The story of Lake Naivasha is one of mixed fortune. In the past century alone it has dried up completely, effectively disappearing, then returned to existence through heavy rainfall, has been used for irrigation for local flower farms and had encountered problems from pesticide and fertiliser seepage. It has even faced ecological interference from a breed of large aquatic rodent, the coypu, which originally escaped from a nearby fur farm!
In response to such issues, this national park has since been declared a Ramsar site (wetlands of international importance for migratory wildfowl), and is the focus of various initiatives such as the Lake Naivasha Riparia Association and the Elsamere Conservation Centre. With this help, the Lake is now thriving, and draws visitors from all over the world, as well as locals from Nairobi in search of a bit of peace!
The Masai people have long deemed the Naivasha area to be prime grazing land, and the name Naivasha itself is actually a misspelling of the Masai name Nai'posha, meaning "rough water," a reference to the strong winds which can stir up the lake's waters in the afternoons. This shallow freshwater lake is 12km across, fringed by feathery papyrus and yellow-barked acacia, and surrounded by marsh and lagoons.
The very fact that this particular body of water is one of only two freshwater lakes in the Rift Valley group means it attracts various birds of prey with its many fish. The magnificent Fish Eagle can be spotted swooping from the highest treetops to snatch a fish from the lake, or even from the beak of another unfortunate bird! You'll certainly remember the shrill, haunting territorial call of this powerful predator. Another common sight is of a Great White Pelican diving below the lake's surface to emerge moments later with a bucket-like billfull of fish. You might even see a bright and showy Pied Kingfisher!
The forests in particular are a hive of activity for hundreds of other bird species, such as the grey-capped warbler, spectacled weaver and the red-billed firefinch. This truly is a haven for bird lovers. And for the rest of you, there are the striking black and white colobus monkeys swinging from the treetops, giraffe picking the choicest leaves from the tallest branches, and solid, stoic buffalo wallowing in the swamps.
Within the park are a couple of separate sanctuaries which are well worth a visit. The Crater Lake Game Sanctuary is a volcanic crater lake situated in the eastern side of the park. In this tiny park dwell over 150 bird species, plus gazelle and zebra, and the buffaloes lurking in the woods will only make a walking or horse-riding safari there even more exciting! The Crescent Island Wildlife Sanctuary, lying in the western part of the lake itself, is a great place to organise a boat trip, where you can watch hippos lazing in the water and marsh. Do remember to keep a respectful distance! Or, you could simply wander amongst the acacias, spotting giraffe and waterbuck. Watch out for the huge pythons though!
Naivasha is accessible by main road, and is just over an hour's drive away from Nairobi, and you tour operator should be able to arrange a transfer for you. The climate in this part of Kenya is generally gentle, rarely surpassing 28 degrees Celsius, and the rainy seasons are from March to end of May, and October to the end of November.
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