Breathtaking natural scenery combines with some of Africa’s most memorable wildlife at the Great Rift Valley, a highlight of any trip to Kenya. A remarkable geological feature, it is for the most part cool and calm, swathed in forest and watered by moody mineral lakes that blanch and blush with the movements of pelicans and flamingos.

Home to some of the most dramatic scenery on earth, the Great Rift Valley is made up of eight lakes (Turkana, Logipi, Baringo, Bogoria, Nakuru, Elementita, Naivasha, Magadi) which together form this extraordinary corner of the continent.

Top 5 Things to do at the Great Rift Valley Lakes

1. Visit Hells Gate and cycle past grazing zebras, giraffes, impalas and buffaloes, or you could hike the gorge or climb Fischer’s Tower.

2. Go on a bird walk. This is a good area for bird watchers due to a string of alkaline lakes which attract flamingoes, pelicans, and many other species to the scenic valley.

3. Stay a night in Lake Nakuru National Park and enjoy its lovely-fever tree lined lake shore and almost guaranteed rhino sightings.

4. Climb the extinct volcano of Mount Longonot for breathtaking views into its crater, or explore the fabulous caves of Mount Suswa, which has the third largest caldera in the world.

5. Be adventurous and fly by helicopter up the Suguta Valley, or visit the early man archaeological sites near Lake Turkana.