Lake Baringo

Four and a half hour's drive from Nairobi, in the heart of Kenya's Great Rift Valley, lies Lake Baringo on the threshold of Kenya’s Northern Deserts. The orange-brown waters of the lake and dramatic rocky surroundings provide one of Kenya’s most stunning areas. Baringo is home to an unparalleled variety of birds and some unusual wild creatures. While you may not encounter all of Baringo’s 450 bird species, you’re likely to spot herons, storks, hornbills and fish eagles around the lake, while in the camp, you can enjoy the colourful array of weavers, starlings and sunbirds.

At night you can experience the thrill of seeing or hearing hippos, sometimes with young, grazing on the lawns and returning to the water by day. Meanwhile on the lakeshore, the logs floating by are often slumbering crocodiles! Around the camp live a variety of smaller creatures including genet cats, monitor lizards and tortoises.

Daily walks are conducted by well-informed, resident guides. There are a number of options: inland, beneath the rocky basalt cliffs, to see bristle-crowned starlings, brown-tailed rock chats, Hemprich’s and Jackson’s hornbills; bay walks offer the chance to see Lichtenstein’s sandgrouse, nightjars, Heuglin’s courser, spotted thicknee and various owls. The guides on these walks will often also be able to show you scorpions and carpet vipers.

Boat trips around the lake can also be taken when it is possible to meet the local fishermen and buy some of their catch for your guide to feed the resident fish eagles. The boat trips also get you close to hippos and a range of birdlife.

Some years ago the lake level rose significantly and took away much of the shoreline and a lot of infrastructure, including some lodges and buildings which means Baringo is not as popular a destination as it once was but it is still a great destination for bird enthusiasts.