Naivasha

Naivasha is less a town than a convenient base for two or three days of activity on the water and in the hills, an hour and a half from Nairobi. The town itself is dusty, transitional and not especially interesting: you stay and eat here for the sake of what is around it — a lake with hippos, a national park you can walk in, and a volcano to climb.

Why come, and how long to allow

Two days covers the essentials: a boat on the lake and a walk among the zebras on Crescent Island in one day, and Hell's Gate or the ascent of Longonot in the other. Adding Lake Nakuru with its flamingos and rhinos makes a third day. Naivasha's virtue is that you can get about without an expensive safari jeep: on foot, by bicycle, by boat.

Getting there

• From Nairobi. About 90 km on the A104 through the Rift Valley. The standard option is a matatu from the River Road / Nyamakima stand: cheap, but they leave when full and are driven hard. The journey takes an hour and a half to two hours depending on traffic out of the capital.
• Viewpoints on the way. On the descent into the valley there are viewpoints over Longonot — worth a stop if you are in your own car or a taxi.
• The airport. You fly into Nairobi (JKIA or Wilson) and continue overland. There is no convenient direct transport from the airport to Naivasha, so take a taxi or transfer, or get to town and change there.

Getting around

The sights are strung along the southern shore (Moi South Lake Road), and it is hard going without transport. The options:

• Boda-bodas for short hops; haggle.
• Bicycle hire — ideal for Hell's Gate, where you can genuinely ride through the park.
• A taxi or driver for the day — if you want several points, agreeing a car with a driver works out better than paying per trip.

Where to stay

Not in the town centre but along South Lake Road, where the lodges, campsites and guest houses cluster by the water, close to the lake, Crescent Island and the Hell's Gate entrance. The range is wide, from budget campsites and hostels to expensive lodges. One consequence of staying there: hippos often graze on the grounds at night, hence the warnings not to go down to the water in the dark.

What is actually worth doing

• A boat on the lake — yes, essential: you come close to hippos, pelicans and fish eagles (the guide throws a fish and the bird stoops for it). An hour or two is enough.
• Crescent Island — a walk on foot among zebra, giraffe and antelope, with no predators. A rare chance to cross savannah on your own two feet.
• Hell's Gate — the point is that this is one of the few parks in Kenya where walking and cycling are allowed. The Ol Njorowa gorge, the cliffs, geothermal steam and springs. The landscapes of The Lion King were inspired by these rocks.
• Mount Longonot — the climb to the crater and the walk around the rim. Allow four to five hours, carry water, and note that the sun is fierce. Start early.
• Elsamere — Joy Adamson's house, a calm place for tea on the veranda, visited by colobus monkeys.

Money, food, haggling

Entry fees and boats are priced in dollars and cost more for foreigners than for residents; that is normal in Kenya, so budget in advance. Ways to save:

• Share the boat and the Crescent Island entry as a group — they are often charged per boat rather than per person.
• Eat local: nyama choma (grilled meat), ugali, chapati and tilapia from the lake in simple cafés — filling and cheap. Tourist lodges cost markedly more.
• Cash in shillings is needed for matatus, bodas and markets; cards are not taken everywhere. M-Pesa mobile payment is used universally.

Safety and common mistakes

• Hippos are the main danger. At night they come ashore to graze, and they are the most lethal animal in the region. Do not go down to the water in the dark, never put yourself between a hippo and the lake, and stay within the lodge grounds.
• Sun and altitude. The valley sits at around 1,900 m and the ultraviolet is strong — sunscreen, a hat and water, especially on Longonot and in Hell's Gate, where there is almost no shade.
• Do not try to do it all in one day. The classic mistake is dashing over from Nairobi for a couple of hours. Lake, island and park in a single day of daylight is physically impossible without rushing.
• Matatus are driven aggressively and there are accidents on the A104. If you can, choose a driver you trust.
• Agree the price of the boat, the boda and the tour before you start, not after.

When to go

The dry seasons, roughly January to February and mid-year, suit trekking and walking parks better: less mud and easier going. In the rains the trails on Longonot and in Hell's Gate turn to slop, though it is green and there are fewer people. Weekends bring the crowds from Nairobi, so for quiet, come on a weekday.