Wednesday, February 16, 2011

LAKE ELEMENTAITA

Lake Elementaita lies in the Great Rift Valley. It is a shallow saline lake located next to a diatomite factory
in Gilgil along the Nairobi – Nakuru Highway. There is a roadside viewpoint well signposted on the left immediately after the junction to the factory. From the viewpoint you can disembark from your car and walls along the footpath to the lake. The lake’s shoreline is perfect for picnics and walking safaris and adjoining rocky cliffs afford you a good opportunity for tougher tracks and mountain hills.

The shoreline can be approached through the Lake Elementaita Lodge which is visible on the left after the Kikopey Shopping Centre. The Northern side of the lake encompasses the flamingo camp which touches the shoreline and can be used as a base to reach the lake. Boat riding during the wet season is possible as the water volume is high. The water recedes significantly during the dry season making boating difficult. Both the Flamingo camp and Lake Elementaita Lodge offer accommodation and food.
Lake Elementaita is a great place to see water birds like flamingos, pelicans, cormorants and geese. It is an important dispersal area for flamingos and plays an important role when food is limited in other saline Rift valley lakes like Nakuru and Bogoria. During the dry season, Black lava islands situated in the lakes western park provide the only suitable nesting and breeding grounds for the great white pelicans.
A camp of internal displaced persons is also located on this arid land a few kilometres from the lake. its worth to pay them a visit during your adventures in the great rift and offer any kind of help as suggested by the  video.