Lake Naivasha

Highlights

• Boat trips among hippo and pelicans, with fish eagles that will take a fish on cue
• Crescent Island, one of the few places in Kenya you can walk unguarded among giraffe, zebra and antelope
• Hell's Gate National Park, where you can cycle between cliffs and through the gorge rather than drive
• Lake Oloiden and the smaller crater lakes nearby, quieter and good for birdlife
• Easy, short-notice escape from Nairobi — under two hours when the road is kind

Getting around

• A straightforward drive from Nairobi, roughly ninety minutes to two hours.
• A car is useful for reaching Hell's Gate, the crater lakes and lakeside properties.
• Boat trips are arranged through your stay or at the landing beaches.
• Bicycles can be hired at the Hell's Gate gate itself.

Good to know

• Two to three nights, or a comfortable weekend from Nairobi.
• Hippo come out of the water to graze after dark. Take the lodge's advice about walking at night seriously.
• Hell's Gate is best in the morning, before the heat builds in the gorge.
• Flash flooding in the gorge has caused fatalities in the past — do not enter it against guide advice.

Hippo are the real hazard here, not the big cats — they leave the water at night and are dangerous if you get between them and the lake. Follow lodge guidance after dark, and never enter Hell's Gate gorge when rain is forecast upstream.