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Lake Baringo Safari Kenya

LAKE BARINGO:
Hippo footprints at the land that skirts Lake Baringo more pictures of Baringo.

Lake Baringo is part of the Great Rift valley, the earth’s great scar, which in Kenya is fringed by a number of lakes. After the very big Turkana, Baringo is the northern most and second to none in area, having 130Km2. And with Naivasham, Baringo provides the only fresh water shallow in the Kenyan Rift.

The lake is not officially graded as a conservated area, but it is the home for over 400 bird species that offer the region its main attraction. The lake is or was a quiet and lonely oasis fixed firmly in steeps and land that has prescience of the northern desert. Till the end of the 19th century, both Baringo and Bogoria were only visited by the slaves who travelled together; the remains of Fort Baringo, far back as these years, are seen and found there. The lake was first set forth in words by Joseph Thomson in 1883. After a period of 9 years, in 1892, J.W. Gregory the English geologist explained the creation of the rift valley from his observation at Baringo.

Over the past years, tourism in the region has risen, thus, Baringo nor being a place off the beaten track any more. Also, at the land that skirts the lake, you can find pleasure in a peaceful mood not similar at all to the most crowded parks. Its chocolate waters, discoloured with the soil of the region, change in colouring along the day and depending on the sky’s colour. After the sun has set, the tourist can look at the Hippos coming from the water to graze I noisy groups at the moonlit pastures.

The lake is also inhibited with crocodiles, which are said to be harmful by the local Njemps people, paranilotic fishes and shepherds close to the Maasai who speak a dialect of the Maa language. The Njemps travel on the lake in small boats and dip into the water for fishing, whereas crocodiles move around with a similar aim.
The locals say that presence of plenty of fish has supported the croc numbers in a way that the reptiles no longer taste mammal’s meat. Actually, the presence of plenty of fish has made the Njemps to be accustomed to this type of food, which is not so often amongst the tribes that are pastoralists.

Indeed, it is true that the crocodiles of the lake are young, and thus, they are neither harmful as the bigger crocodiles, nor have they been hunted by hunters. Inspite of all this, I 1981, an assumed man encroaching reptile was shot dead.

Baringo fresh waters have different types of fish, which are not found in the alkaline lakes, which draws close t itself a wide variety of water birds. The rocky island of Gibraltar, at the eastern land that skirts the lake, has got the biggest Goliath heron number in the whole of east Africa. Another area on enjoyment is the escarpment that is located near the town of Kampi ya samaki, at the land that skirts the lake in the west, where if the watcher is lucky, could find verreaux eagles, Hemprich’s hornbills and bristle-crowned starlings.

To add on the walks for looking at birds and boat trips with a professional omithlogist as the guide, the lake provides a variety of activities which involve fishing, water sports (ski, wind surfing), camel rides, day trips to the neighbouring Lake Bogoria national Reserve or touring a Njemps village, where you can get a sip of the local handcrafts and dances. Activities are mostly taken care of by the two lodges at the lake, that is, Lake Baringo club and Island camp. Local fishermen also offer boat trips, while on these trips, they always spread fish as food to entice the fish eagles.

Section: baringo |

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