The Beauties and Wonders of Lake Naivasha

Lake Naivasha is definitely one of the places you want to visit. The fresh water lake located in the Great Rift Valley provides a scenic view, with birds and hippos graciously making their way around the deep green papyrus. This lake is surrounded by rich natural resources and very fertile soils that have made the area one of Kenya’s agricultural prime lands.

Did you know the origin of the name Lake Naivasha? Well, this lake can grow rough when afternoon winds blow over it producing high waves. Because of this, the local Maasai community called it “Naiposha” which means “the rough waters.” Foreign communities, not able to pronounce the word correctly, later misspelled it and it became “Naivasha.”

If you visit the lake and see how expansive it is, you may think that it is a natural beauty that has always existed here. However, at the start of the 20^th century, Lake Naivasha had dried up and completely disappeared. The resultant land was settled upon and farms and estates were established. A few years later, there were heavy rains, so heavy that the depression collected enough water to re-establish the lake. The farm lands and estates that had been developed on the land were submerged.

Today, Lake Naivasha is approximately 13 km wide, occupying a space of between 114 and 991 square kilometres. It shrinks considerably during the dry seasons giving the local community a window period during which they establish makeshift farms on the fertile grounds. It attains its maximum area between March and April during the long rains.

Much of the Naivasha Lake is surrounded by the yellow barked acacia trees. This creates a haven for bird viewing, with visitors coming from all over the world to catch a glimpse of the various bird species that found home here. The natural environment here has attracted a range of wild animals. During the day, you will enjoy seeing Maasai giraffes feeding atop the tall acacia trees, water bucks, Zebras and impalas grazing on the soft green grass and the black buffaloes wallowing in the muddy marshland. The large hippos will be peacefully resting in the shallows and occasionally blowing a spray of water that could go up to 2 meters high.

Not very far from Lake Naivasha, there are other two small lakes. The Oloidien Lake is said to have initially been a part of the larger Naivasha Lake but broke away as the lake shrunk. It is a salty lake that is occasionally home to the red flamingos. There are about four known hippo families living here. A few kilometres from Oloidien lies a bright green crater lake called Sonachi. The Hell’s Gate National Park is also less than 10 km from Lake Naivasha. This is where to go if you want to enjoy wild walking, biking or rock climbing. You would want to experience its gigantic red cliffs between which there are active steam vents and springs of hot water.

It is easy to get around the Naivasha Lake since most facilities such as lodges and camp sites for visitors are outstanding and well accessible from the main road. However, to get the most out of your visit to Lake Naivasha, get directed to the best hotels and parks and get a comfortable ride around all interesting areas, you may need the services of a well informed tour guide.