The Rift Valley is a fantastic place full of volcanoes, lakes, ancient granitic hills, flat desert landscapes, and coral reefs and islets that will make you see Kenya like you have never seen it before: as a unique place on the planet.
Originally called the ‘Great Rift Valley’ by British explorer John Walter Gregory, the Rift Valley is a geographical stretch that is more than 64 km wide and 6000 km deep, running across the Middle East and Africa, from Jordan to Mozambique.
When you walk through the place, the ground disappears unexpectedly, showing how expansive the crack is, and extending thousands of kilometers in any direction. When you start the adventure in this unique place, you will find Nairobi, sitting in the cold highlands on the eastern edge of the valley.
Then you will descend the steep Kikuyu, beginning in the remote north, and here the first lake you will see is Turkana. Sometimes known as the Jade Sea, it is found in a land that resembles the moon more than the planet Earth, harboring a great variety of incredibly resilient and rarely visited forms of life. Lake Turkana is the largest desert lake of the world, and is home to the largest population of Nile crocodiles in Africa, taking them directly to Lake Nakuru.
Further south, you will find a large number of lakes such as Baringo, Bagoria, Nakuru and Naivasha, all unique lakes, which hold an amazing amount of wildlife from Kenya.
Amazing lakes!
The Bagoria saline solution is home to huge flocks of lesser flamingos, and contains more true geysers than any other area (of the same size) in the world. In addition to around two million flamingos, the lake hosts fishing eagles, sacred ibises and hundreds of other species.
Elementaita also attracts a large number of flamingos. In the extreme south, in the arid borderlands of the Rift Valley Province, you will see the lakes Natron and Magadi, their surfaces, like those of Elementaita, look as pink as the feathers of flamingos.
Baringo is a crucial stop for migratory and Nakuru bird populations, along with their numbers of flamingos, which is why their park is one of the most popular in Kenya. Like Lake Baringo, Naivasha is a freshwater lake and supports healthy populations of hippos and about 500 species of birds. The lands from this point are exuberant and green, and you will see the forest and farms, with Mount Elgon’s snowy peak looming in the distance.
Finally, the road will take you back to the Rift Valley, and to the civilization where the landscape becomes a desert full of acacias, which can only be crossed by camel. You will also find Lodwar, the place where the detour to Lake Turkana is, the largest of the Great Rift lakes, whose absolute beauty will be engraved in your mind forever.
The lakes and rivers, together with rich volcanic soil, are the key to life in the Great Rift Valley. Onhese waters is where an astonishingly large proportion of Kenya’s wildlife defend their claim, including the black rhinoceros, the Rothschild giraffe , the greater kudu, the cheetah, and the infamous tree-climbing lion.
Whether you enjoy the exciting geothermal landscape or visit the fascinating cultures along the Great Rift Valley of Kenya, the time you spend in this beautiful place promises a world of incredible discoveries.
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