14 Superhuman Destinations Kenya Rift Valley Safari Offers

Kenya Rift Valley is the heartbeat of tourism in East Africa. You never experience the true feeling of a Kenyan safari without visiting the many travel destinations in the Rift.

Most wanderlusts who have visited this region live to tell a fairy tale of your safari to Kenya’s most scenic places. Wildlife, dramatic landscapes and cultural exploration top the list of what you experience during your safari.

How Good is Kenya Rift Valley Safari?

Some of the best wanderlust experiences you will live to talk about lie still in the Great Rift. Here are 14 amazing places within this geo-landscape that make your Kenya Rift Valley safari unforgettable.

1. Great Rift Valley Escarpment
2. Maasai Mara
3. Lake Naivasha
4. Soysambu Conservancy
5. Lake Elementaita
6. Lake Naivasha
7. Lake Nakuru
8. Lake Nakuru National Park
9. Hell’s Gate National Park
10. Mt Longonot
11. Menengai Crater
12. Kericho Tea Zone
13. Iten paragliding
14. Lake Bogoria

Let’s look at what some of the most popular travel destinations above have to offer.

The Beauty of Masai Mara

Masai Mara is a globally popular wildlife safari destination lying in the South Rift where all the wild wonders happen. The Mara ecosystem which extends to the Serengeti in Tanzania has 95 mammal species and over 500 bird species.

Elephants, lions, buffalos, rhinos and leopards – the Big Five – satisfy your curiosity of what and how they are like. Amazingly, the elephants of the Mara are lone bulls living in the riverine forests within this vast ecosystem. Although they are innately aggressive animals; some of these animals are docile. They forage near camps within the game reserve without staging any attacks on curious onlookers from these establishments.

Additionally, the annual Wildebeest Migration that starts in July to late October spans the global fame of this reserve. It is estimated that at least two million zebras, buffalos and wildebeests cross over to Tanzania from Kenya. Dubbed the Seventh Wonder in the world, the spectacle is always at the Mara River famed for its mean-looking crocodiles.

Usually, these Nile crocodiles have a four-month-long feast as these wild animals cross the river headed to the Serengeti. Moreover, Masai Mara is an incredible wildlife photography destination.

Mt Longonot

A little action spices up your travel and one of such is trekking or mountain climbing. Mt Longonot is 2,776 metres tall (9,108 ft). A physically fit person takes at least 4-6 hours to climb to the peak and enjoy the dramatic views of the geologically marvellous escarpments and valleys.

Lake Naivasha

Full boat rides at Lake Naivasha are epic. Hippos abound in this freshwater lake with a luxurious private island; Crescent Island. Waterbucks and antelopes are a common sight here.

Hell’s Gate National Park

Hell’s Gate National Park is uniquely tantalizing for travellers. You ride a mountain bike ride against a dropping scenery of volcanic action and free-moving zebras, and baboons.  Buffalos are also a common sight. Bird enthusiasts love it more at Hell’s Gate as there are over 10 bird species.

Lake Nakuru National Park

Beyond the escarpments and craters which largely define Kenya Rift Valley geology, flamingos at Lake Nakuru National Park are a marvel.  Lake Nakuru’s ecosystem is superhuman with vast bushy and wooded grasslands that support the existence of rhinos and 1.5 million flamingos.

Kericho Tea Zone

Astounding sights of brightly coloured green rolling hills usher you to Kericho tea plantations stretching far into the horizons. Kericho is cool being a highland. You may experience showers of rainfall here even during the dry months of the year; January and September.

What is the Great Rift Valley, Kenya Known for?

Awe-inspiring scenery is what the Great Rift Valley is known for. Tectonic forces on the floor of the region stirred volcanic activity resulting in the lakes found within the region and craters.

To date, these tectonic movements are active with fault lines forming from time to time in different places. However, there is much more than the geological formations. The following also add to the region’s fame.

• Maasai culture – Narok is a Maa zone and their cultural intrigues fascinate travellers
• Wildlife
• Lakes
• Five-star lodges
• Natural wonders such as the Olkaria geothermal plant at Hell’s Gate National Park
• Diatomite in Kariandusi

How Many Rift Valley Lakes are in Kenya?

There are eight lakes stretching to the farthest northern frontier of the wider Rift Valley, Turkana.  They include the following.

1. Lake Bogoria
2. Lake Baringo
3. Lake Nakuru
4. Lake Naivasha
5. Lake Turkana
6. Lake Magadi
7. Lake Logipi
8. Lake Elementaita

Conclusion

A vacation in Kenya is incomplete if you don’t visit the Great Rift Valley. It combines breathtaking scenery, wildlife, a unique tourism ecosystem and lovely lodges.