of the Njemps tribe, a people who are the only pastoral, cattle herding tribe who also fish. They fish for tilapia in the lake in little papyrus rafts heedless of the hippos and crocodiles that wallow in the shallows. Located at the threshold of Northern Kenya, Lake Baringo is an ideal stopover on a northern or western circuit safari and offers several places to stay either on the mainland or on the islands in the lake. Lake Baringo is a spectacular lake that changes colour throughout the day. Surrounded by volcanic ranges it is hot and sultry and the air is alive with colour and loud with the sound of bird call.

What to do: Boat rides to Ol kokwe island, home of the Njemps and Samatian Island; bird walks.