Up The Rift Valley
Lake Naivasha
Lake Naivasha, Located 55 Miles (89 Km) Northwest Ofnairobi, Is A Freshwater Lake Prolific In Birdlife And A Favorite Spot For Picnics And Water Sports For Nairobi Residents.
Take A Boat Ride To Crescent Island And Walk Around This Game And Bird Sanctuary, Which Is Host To Zebra, Giraffe, Several Antelope Species, And A Few Camels.
Accommodation - Class B: * Lake Naivasha Country Club Is A Beautifully Landscaped Hotel With 51 Rooms With Private Facilities, Swimming Pool And Golf Course. A Special Sunday Afternoon Tea Is Served.
Class B/C: * Longonot Game Ranch Has Three Double Rooms With Ensuite Facilities. Horseback Riding Is The Main Attraction.
Class C: * Safariland Club Has 56 Rooms With Ensuite Facili¬ties And Swimming Pool. Horseback Riding Is Available.
Camping: Campsites Are Available At The Safariland Lodge And Fisherman’s Camp.
Lake Nakuru National Park.
Lake Nakuru National Park Encompasses The Alkaline Lake Of The Same Name And Is Frequently Visited By Hundreds Of Thousands (Sometimes More Than A Million) Of Greater And Lesser Flamingos — More Than 400 Bird Species In All. Located 100 Miles (160 Km) Northwest Of Nairobi On A Fair Road, The Park Covers 73 Square Miles (188 Km2)—Most Of Which Is The Lake Itself.
Nakuru Has Been Declared A Black Rhino Sanctuary And Has A Number Of These Endangered Animals Under Guard. Other Wildlife Includes Leopard, Rothschild’s Giraffe (Introduced), Waterbuck, Reedbuck, Hippo, Baboon, Pelican, And Cormorant.
Accommodation - Class C: * Sarova Lion Hill Lodge Is Located In The Park And Has Air-Conditioned Cottages (150 Beds Total) With Ensuite Facilities And Swimming Pool.
Camping: Camp Sites With Running Water Are Available In The Park-
Nyahururu (Thompson’s) Falls
Thompson’s Falls, Located At 7745 Feet (2360 M) Altitude About 115 Miles (185 Km) From Nairobi, Above The Rift Valley Between Nanyuki And Nakuru, Is A Refreshing Place To Relax.
Accommodation - Class C/D: * Thompson’s Falls Lodge Is A Rustic Country Hotel; Rooms Have Private Facilities.
Related Information
Ruwenzori Mountains National Park
Ruwenzori Mountains National Park This is the highest mountain range in Africa and home for the legendary "Mountains of the Moon." They rise 13,000 feet (3963 m) above the western arm of the Rift Valley to 16,762 feet (5109 meters) above sea level just north of the equator and are usually covered in mist. See "Ruwenzori Mountains" in the chapter on Zaire for a general description and a map of the region. Hikers in good condition can enjoy walking strenuous trails rising to over 13,000 feet (3963 m) in altitude through some of the most amazing vegetation in the world. There is
Shira Plateau Route
Shira Plateau Route This Is A Very Scenic And Yet Seldom-Used Route, Providing Great Views Of Kilimanjaro And The Rift Valley And Probably The Best Wildlife Viewing On The Mountain. A Four-Wheel-Drive Vehicle Is Needed, And The Roads May Be Impassable In The Rainy Seasons. The Route Is Hard To Find. Be Sure To Have A Guide Who Knows The Way. Drive North From The Moshi-Arusha Road At Boma La Ng'ombe To Londorossi Gate, Located On The Western Side Of Kilimanjaro. Continue On To A Campsite. The Track Ends Shortly Thereafter, At 12,200 Feet (3720 M). The Defunct Shira Hut (12,467 Ft./3800
Linyanti Swamps
Linyanti Swamps The Linyanti Swamps, situated northeast of the Oka¬vango Delta and northwest of the Savuti, are predominately papyrus marsh and are home to many crocodiles, hippo, sitatunga, and lechwe, along with some elephant and buffalo. The Kwando and Linyanti Rivers form the region's border with Namibia. The Kwando River flows southeast and then meets the end of the Great Rift Valley. This causes the river to flow northeast, and at this point it's name changes to the Linyanti River, and later it's name changes again to the Chobe River, which eventually meets the Zambezi River. This seldom visited "mini-Okavango" is prolific in
Lake Manyara National Park
