Lake Baringo & Bogoria National Reserve

Altitude: 3,200-3,500 feet above sea level

Area: 107 square kilometers (Lake Bogoria National Reserve)

Airstrips: Kampi ya Samaki (Baringo)

Opened: November 1970 (Lake Bogoria National Reserve)

Activities: Game Drives, Bird Watching, Hot Springs & Baths from natural Spa at Bogoria and boat rides, Bird Watching, Hot springs, visit to Njemps fishing village at Baringo.

Map

North of Lake Nakuru, with unusually spectacular scenery is Lake Baringo, another fresh water lake. Cone-shaped islands make this stretch of water particularly interesting. This is a breeding ground for many species of fresh water birds, such as Fish Eagles, Verreaux's Eagles, Darters, Cormorants and a large colony of Goliath Heron. Apart from the bird life there is also a large number of Hippo that live in the lake. Baringo is the home to the Njemps fisherman who go about their traditional work in their amazing and unsinkable reed boats.

Lake Bogoria itself occupies most of the reserve, which is really a spectacular sight, reflecting searing blue skies and the rose pink of Flamingo. It has significant ornithological interest with over 135 species of birds. Like Nakuru, the alkaline lake waters grow blue-green algae, which seasonally attract hundreds of thousands of Flamingo.

The surrounding bushed grasslands are home to a number of animals. The Reserve's herd of rare Greater Kudu makes it unique and other game to view includes: buffalo, zebra, impala, dik-dik and many other small animals.

The south shore has acacia-ficus woodland and the north is a papyrus swamp.

There is one lodge in the reserve "Lake Bogoria Hotel", but Liberty Africa Safaris prefers to use accommodation in Lake Baringo which is only 25 kilometers away.

Also reached on this circuit is Lake Kamnarok National Reserve opened in June 1983. It has a diverse landscape with a 4,000 ft. deep valley with semi-tropical vegetation on its slopes contrasting with the dry thorn bush at the base. The main game to see is bushpigs, waterbuck, buffalo, elephant, Rothschild Giraffe, dik-dik and warthog. Water birds include pelicans and grebe. There is no accommodation within the park. Kamnarok can be visited as a day trip from either Baringo or Bogoria.