Planning a trip to Kenya’s Great Rift Valley is exciting because this incredible geological wonder of the world is a phenomenon everyone should see – Voyage2Africa has the best accommodation and packages deals available to get you there.
The Great African Rift Valley is visible from space and it is truly worth experiencing this earthy creation, stretching from the Middle East into the southern African country of Zimbabwe. In the Kenya part of the Rift, stunning escarpments border the valley to the east and west while the floor is broken by volcanoes (some still active) and contains several lakes.
Lake Turkana occupies the northern end of the Great Rift Valley in Kenya – Kenya is home to 64 of the total lakes found within the continent of Africa and 8 of these make up the main lakes in the Kenyan Rift Valley. From north to south, the names of these lakes are Lake Turkana, Lake Logipi, Lake Baringo, Lake Bogoria, Lake Nakuru, Lake Elmenteita, Lake Naivasha, and Lake Magadi.
In addition, the East African Rift has been dubbed the “cradle of humanity” thanks to the fascinating and vital paleoanthropological discoveries including “Lucy,” a 3.2 million-year-old hominin skeleton found in Ethiopia. The “Turkana Boy” is another 1.5-million-year old hominin skeleton unearthed in Kenya.
Many discoveries in the East African Rift have led scientists to believe that this environment created the ideal conditions for life so people could live here and procreate in a safe environment with food and water and shelter.
The Kenyan Lake system is central to the birds migration route as they make their way from breeding grounds in the north to wintering locations in Africa. Visit Lake Nakuru, one of the 3 inter-linked lakes in the Rift Valley and the most important foraging site for the Lesser flamingo and a major breeding ground for Great white pelicans.
Millions of pink flamingos live on Lake Nakuru, one of the lakes of the Great Rift Valley, because these birds love the shallow waters and move on after the rains come. The two species of flamingo are the smaller ’lesser’ flamingo and the large ‘greater’ flamingo that live among pink pelicans and rhinos.
Plan an initial visit to the East African Rift, the most celebrated split of the Great Rift Valley, then head to the Western Rift, also known as the Albertine Rift, before the entire valley converges again at the top end of Lake Malawi.
Discover an extraordinary geological feature almost 6,500 km long, stretching around one-sixth of the Earth’s circumference! Explore this spectacular valley that measures an average 64 km wide. And there is a chasm as wide as 480km in the Danakil Desert. See the valley’s steep walls from a plane, rising as high as 2700 m.
Kenya’s Rift Valley is a great place to find the greatest diversity of species in the natural world, a spectacle that is certainly the highlight of any African safari. See the magnificent lakes, regal mountains and sprawling savannas. Wildlife roams freely everywhere while several dormant volcanoes complete a fascinating picture.
Come across plenty of hippo and other aquatic species in the lakes of the Valley. Watch wild animals come to feed against the steep escarpment of the gorgeous Great Rift. Experience explosive animal interactions – Black rhino, lion, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, leopard, elephant, buffalo and greater kudu can be seen mingling or grazing alone.
Plan your holiday to the Great Rift Valley any time of the year. During the rainy season, however, the roads can be very difficult to traverse. Central Kenya is best from December to mid-March when the days are hot, sunny and dry and the nights usually cool. The rain usually comes from mid-March to May, with some rain in November.
Pack up the entire family for a safari holiday to Kenya that they will never forget. Intrepid journeys into Africa introduce your kids to the biggest classroom in the world, nature! Game viewing, nature walks, river cruises and camping under the stars are all part of a safari adventure your family will talk about for years down the line!
Bring your children into the true wilderness of Kenya, our top African safari destination of all time – so check out the luxury lodge and bush camp accommodation where children are made to feel at home and book your special family package today.
Plan a Kenya tour and safari with Voyage2Africa, the African travel experts, and enjoy signature experiences to the premier wildlife destination south of the equator. We bring you thrilling adventures in the Masai Mara, Amboseli National Park, the Great Rift Valley, Mount Kenya National Park and even Nairobi. We offer you the best of the best safari accommodation in Kenya, in lavish lodges, family resorts, modern hotels, eco villas and rustic wild campsites in nature. Bring your camera and you hat, your binoculars and your sense of spirit to an African land that is home to humankind.
