Uganda Safaris

Lake Turkana Safaris

At Kenya’s far Northern frontier lies one of the natural wonders of the world.

Lake Turkana is a massive inland sea, the largest desert lake in the world (6,405 sq km). This single body of water is over 250 kilometres long- longer than the entire Kenyan coast.

It is widely known as the Jade Sea, because of the remarkable, almost incandescent, colour of its waters. After a long journey through the sweltering deserts and lava flows of Northern Kenya, the sight of this vast body of bright turquoise water comes as an unearthly, ethereal vision.

The Lake is a source of life for some of Kenya’s most remote tribes. The Turkana, with ancestral ties to Uganda, live a semi-nomadic existence around the Lake. The country’s smallest tribe, the El Molo, live a hunter-gatherer existence on the shores, in villages of distinctive rounded reed huts.

Turkana has one of the longest living histories on earth, and recent fossil evidence unearthed at Koobi Fora has led to the Lake being referred to as ‘The Cradle of Mankind’.

The site lies at the heart of the Sibiloi National Park, a place of stark beauty and prehistoric petrified forests.

The Lake itself is a natural treasure, with the world’s single largest crocodile population. In Turkana these reptiles grow to record size, with some of the largest specimens found on remote windswept Central Island.

Lake Turkana is Kenya’s most remote destination, but one that repays the intrepid traveller with rich rewards...

8 DAYS LAKE TURKANA SPECIAL - Lake Turkana Camping Safaris
Day 1. Samburu National Reserve;
Depart Nairobi in the morning heading north via shoulder of mount Kenya to Samburu Game reserve fro lunch. Afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight at Campsite.

Day 2. Samburu;
Full day in Samburu with morning and afternoon game drives. All meals and overnight at campsite.

Day 3. Marsabit;
After breakfast we head north along the trans Africa highway to Marsabit an extinct Volcano heavily forested on the upper slopes. Set up camp and visit the lodge inside the National Park, see elephants buffalo ,greater Kudu among others as the lodge is perched on the edge of the water filled crater . Thick forest hampers deeper penetration and viewing so we don't penetrate further.

Day 4. Kalacha
Visit Marsabit town and another volcanic crater and later come back into the desert and lava flows. Camp at Kalacha, which is a small settlement on the edge of the Chalbi desert. 

Day 5. Lake Turkana.
Early morning departure crossing the Chalbi desert. When wet, the desert can not be crossed and alternative routes to the south and north are used. Arrive at the campsite outside Loiyangalani enjoying a cool breeze from the lake turkana soon after lunch. Pitch tents and relax protected from the scorching sun and heat characteristic of the harsh climate of this remote area.

Day 6. Lake Turkana.
Relax and bath only to be interrupted by short boat excursion to visit the surrounding areas. also loiyangalani and the community settled there. Evening make a visit to the Turkana manyattas for traditional dances under a star studded sky at an extra cost if acceptable by clients. An experience to treasure.

Day 7. Maralal.
We join through south Horr and Baragoi to Maralal, a forested area.

Day 8. Nairobi.
Move southwards via Laikipia and Thomson Falls (Nyahururu) and drive back to Nairobi arriving in the afternoon. 

8 DAYS Lake Turkana Safaris

Day 1: Lake Baringo: Depart Nairobi in the morning stopping at the top of the world to view the great Rift Valley. Lunch at Nakuru and arrive at Lake Baringo late afternoon. Watch out for hippo while you shower. Overnight at the campsite.

Day 2: South Horr: Climb out of the Rift Valley in the morning chill towards Maralal and the red-ochred Samburu people,who are still nomadic and proud. Then another spectacular climb up Losiolo and down past Baragoi to South Horr where we camp next to a small clear stream.

Day 3: Lake Turkana: Break early in the morning for Lake Turkana. The rough road gets worse as we descend across ancient lava flows towards the Jade Sea and the Oasis Loiyangalani lying between the lake and Mt. Kulal. We arrive at our permanent beach campsite just outside Loiyangalani soon after lunch and settle in our traditional Turkana huts with a cool breeze blowing from the lake. Indeed a perfect place to relax protected from scorching sun and heat characteristic of the harsh climate of this remote area.

Day 4: Lake Turkana: We spend the day relaxing and bathing only interrupted by a short boat excursion to visit the surrounding areas where crocodiles and birds may be spotted. In addition, we visit Loiyangalani and the community settled there while in the evening we may visit one of the Turkana Manyattas for traditional dances under a star studded sky at an extra cost if clients wish. Unforgettable experience.

Day 5: Maralal: Up the Horr valley and back to Baragoi, camping further South at Maralal.

Day 6: Samburu: We arrive at Samburu park around lunch time and settle in our Permanent campsite beautifully set under a canopy of trees on the edge of Uaso Nyiro River .

Day 7: Samburu; A day game viewing in the park. Elephants abound: you may see lion, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk, Grey's zebra and Oryx.

Day 8: Nairobi: The road back to Nairobi passes over the high shoulder of Mt. Kenya. Lunch on the way arriving in Nairobi by later afternoon.