Secret treasures of Great Rift Valley

Only a short, yet spectacular road trip from Nairobi lies the Great Rift Valley, and upon one of nature’s greatest tales, you can find several mountains and volcanoes of epic legacies and peaks that are just asking to be conquered, craters to be explored and it is these volcanoes that helped shape the lands that make up the Rift Valley. Volcanoes are fascinating geological formations and offer a unique kind of trekking and camping experience. My personal favourite, Mount Suswa is a two and a half hour drive from Nairobi and its unusual features have much to offer the not-your-average-tourist. 

It is characterised by its massive double crater volcano which is home to a vast network of obsidian caves and an abundance of wildlife and plants. Mt. Suswa can either be a quick overnight trip or a two day adventure and even though it’s just starting to build the street cred it deserves, it’s better that way as there are very few souls around to break the spell the stunning crater puts one under. Arriving mid afternoon by car gives one plenty of time to gather bearings, set up camp and to start that epic fire that will be the centre of the night’s activities. Cooking over a fire is an ancient practice that really puts things back into perspective especially when you have the Milky Way dancing above, an occasional leopard call and a rising moon for company. 

Waking up early to catch the sunrise over the inner crater of Mt. Suswa is well worth it not just for the view but to give you a head start before it gets too hot – the African sun can be merciless. Bonus is that Suswa’s attractions are neither too long, nor too complex and no special gear or knowledge is required to explore this beautiful ecosystem. To the peak and back to the campsite takes approximately five hours, depending on how big your group is, how fast your guide leads you and how many water breaks you take. Our Maasai guide Jeremiah has an intimate relationship with Mount Suswa and upon reaching the peak, carefully led us through thick bush and rock to an opening that took our breaths away. As we sat spread out on two boulders hovering over the crater, we took in a view hidden to us from all other points before. It doesn’t have to end there because you can also choose to do the entire circuit of the volcano, which takes about eight hours to complete, and not without its obstacles, though, all well worth the effort. While perhaps hiking and camping isn’t on the top of many people’s list of favourite places to vacation, but if getting your adrenaline pumping, your senses attuned and your survival skills tested, then you’ve hit upon one of the greatest destinations to fulfill your fancy.

Another great hotspot, and definitely more popular is Mount Longonot which is just a few kilometers from Mt Suswa and is definitely a more traditional looking volcano. It is reasonably challenging to climb from the base and only takes one hour to cover the 3.1 km distance so if you have smoker’s lungs and a penchant for taking ‘selfies’ then the great view comes as a worthwhile excuse for frequent breaks and photo opportunities. Mt. Longonot is a strato-volcano that last erupted in the 1860s – though periodic geodetic activity recorded a decade ago gave us the hint of a presence of magmatic systems beneath the volcano and one can see openings from inside the crater where steams vents give rise to thick white vapour. Once up to the rim the first leg of the hike is over and you can either come right back down or do the entire circumference of the crater, which will cost you five hours, though the views from different points of the crater are spectacular and conjures up images of an ancient land, untouched by man and indifferent to the world racing towards ‘development’.

On both volcanoes, wildlife, especially the birdlife can be experienced firsthand without the walls of a car closing you in like in other parks or national reserves. Buffalo, eland, leopard, bushbuck, the common zebra, giraffe, grant gazelle, a wonderful variety of snakes, rock hyrax, Thomson gazelles and many other antelope are what you might expect to see, but don’t be disappointed if you don’t, sometimes you’re better off not having to face off with a leopard or buffalo. If you’re up for the wildlife and camping, but would rather save your knees from an early retirement, Hell’s Gate National Park is a one of a kind experience. Also straddling the rift that runs through Kenya, it is home to dramatic gorges with its own steam vents and hot sulfuric streams, bicycle safaris (bringing you face to face with wildlife such as warthogs, zebra, gazelle and buffalo) and geothermal pools where one can take a dip while watching the sun set on the backs of said wildlife.

There are several campsites but my favourite by far is located up on a cliff and if you wake up early enough, the sun rising over herds of wildlife crossing the plains to nearby watering holes is one sight you won’t ever forget. Being almost adjacent to Lake Naivasha, on your way back you can also plan for a boat ride to visit the several families of hippos and numerous species of birds, with an afternoon lunch under large yellow fever acacia trees at any of the rustic eateries located around the lake, to keep you fueled and ready for the next leg of your Kenyan adventure.