This trip came all of a sudden. If you follow my blog, then you also may know that I work for the travel industry, and this trip to Kenya came as one of those office trips which I will not forget for a very long time. It was an all-organized and sponsored trip by our partner and my office. I was accompanied by 3 other colleagues, so none of the travel criteria did this trip live up to… but still, it was a memorable trip… and surely I should share my experience of whatever little we managed to see in between our work… the only thing I won’t be able to help you much with is cost bifurcation as I do in my other travel plans… but will try as much as I can.
Kenya Travel || African wildlife || travelling to Africa || Elementaita, Nakuru, naivasha, Kenya || Sponsored Trip || Kenyan Wildlife || Wildlife conservancies, Kenya|| Where to go in Kenya || Places to Visit in Kenya ||What to see in Kenya
After Mt Kenya, our next stop was Naivasha, where we stayed for the night but before that, we took a small trip to Elementaita. I will be covering all Elementaita, Nakuru and Naivasha in one post, as people get confused about these places and aren’t able to decide where to go.. hope this post will help you in decision-making!!
Elementaita and Nakuru are close to each other, Takes about 3.5-4 hours to reach from Mt. Kenya; then Naivasha is about an hour’s distance from here.
SO, What are these places all about?
All these 3 places have lakes, they are famous for their lakes, which means beautiful sunset, sunrise; then there’s wildlife, more of benign wildlife.. but there is and ‘the’ nature of course.
There are boat rides available on the lakes, you get to see beautiful birds here.. but there’s a major difference..
Elementaita and Nakuru are saltwater lakes. You find Flamingos in saltwater lakes. Whereas Naivasha is a freshwater lake, you get to spot hippos here.. Hippopotamus never stay on salt water, they only stay on fresh water.
Whether to Choose Elementaita/ Nakuru/ Naivasha?
SO if you want to spot Flamingoes (which you should as I know how it felt when we saw them), choose between Elementaita or Nakuru, on the other side, if you want to spot Hippo, then it has to be Naivasha. Or you may stay at both places.
Duration:
You may spend 1 night each in Elementaita OR Nakuru & Naivasha. But if you ask me, if you want to choose both types of lakes, then better stay 2 nights each in all these places.
Now, you may go for a day excursion, say from Elementaita to Naivasha or vice versa (in that case carry a picnic lunch/ packed lunch).. from Elementaita to Nakuru or vice versa you may come back by lunch.
Also, one more thing is, in most of the cases the properties start their meal with lunch as mostly tourists check out post breakfast.
Activities:
Let’s start with Elementaita. There are many other things to see.. deers, bucks, zebras, buffalos, birds.. but what will take all your attention will be the flamingos.
We had first seen them from the property we were having our lunch at. There was a long stretched parallel line of PINK shadow on the crystal blue water.. that was formed by the flamingos .. it was a sight to watch, behold, never turn your eyes back from them.. it seemed so heavenly.. trust me.. you can’t ignore them.
SO we were advised to go to the lake straight away and see them from a close proximity.. from one end of the lake to the other all you could see was a pink straight line on the blue water.. I know I am repeating.. but you can’t ignore it.. I still can see the scene in front of me as I am writing.. Some God’s creation!!
Then comes Naivasha.. HIPOOSS… they are all over the lake throughout the day, in the evening they are out on the land.. on the same land where all properties are built by the lake.. now do you calculation..
In the evening you see the hippos mooching around your properties and the security team is keeping them at bay, for tourists’ safety. Even after 9 pm, all hotels ask you not to come out of the room and securities are watching over throughout the night. SO your security is well promised as long as you too abide by the property rules.
What else.. in the morning, you may take a boat tour on the lake, doing hippo spotting, OR you may go to Crescent Island right opposite the lake. You can do a walk-in safari there, spotting zebras, bucks, giraffes, birds etc. Be within in nature, carry a picnic lunch with you.. spend the day, be back before sunset.. what else can you ask for??
Where to stay:
- Elelmentaita: Serena tented camp/ Sentrim are some great options.
- Nakuru: Sarova is a great option
- Naivasha: Country Club, Sopa, Simba are super good options by the lake. They are located on the same line, about 5 minutes’ driving distance from each other.
These are all by the lake.
Lakes done, now the best part of Kenya is to come.. Gear up.. as I will be sharing what Kenya is known for…
TurtleGotWings 