One hundred and thirty-nine square
kilometres of fresh water.
Lake Naivasha covers roughly 139 square kilometres at the highest point of the Kenyan Rift Valley floor, and it is one of the very few freshwater lakes in a chain that is otherwise alkaline. That single difference changes everything living in and around it. The lake has no visible outlet, papyrus lines the shore, hippo pods sit offshore in numbers, and the birdlife is exceptional. Crescent Island, a partly submerged crater rim, has no large predators, which means you can walk among zebra and giraffe rather than watch from a vehicle.
Central Rift Valley
Approximate lake area
Ideal length of stay
Driest months, easiest viewing
Why visit Lake Naivasha
Getting on the water is the point here, and it is the only way to see the hippos and fish eagles properly.
Crescent Island has no large predators, so you go on foot among zebra, giraffe and waterbuck.
Twenty minutes away, and one of the only Kenyan parks you can cycle or walk through unaccompanied.
Well over four hundred recorded species, helped by the papyrus fringe and the fresh water.
Close enough for a day trip, comfortable as an overnight stop on the way to the Mara.
The exception in a valley of alkaline lakes, which is why the ecology here is so different.
What there is to do
Boat Safaris
An hour or two on the water, which is the only way to see the hippo pods and the fish eagles properly.
Crescent Island Walking Safari
No predators on the island, so you walk among zebra, giraffe and waterbuck with a guide rather than drive.
Hell's Gate National Park Visit
Cycling or walking through the gorge and past the geothermal steam, twenty minutes from the lake.
Birdwatching
Several hundred recorded species, with migrants arriving from November through to April.
Fishing Trips
Tilapia and black bass on the lake, arranged through the local boat operators.
Wildlife you can expect
Hippo
Naivasha holds large pods, submerged through the day and out grazing the shoreline after dark.
Giraffe
Rothschild’s giraffe walk freely on Crescent Island, which is why you can approach them on foot there.
Zebra
Grazing the lakeshore grassland in good numbers, and completely used to people on foot.
Fish Eagle
The call carries across the whole lake. Pairs hold territories along the shoreline and hunt in the early morning.
Pelican
Great white pelican fish co-operatively in formation, herding shoals into the shallows.
When to go
A year-round lake. The season affects the water level and the birdlife more than the game.
Dry season
Clear, mild and settled. The most comfortable conditions for boat trips and walking.
Short dry spell
A second dry window, warm and clear, with fewer visitors on the water.
Migrant season
Palaearctic migrants arrive and the bird list climbs sharply.
Long rains
Green, quiet and cheaper, with water levels up and some shoreline tracks soft.
Add Lake Naivasha to your trip
Naivasha appears on most of our Rift Valley itineraries, usually alongside Lake Nakuru and the Maasai Mara.