Best & Fun Excursions, Day Trips, Tours, Safaris, Activities & Things to Do in and from Great Rift Valley Lakes Region with Adeli Kenya Safaris:
Naivasha, nestled in the Great Rift Valley, offers a diverse range of activities that cater to nature lovers, adventure seekers, and those looking for a relaxing escape. Here are some of the best things to do in Naivasha:
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- Watch the rose pink flamingos at Lake Nakuru National Park- Lake Nakuru National Park is one of the best places to see flamingos. Keep in mind that flooding affects flamingos and forces them to migrate elsewhere.
- Boat safari at Lake Naivasha– Lake Naivasha is a birdwatcher’s paradise. A boat safari will let you see the region’s birdlife including ducks, African fish eagles and Palearctic waders.
- LAKE ELEMENTAITA SHORE – WALKING SAFARI, GUIDED (1 – 2 hours) Nature trail, view different species of trees and birds.
- SLEEPING WARRIOR WALKING SAFARI (GUIDED CRATER WALK 3 – 4 HOURS: Climb the extinct volcano, walk half way around the crater rim, viewing different species of trees, birds and other wild animals.
- KILIMA HIKE (GUIDED 3 – 4 HOURS HIKING) START FROM THE LODGE: CLIMB up the hill up to the summit and enjoy a fantastic view of the Rift Valley and Lake Elementaita.
- LAKE NAIVASHA BOAT SAFARI: Enjoy a boat safari with an experienced local guide, spot big families of hippos and a big diversity of flora and fauna (approx. 1 hour)
- CRESCENT ISLAND WALKING SAFARI: Walk among wild animals (no predators) with a local guide. A part of the movie “Out of Africa” was filmed here.
- LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL: Known as the “bird watchers paradise”, visitors can enjoy the wide ecological diversity and varied habitats. Lots of black and white rhinos, buffalos, endangered Rothschild’s giraffe, flamingos and with some luck even lions and leopards can be seen!
- SOYSAMBU CONSERVANCY : Located on Lake Elementaita (neighboring Sunbird Lodge), Soysambu Conservancy is home to more than 450 bird species and 10,000 mammals of over 50 species including 90+ Rothschild’s Giraffe (10% of the world’s population of this endangered species).
- HELLS GATE NATIONAL PARK: Spectacular scenery including the towering cliffs, water-gouged gorges, stark rock towers etc. make it one of the most atmospheric Parks in Africa. Hell’s Gate is an ideal venue for a day trip from the Lodge.
- LONGONOT HIKE: A 3.1 km trail runs from the park entrance up to the crater rim, and continues in a 7.2 km loop encircling the crater. The whole tour (gatearound the rim-gate) of 13.5 km takes about 4 – 5 hours allowing for necessary rest breaks – parts of the trail are heavily eroded and very steep. The gate is around 2150 m and the peak at 2780 m.
- EXCURSION TO ABERDARE NATIONAL PARK: Picturesque, steep forested ravines and open moorland characterize the Aberdare National Park. The park provides a habitat for elephants, black rhinos, leopards, spotted hyenas, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, buffalos, warthogs and bushbucks among others. Visitors can indulge in picnics, trout fishing in the rivers and camping in the moorlands. Bird viewing is rewarding, with over 250 species of birds in the park.
- CAMEL RIDES START WITH LUNCH AT SUNBIRD LODGE: Leave your car parked and ride into the Soysambu Conservancy for 2 nights with camels & camping and finish with lunch at Sunbird Lodge.
- Horse Riding (Flamingo Soysambu Horse Stables: A guided horseback riding along the shore of Lake Elementaita and view birds and other wild animals in a scenic landscape.
- Kariandusi Prehistoric Site and Museum: Discover the remains of the early man (homo erectus), stone tools and enjoy a guided nature walk.
- Hyrax Hill Prehistoric Site and Museum: Located within Nakuru town, Hyrax Hill Museum depicts the lifestyle of seasonal settlement by prehistoric people at least 3,000 years old. A small museum was opened here where artifacts from the Hyrax Hill site and other sites in the Central Rift Valley are displayed.
- Menengai Crater: A massive shield volcano with one of the biggest calderas in the world. It is the largest in Kenya and the second largest Africa. Farmland occupies its flanks. The volcano formed about 200,000 years ago.
- Excursion to the Equator (near Subukia) On route to the equator have a short visit at a small tea and coffee plantation. Learn and discover, how tea is harvested and processed. At the equator experience the Coriolis force and if you wish you can purchase an equator certificate. Tipp: combine with Thomson’s Falls. Self-drive No guide from the Lodge.
- Excursion to Thomson’s Falls Thomson’s Falls is a 74 m scenic waterfall, which drains from the Aberdare Mountain Range. It is situated two miles from the town of Nyahururu, at 2,360 m elevation.
- Excursion to Lake Bogoria Lake Bogoria is a saline, alkaline lake that lies in a volcanic region south of Lake Baringo, a bit north of the equator and is home at times to one of the world’s largest populations of lesser flamingos. Self-drive No guide from the Lodge.
