Lake Naivasha

I spent over three weeks by the lake. It was the perfect place for me to complete all the necessary preparations for finally posting my blog online. Between writing the stories and designing the blog, I also had time to visit nice places around the lake and here are my tips:

Accommodation

🌿  Fisherman’s camp– This was the perfect option for me. I was staying in the lower camp just by the lake, in a nice little cabin. You can also rent a tent or come with your own. The restaurant is very pleasant with great food and friendly staff. They really made me feel at home. There is also the upper camp – cheaper, beautiful and peaceful, just not on the lake shore. At dusk, the electric fence that prevents the hippos from entering the campsite is activated. It is very advisable to obey the instructions and not walk after dark. You can stay in a restaurant and they will drive you back to the campsite when you’re ready to leave. Why? An angry/ surprised/ frightened hippopotamus can kill you. It’s that simple. We are just another animal among all animals when in the wild!

🌿 Jasmine house – A truly gorgeous house for rent. Located just between the campground and the restaurant of Fisherman’s Camp. Agnes is managing both the house and the restaurant and is doing a wonderful job in both. The house is beautifully designed, and from experience Agnes will make sure you are comfortable. Highly recommended!
Book in advance. The house is in serious demand. Contact here.

🌿 In the immediate vicinity – next to Fisherman’s there’s the beautiful and more expensive Carnelley’s camp, and about 300 meters down the road in the nearby village there is a cheap local hotel.

🌿 Aloepark hotel in Naivasha Town- a small and beautiful hotel with a particularly charming staff. The whole place is covered with gorgeous wall paintings, my room was very comfortable and the food is very generous and delicious. I hope to come visit again!

Special thanks to Effie Bar from Plankton Tours for the accommodation tips! You nailed it.

Naivasha Town

More in Naivasha town:

🌿 Naivas supermarket– large well equipped.

🌿 Taxi driver that took me around- Kevin- nice reliable and a fluent English speaker – +254111242616

🌿 Short walks– it’s a walking distance from town to the lake shore just across the main road – you can walk independently among the animals, an exciting experience in itself (just remember to stay away from the buffaloes, and don’t get close to the water where the hippos stay during the day – real danger of well, dying). Read about my walk here.

Restaurants

🌿 Fisherman Camp’s Restaurant– Loved it. Spent my time working on the balcony… Strong wifi, delicious food, reasonable tourist prices.

🌿 Carnelley’s camp restaurant – beautifully decorated and excellent food. Expensive tourist prices.

🌿 Matteo’s– A delicious Italian restaurant. I came on my birthday and had the best tiramisu cake since arriving in East Africa. On south lake road, close to Sanctuary farm.

Places I enjoyed

There’s a lot more to see of course, I’m sharing my personal choices.

🌿 Hell’s gate– The Massai named this national park due to steam bursts they witnessed, as the whole area is volcanic, and in the central rift valley.
It’s a beautiful park, with no predators (there are leopards and hyenas in the area but they roam at night). This means it’s possible to walk or cycle the park. Important tip: non-predatory animals are not necessarily harmless. An incident with the buffaloes taught me this lesson…
In the park area there is also a camping area – without any facilities, without water. You can get there by car with all your camping equipment.

🌿 Crescent island– A crescent-shaped island in Naivasha lake. A beautiful walk in nature with wild animals. There are no predators on the island so you can walk safely. The animals themselves are also particularly peaceful for the same reason. It was about a 40-minute ride on the boat from Fisherman’s Camp, and on the way back, stirring close to the lake’s shores, we got to see plenty of birds and some hippos. It was a wonderful experience. There are boats that offer the trip to the island from any hotel around the lake. If you are travelling on a limited budget it’s better to take a ten-minute boat ride from Sanctuary farm, the closest point to the island. You can get there on the local matatus.

🌿 Elsamere– “Born free”- even if you never heard about the book/ movie, maybe you heard of Elsa the lioness. This is a fascinating story about an extraordinary couple. Joy Adamson, a painter who documented Kenyan tribes understanding that traditional wear would slowly disappear, and George Adamson, who dedicated his life to the conservation of Kenya’s wildlife, and especially lions.
Elsa was a lion cub taken in by the couple and released over time back in the wild. The couple continued to visit her and the connection between her and Joy was especially strong and unique. They named their house after her, Elsamere.
Their home was since turned into an educational center, a museum, a lodge and a restaurant, and even includes a small rehabilitation center of birds of prey. The proceeds are dedicated to the conservation of Kenya’s wildlife.
I spent an enjoyable afternoon there. My ticket included a visit to everything the place has to offer, including a short documentary about the couple’s fascinating lives, and a nice lunch. If you get lucky you might even see zebras or giraffes roaming around!

🌿 Kilimandege sanctuary– the visit to this bird of prey sanctuary was a real treat. Our guide and the birds caretaker was Jonathan, a young Turkana, who has always loved birds and managed to find his way to the center and get a job there. He knows each and every bird by their names, and has formed loving relationships with them.
Each bird that has a chance to go back to nature is released, some stay but their off springs are set free. We only entered two cages where the birds don’t mind visitors. Phil the young playful Verreaux’s eagle owl, and the vultures cage. For a visit call / WhatsApp ahead. +254724332792

🌿 You will easily find all the places I’ve mentioned on Google Map 🌿

🌿🌿🌿 Enjoy and try more of my travel tips!