Planning a safari trip or tour to Lake Naivasha National Park? If yes, you need to ask yourself one fundamental question; “What is Lake Naivasha known for?” In short, what are those things you must do at Lake Naivasha that will make my Safari trip the most interesting? Answers to these questions you will ensure you prioritize what to see while at the park, the activities to engage in and helps you avoid wasting time on non – important things when great things await you.
A thorough research has resulted into 6 best of these things which you must never miss while at Lake Naivasha and this is the main reason you landed on this page.
Table of Contents
Introduction to the Park
Lake Naivasha National Park is located within the Great Rift Valley of Kenya. The name is derived from a Maasai name enaiposha which means “heaving” or simply “rough waters” as stated by this Naivasha Wikipedia article. The park is located about 90 kilometers northwest of the capital of Kenya, Nairobi. It is an absolute natural wonder of the world rich in a tranquil atmosphere, scenic beauty, and great biodiversity.
The lake is great to visit for nature lovers and animal enthusiasts seeking an escape from normal urban life. It has a unique ecosystem and that’s why it’s considered one of the places people should visit in their lifetime. It is a freshwater lake with lots of fish and abundant wildlife that thrive in this ecosystem.
In this post, we will dive in, list and elaborate the 6 Best Unmissable Things to Do at Lake Naivasha National Park while on a tour. With these, you cannot miss a Lake Naivasha National Part safari.
Lake Naivasha Depth and size Details
This lake is located about 1900 above see level and has an average of 6 meters in depth. In fact, most of the Lake is 2 to 8 meters deep. The deepest area is at Crescent island being at 30 meters. The Njorowa gorge which was once the lakes out let us know high above the lake and forms the entrance to the Hell’s Gate National Park.
This lake is about 139 square kilometers and the size does vary depending on the various seasons of the year. In the rain seasons when there is a lot of water, it does grow in size. In the dry season it gets smaller as less and less water is available.
What is Lake Naivasha known for?
It is important to note many of the Great Rift Valley lakes are salty but this one is an exception. This makes it an ideal tourist destination where tourists and travelers have a wide variety of activities to choose from while on a safari trip. It has a huge herd of hippos living in the lake. This also attracts a huge number of fishermen to the lake and fishing is a major activity at the lake.
Lake Naivasha is known for 4 major things:
- Large Flamingos population
- Large Hippos population
- Diverse wildlife
- Bird watching tourism
Activities at Lake Naivasha National Park – What to do while on tour
This section will deal one by one and in details about the 6 Best Unmissable Things to Do at Lake Naivasha National Park during your safari trip. In fact, these activities are based on the above 4 things which the lake is popular for. At a glance, these activities include:
- Fishing at the Lake
- Boat ride or Boat tour to see birds and Hippos
- A visit to Hell’s Gate National Park for hiking and rock climbing.
- Crescent Island Sanctuary tour
- Naivasha Wildlife Conservancy tour
- Enjoy resorts around Lake Naivasha
Fishing In Lake Naivasha.
The fish population in the lake has been increasing in the last 15 years. They have greatly been contributed by the global climatic changes that has been happening over the last decade. The Government has been improving the fishing efforts in the lake by introducing some new species that reproduce faster and grow faster thus the increased number of fish in the lake.
A visit at Lake Naivasha, therefore, necessitates the need to do some sport fishing at the Lake which is one of the most enjoyable activities. It is also not rare to find fishermen actually fishing at the lake for their living who you can interact with as a tourist and learn a few things about their economic activities, the lake history, and the act of fishing. While learning, you can actually fish together because they are very friendly and welcoming.
The fish species you can catch during the fishing endeavor are: cichlids, common carp, black bass, and African catfish. However, you need to know that fishing is controlled because of the earlier problem of over-fishing which brought problems in the ecosystem.
Boat ride or Boat tour to see birds and Hippos
The best way to tour the lake is on a ride in a boat around the lake. The boat ride will give you a close view of the many hippos at the lake; a boat ride will also allow you to view the many wildlife looking to quench their thirst at the lake. It is also a good way to view the many bird species that live close to the lake, especially the fish-eating birds and the flamingos. Photographers will have an easy time taking good shots from the boat and visiting the famous crescent island on the lake.
Crescent Island Sanctuary
On the eastern shore of the Lake is an excellent destination for nature lovers. This wildlife haven is home to various and diverse wildlife such as giraffes, wildebeest, Impalas, and Zebras. A walk around the Cresent Island allows a close encounter with the animals.
The Crescent Island Sanctuary is also a good place to learn about the various different species of plants. These plants species include:
- Acacia woodlands
- Bushy grasslands
- Papyrus swamps
If you are a plant lover or researcher, The Crescent Island Sanctuary is soon becoming a great place for your tours because there is an effort my the management to plant over 5000 plants and already 1000 of them have already been planted. This will become the haven of plant species when this project is successfully completed.
Hell’s Gate National Park
A short drive from Lake Naivasha is the Hell’s Gate National Park which is a blend of adventure and beauty of nature. Hell’s Gate National Park is famous for its iconic Fisher’s Tower, in addition to its great landscapes and cliffs. At Hell’s Gate, you will enjoy rock climbing, cycling, and hiking through the scenic fields.
Naivasha Wildlife Conservancy
This is one of the private conservancies in the country. This private conservancy offers nature walks, game drives, and night safaris. Night safaris are one of the best ways to watch hunters on the act as they hunt at night when its cool. It is also a conservancy for protected endangered species and plays a big role in promotion of tourism in the country.
Enjoy resorts and accommodation around Lake Naivasha
There are several resorts around Lake Naivasha which you can seek accommodation in and enjoy your vacation from. These resorts include Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort, Crescent Island Camp and Enashipai Resort and Spa. In below paragraphs, we will try delve more into each of these resorts and accommodation facilities so that when going for a safari trip in Naivasha, you can be well informed before choosing any of them.
Resorts around Lake Naivasha
The lake has a wide range of safari lodges and accommodation facilities close by. They range from luxurious resorts to budget-friendly lodges that are also comfortable. This means that all kinds of travelers are catered for the whole season you are visiting the lake. These luxury resorts and lodges will give you life time memories that you will remember for days to come.
Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort
This resort offers spacious rooms and high-quality services. It is in a beautiful environment and peaceful ambiance.
Crescent Island Camp
This is a tented camp that offers a rustic experience at Crescent Island, this camp site is next to the wildlife in their natural environment.
Enashipai Resort and Spa
This is a five-star resort offering world-class amenities to its visitors. Having won many awards for providing world class
The ideal time to visit Lake Naivasha
They are two major seasons which you can base when choosing when to visit Lake Naivasha National Park. Your ideal time to visit this Park will depend on the activities you aim to undertake or participate. Therefore, the two seasons are: Dry season and Wet season. In thee light of the above, which activities are possible in Naivasha during each of these two season? The answer if well illustrated in the below sections.
Dry season – between June and October
The best time to visit the Naivasha Lake is the dry season which is between June and October. This is a good time to watch the birds that migrate to the Lake at this time. The weather is also at its best thus allowing for hiking and game drives since there is no major rains.
Wet season – from April to June
The wet seasons which runs from from April to June are good for photographers who can have a good time photographing the green lavish vegetation. However, the constant downpour may disrupt outdoor activities at the reserve.
This Lake offers an array of activities to participate in for everyone, it should be on everyone’s bucket list.