- Excursion to Lake Baringo Lake Baringo is, after Lake Turkana, the most northern of the Kenyan Rift Valley lakes, with a surface area of about 130 square kilometers and an elevation of about 970 meters. The lake is fed by several rivers and has no obvious outlet. The waters are assumed to seep through lake sediments into the faulted volcanic bedrock. It is one of the two freshwater lakes in the Rift Valley, the other being Lake Naivasha. It lies off the beaten track in a hot and dusty setting and over 470 species of birds have been recorded there, occasionally including migrating flamingos. Self-drive No guide from the Lodge.
- Lake Oloiden:This is one of the least popular tourist attraction sites around Naivasha, the most striking feature at Oloiden is its Flamingoes. Oloiden is also home to Kenya’s largest flower farms, tourist visiting this place can enjoy a boat ride and camp at OLoiden Camping Site a serene escape.
- Crater Lake: The Crater Lake is a green soda lake at the bottom of an extinct volcano on the western side of Lake Naivasha and north of the village of Kongoni, it is located 10 kilometers from Naivasha town and about 90 km from Nairobi. This Lake lies within a private game sanctuary with spectacular green water. The lake attracts many flamingo, and the surrounding forests and plains have plenty of game (birds, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes and elands.). It is a good place to explore on foot as it has nature trails the vegetation around the crater.
- Mount Longonot: About 90km from Kenya’s Capital Nairobi and 28km from Naivasha Town, Mount Longonot is one place you wouldn’t want to miss on your visit to Naivasha. Mt. Longonot is one of the places you see when driving into the Great Rift Valley as it rises from the floor of the Rift Valley and provides great views all the way to the famous Lake Naivasha. One unique feature about this mountain is the thick forest that lies within the crater of the Mountain. While here tourists can enjoy game viewing such as buffaloes, elands, lion, leopard, bushbucks, common zebra, giraffe and Grant’s gazelles.
- Lake Elementaita: Elementaita is derived from the Maasai name “Muteita” meaning dusty place. This soda lake is located in Gilgil town between Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha. This lake is popular for its hot springs and birdlife, it is also home to a sizable population of flamingoes. The reed beds near the lake are fishing grounds for night herons and pelicans. A popular tourist destination near this lake is the kariandusi Museum.
- Ol Karia: Olkaria is located to the south of Lake Naivasha in the Great Rift Valley right at the heart of Hell’s gate National Park. It is popular for its geothermal spa which offers recreational and therapeutic swimming with its Blue Lagoons with naturally heated water, the pools have water with temperatures ranging from 30°c to 40°c. It is the first of its kind in Africa. This is the ultimate destination for revelers, away from the hustle and bustles of the city. The breath-taking scenery creates a memorable experience.
- Kigio Wildlife Conservancy. Kigio is wildlife conservancy center protected by the local community. It is located near Gilgil in the Great Rif Valley. This conservancy center contains diverse habitat of indigenous plant species, it is also home to over three hundred bird species including what is said to be the world’s largest population of grey-crested helmetshrikes. Besides the birds and plants, this is one place that hosts several wildlife including African buffalo, common eland, impala, waterbuck, hippopotamus, caracal, and other species of gazelle.
- Sanctuary Horseback Safaris: This is a 500 acre spot located on the shores of the fresh water Lake Naivasha. Sanctuary Farm is the perfect place to use as a base for climbing Mt Longonot, rock climbing & gorge walking in Hell’s Gate, game viewing in Nakuru National Park. While at this farm tourist can relax around the beautiful swimming pool and watch game grazing. Activities such as horse riding, bird watching, and cycling are on site. It is a perfect getaway from the hustle and tassel of the city life.
- Mountain biking in Naivasha- Get to know a part of the Great Rift Valley by mountain biking near Lake Naivasha. Camps and lodges rent bikes.
- Take hot spring in Lake Bogoria– Lake Bogoria offers visitors a spectacular show of hot springs and geysers in action. Watch them shoot towards the sky in a cloud of steam.
- Rock climbing, Fischer’s Tower at Hell’s Gate National Park- Give yourself a thrilling workout by rock climbing your way to Fischer’s Tower. You’ll be rewarded with unforgettable views.
- Biking on Ngong Hills- Ngong Hills overlook both the Great Rift Valley and Nairobi National Park. Bike through Kibiku Forest all the way to the windmills up top.
- Step into the land of giants at Amboseli National Park: The 392sq km (151sq mile) Amboseli National Park lies at the base of snow-capped Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. Wildlife includes lion, cheetah, wildebeest, hippo and gazelle, but the park is most famous for the large herds of elephant attracted by the perennial swamps. Bird-watching is popular, and visitors can learn about the local Maasai people through homestead visits.
- Camping near Menengai Crater- The Menengai Crater is a huge extinct volcano steeped in spooky legends. Camp here and listen to fascinating folklore and history.
