Lake Baringo

This is one of the fresh water lakes in the Great Rift valley. It provides sanctuary to hippopotamus and crocodile and it is a birder’s paradise. Many of the species here are unique to the area. The area has two major ornithological attractions, the escapement west of Kampi ya Samaki which is the home of Verreaux eagle, bristle-crowned starlings and Hemp Ricks hornbill, and the Gibraltar Island in the centre of the lake, an extinct volcano rising 50 meters above the lake. It has deposits of sulphur and hot water springs.

A small tribe called the Njemps occupy the south and west shores of the lake and one of the activities for visitors to lake Baringo is a visit to their villages for an insight into their ways of life. Although they are somehow related to both the Masai and the Samburu, the Njemps, unlike their counterparts, have become expert fishermen and fish is a major part of their diet. Interestingly, to the Masai and the Samburu as well, eating fish is almost a taboo.

A boat ride on the lake takes you closer to the schools of hippo and bird colonies and gives you a chance to see the Njemps fishing for Tilapia and crocodiles.