What to expect on a Lake Naivasha day trip.

Wildlife & Activities at Lake Naivasha.

Lake Naivasha is famous for its high populations of hippos, flamingos, eagles, kingfishers. There are over 1,200 hippos in the area, and you are almost guaranteed to see one.

The lake is a prime destination for birders from all over the world, home to over 400 bird species. Lesser and greater flamingos flock to the lake, forming a wash of bright pink across the lake’s surface.

A day trip to Lake Naivasha promises plenty of adrenaline activities and a good chance to explore Kenyan attraction areas on foot.

Lake Naivasha - Crescent Island Tour.

Crescent Island is one of the most popular attractions in the Lake Naivasha area, named because of its crescent moon shape and it was the primary filming location for the 1985 romantic drama ‘Out of Africa’.

Crescent Island tours last between 1.5 hours.

Crescent Island highlights include;

We’ll take a guided walking tour as we watch the buffaloes, wildebeest, gazelles, giraffes, zebras, impalas, and waterbucks which can be sighted in the immediate surrounding area of Lake Naivasha, around Crescent Island.

Lake Naivasha Boat Safari

Boat safaris are one of the most popular activities at Lake Naivasha.

Jetting out onto the lake is the best way to get up close to the hippos and flamingos while you are gliding along the calm surface of Lake Naivasha in your safari boat. If you look to the shores, you may see zebras, wildebeest, and giraffes strolling at Crescent Island.

A typical boat safari on Lake Naivasha takes around 30 min or an hour (1hr), and the lake’s sheer size means that you will not be distracted by the rumble of other boat engines.

Lake Naivasha - Hell’s Gate National Park

A small park near Lake Naivasha, Hell’s Gate National Park is very popular for inspiring Disney’s “The Lion King,” and contains geothermal activity of geysers and hot springs, the park also offers one-of-a-kind bicycling safaris!

The best activities are hiking (including scrambling through the rocks and river of lower Gorge), cycling, and mountain biking and rock climbing.

Yes, enjoy your mountain bike riding among buffalos, giraffe, zebra, eland, coke’s hartebeest and Thomson’s gazelle are common. Olive baboons are often seen hanging on the cliffs, while a good spotter might pick up a pair of klipspringers.

The park is more in the scenery with its impressive cliffs and volcanic outcrops. These provide the backdrop to some brilliant activities including rock climbing, hiking and mountain biking.