Where is Crater Lake in Naivasha?
Where is Crater Lake in Naivasha? The small private sanctuary known as Crater Lake Game Sanctuary is situated around a volcanic crater lake with breathtakingly emerald water. It is roughly 90 kilometres from Nairobi and 38 kilometres via Moi South Lake Road and 40 kilometres via Moi North Lake Road from Naivasha town. The stunning green water of the Crater Lake game sanctuary draws more flamingos, and the many wildlife that live in the different plains and woodlands that encircle the lake are also there. For all kenya safari tour visitors, the sanctuary is a great safari destination for tourist and birdwatchers, and it is appropriate to explore on foot in order to get up close to all of the animals that are there.
During a Kenya safari to the sanctuary, there is a green soda lake at the base of an extinct volcano on the western side of Lake Naivasha and north of the village of Kongoni. This lake serves as a trail for hikers along the steep to the rim of the crater, which leads to the impressive and beautiful vegetation surrounding the crater where you can observe various bird species found in the crater lake game sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to a variety of mammal species that also draw a lot of tourists, including giraffes, zebras, and other plains wildlife.
You can see the sanctuary’s usual occupants, such as giraffes, eland, baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, zebras, and buffaloes, on the walking safari. You can also continue on your walking safari to the current capacity of the stunning volcanic crater and see the green lake inside the crater. Depending on the water levels in other Rift, you can see different Valley lakes there, where you can see flamingos and a variety of other bird species. Being a crater lake, it is extremely unusual in that it has an alkaline chemistry due to the cyanobacteria, also referred to as blue-green bacteria, which are the predominant phytoplankton, which are microscopic primary producers in the water’s surface layers. Because they are unique among all bacteria in their ability to perform photosynthesis in the presence of oxygen, they received their name from the colour of their appearance, which is generated by a pigment called phycocyanin that is added to green chlorophyll. The species that the lesser flamingos primarily eat, Arthrospira fusiformis, formerly known as the spirulina, is found in the Crater Lake wildlife sanctuary. For this reason, the lesser flamingos are housed there.
Types of birds found at Crater Lake Naivasha
It is one of the birding safari destination in Naivasha with more than 170 bird species can be seen at the Crater Lake Game Sanctuary in Lake Naivasha, Kenya, a destination for birdwatchers. These include the Greater and Lesser Flamingos, Little Grebes, Cape Teal and Ruff’s, Great White Pelican, Whiskered Ter, Maribou, Grey and Black-Headed Heron, African Fish Eagle, Yellow-billed Storks, Pied Avocets, Egyptian Geese, and more. Birdwatchers can also enjoy these diverse and stunning bird species, which they should not miss on their Kenyan birding safari.
Where is Crater Lake in Naivasha?
The Crater Lake game sanctuary is located in a remote area of Kenya’s Rift Valley, with a camp situated above the lake. The Crater Lake camp provides visitors with access to the sanctuary’s hidden treasure, which is a variety of animal and bird species. It is only 1.5 hours away from downtown Nairobi. The fantastic Crater Lake Camp is well-known for being the ideal place to halt while travelling to the Maasai Mara game reserve, Nakuru, and the enchanted destination of Naivasha. With 13 tents and 4 family-style rooms, Crater Lake Camp is a tranquil lodge located inside the crater of an extinct volcano that provides a genuinely unique experience to all visitors. All of the tents are along the lakefront and have balconies, allowing guests to take in the breathtaking, unobstructed views of the volcanic lake.
A range of tourism activities are offered to visitors on safari at the Crater Lake camp, including horseback riding, bird viewing, bike riding, guided nature walks, sundowners, and night or day game drives. The 10,000-acre Crater Lake Game Sanctuary is also known for the well-known hilltop grave where Lady Diana Delamere, the tragic heroine of Happy Valley, was buried alongside her two husbands, Thomas Delamere and Gilbert Colvile. These graves can be seen during a safari to the sanctuary. On your safari, choose Crater Lake Game Sanctuary to experience Kenya’s full natural beauty.
Other Kenya safari tour places to Visit in Naivasha
Hell’s Gate National Park
Hell’s Gate, which is south of Lake Naivasha and is named after a narrow cleft in the cliffs, was once a tributary of a prehistoric lake that provided food for early humans in the Rift Valley. It boasts breathtaking scenery, including water-gouged gouges, volcanoes, bare rock towers, and wildlife, including zebras, buffalos, gazelles, and hartebeests. In addition, this park features three modest campsites and a Maasai Cultural Centre that offers information on the customs and culture of the Maasai people. Activities available to visitors at Hell’s Gate include rock climbing, mountain biking, nature walks, picnics in the park’s plains, and time spent in the natural spa. It is undoubtedly a location that you simply must see while in Naivasha.
Crescent Island
Around Lake Naivasha, Crescent Island is the deepest location, reaching a maximum depth of 30 meters (100 feet). Through the Moi South Lake Road, this park is 80 km from Nairobi and 15 minutes by boat from the shores of Lake Naivasha. While on Crescent Island, you may take nature walks and see wildlife like gazelles, giraffes, zebras, dik diks, steenboks, and impala. This park, which is home to several bird species, is also referred to as the bird sanctuary.
Lake Naivasha
A freshwater lake called Lake Naivasha is situated 93 km northwest of Nairobi. The Maasai word Nai’posha, which means “rough water,” is the source of its name due to the lake’s sporadic, unexpected storms. Lake Naivasha is considered to be the highest point in the Rift Valley. With more than 400 different species of birds and a high population of hippos, the lake is one of the best sites to tour in Naivasha. Unexpectedly, there isn’t an outlet in sight, but since it’s a freshwater lake, it’s thought to have subterranean outlets. The perennial Gilgil and Malewa rivers supply water to this lake. Sawela Lodge, Naivasha Kongoni Lodge, and Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort are among the hotels close to Lake Naivasha.
Mount Longonot
Mount Longonot is a must-see location when visiting Naivasha; it’s around 28km from Naivasha Town and 90km from Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. Mount Longonot, which rises from the Rift Valley level and offers breathtaking views all the way to the well-known Lake Naivasha, is one of the locations you notice when you drive into the Great Rift Valley. The dense forest that is located inside the mountain’s crater is one of its unusual features. Here, visitors can see buffaloes, elands, lions, leopards, bushbucks, common zebras, giraffes, and Grant’s gazelles, among other wildlife.
Lake Elementaita
The Maasai term “Muteita,” which means dusty place, is the source of the name Elementaita. This soda lake is situated between Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha in Gilgil town. This lake is well-known for its birdlife and hot springs, and it is also home to a large number of flamingos. Both pelicans and night herons fish in the reed beds along the lake. A well-liked tourist attraction next to this lake is the Kariandusi Museum.
Ol Karia
Olkaria, the first of its kind in Africa, is the ultimate destination for revellers, away from the bustle of the city. It is situated in the Great Rift Valley, directly in the centre of Hell’s Gate National Park, south of Lake Naivasha. It is well-known for its geothermal spa, which offers recreational and therapeutic swimming with its Blue Lagoons with naturally heated water, the pools having water with temperatures ranging from 30°c to 40°c. The breathtaking scenery creates a memorable experience.