Lake Manyara National Park Once One Of The Most Popular Hunting Areas Of Tanzania, This 125-Square-Mile (325 Km2) Park Has The Great Rift Valley Escarpment For A Dramatic Backdrop. Two-Thirds Of The Park Is Covered By Alkaline Lake Manyara, Which Is Situated At An Altitude Of 3150 Feet (960 M). The Turnoff To Lake Manyara Is Past Mto Wa Mbu On The Road From Makuyuni To Ngorongoro Crater, About 75 Miles (120 Km) West Of Arusha. Five Different Vegetation Zones Are Found In The Park. The First Zone Reached From The Park Entrance Is Ground-Water Forest Fed By Water Seeping From The Great
Gombe Stream National Park
Gombe Stream National Park Gombe Stream Is The Setting For Jane Goodall's Chimpan¬zee Studies, Her Films And Books, Including In The Shadow Of Man. This Remote 20-Square-Mile (52 Km2) Park Is Situated Along The Eastern Shores Of Lake Tanganyika Ten Miles North Of Kigoma In Remote Northwestern Tanzania. This Tiny Park Covers A Thin Strip Of Land Three Miles (5 Km) Wide And Stretches For Ten Miles (16 Km) Along Lake Tanga¬nyika. A Mountain Range Ascends Steeply From The Lake At An Altitude Of 2235 Feet (681 M) To Form Part Of The Eastern Wall Of The Western Branch Of The Great
Mbabane
Mbabane Mbabane, The Capital Of Swaziland, Is Located In The Mountainous Highveld Overlooking The Ezulwini Valley. Mbabane Has A Number Of Shops Selling Local Crafts. Most International Visitors Stay In Ezulwini Valley Instead Of Mbabane. The International Airport (Matsapha) Is Located About 15 Miles From Mbabane, Between Mbabane And The Industrial City Of Manzini.
Ezulwini Valley
Ezulwini Valley The Ezulwini Valley, Or "Place Of Heaven", Is The Enter¬tainment Center Of The Country And Is The Most Convenient Area In Which To Stay When Visiting The Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary. Accommodation - Deluxe: * The Royal Swazi Sun Hotel, Casino And Country Club, Situated On 100 Acres (40 Hectares), Has 145 Rooms With Ensuite Facilities, Swimming Pool, A Large Al Fresco Spa, Nearby Mineral Springs And Sauna, Casino, Adult Cinema, 72-Par Golf Course, Horseback Riding, Tennis, Squash, Mini-Golf, Lawn-Bowling, A Nightclub With Cabaret And Disco, And Separate Conference Center. Guests Of The Ezulwini Sun Cabanas And The Lugogo Sun Cabanas
The Mount Kenya Circuit
The Mount Kenya Circuit Aberdare National Park This 296-Square-Mile (767 Km2) Park Of Luxuriant Forest Includes Much Of The Aberdare (Renamed Nyandarua) Range Of Mountains. Guests Of Two Tree Hotels, Treetops And The Ark, Are Entertained By A Variety Of Wildlife Visiting Their Water Holes And Salt Licks. The Park Can Be Divided Into Two Sections By Altitude. A High Plateau Of Undulating Moorlands With Tussock Grasses And Giant Heather Lies Between Ol Doinyo Lasatima (13,120 Ft./3999 M.) And Kinangop (12,816 Ft./3906 M.). This Region Affords Excellent Views Of Mt. Kenya And The Rift Valley. Rhino, Lion, Hyena, Buffalo, Elephant, Eland, Reedbuck, Suni,
Mahale Mountains National Park
Mahale Mountains National Park Like Gombe Stream, The Main Attraction Of This Remote Park, Which Was Only Recently Gazetted In 1985, Is Being Able To Walk Among Large Populations Of Chimpanzees. The Chimps Have Been Studied By Japanese Researchers For More Than 20 Years, And Over 100 Of Them Have Been Habituated To Humans. Located About 95 Miles (150 Km) South Of Kigoma, This 609-Square-Mile (1577 Km2) Park Is Situated On The Eastern Shores Of Lake Tanganyika. The Mahale Mountains With Deep Ravines, Permanent Streams And Waterfalls Run Through The Center Of The Park, Forming The Eastern Wall Of The Great Rift
Chizarira National Park
Chizarira National Park This remote undeveloped park is situated on the Zambezi Escarpment overlooking the Zambezi Valley and the southern part of Lake Kariba. Chizarira covers 737 square miles (1910 km2) of wild, untouched bush with plateaus, deep gorges, thick woodlands and floodplains. Chizarira is a park for the adventurer more interested in experiencing the wilderness than in seeing huge herds or animals. Much of the park is heavily wooded. Walking *s allowed if accompanied by a fully licensed guide; this is the best way to explore this seldom-visited park. The best view of Lake Kariba and the Zambezi Valley is from Mucheni