Must see attractions in Southern Rift Valley

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Stippled with sisal, yellow fever trees and candelabra euphorbia, this is the former home of the late Joy Adamson of Born Free fame. She bought the house…

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This private island sanctuary can be reached by boat, or by driving across the narrow, swampy causeway from Sanctuary Farm. It's one of the few places in…

Just two hours' drive from Nairobi, Lake Nakuru is among Kenya's finest national parks. Flanked by rocky escarpments, pockets of forest and at least one…

In a wild and remote corner of the country, between the Rift Valley lakes of Magadi (in Kenya) and Natron (Tanzania), Shompole is one of southern Kenya's…

This archaeological site, 4km outside Nakuru, is a great spot for a peaceful amble away from the rhinos and tourists. It contains a museum and the remains…

The gorge that runs through the heart of the park is a wide, deep valley hemmed in by sheer, rusty-hued rock walls. Marking its eastern entrance is…

With a crater that’s even more of a lost world than that on nearby Mt Longonot, this unique volcano is well worth the considerable effort of visiting. The…

If you want to muse on lost love and where it goes, visit Egerton Castle on the outskirts of Njoro. A replica of Tatton Hall in England, the castle was…

With transport and 15 minutes to play with, you can be out of the grimy streets of Nakuru and standing on the rim of Menengai Crater, a 485m-high natural…

One of the shapeliest peaks in all the Rift Valley, Mt Longonot (2776m) and its serrated crater rim offer fabulous views. The dormant volcano rises 1000m…

Lake Bogoria is backed by the bleak Siracho Escarpment, and moss-green waves roll down its rocky, barren shores. A road that becomes a rough track (and…

Rising from the main gorge’s southern end is the large Central Tower, an unusual volcanic plug. A picnic site and ranger’s post are close by, from where a…

Travelling between Lake Magadi and Nairobi, take the turn-off for the Olorgesailie Prehistoric Site. Several important archaeological finds were made by…

Dry, dusty and dramatic but infinitely peaceful, Hell's Gate is that rare Kenyan park made for bicycles and exploring on foot. Large carnivores are very…

What began as a hobby for three ladies knitting under a tree now employs more than 1200 local people and exports all over the world. The knitters use…

To get the best view that takes in much of the park, head up to the rocky Out of Africa Lookout. Less frequented by tour groups than the lower Baboon…

This popular viewpoint and one-time lunch spot has superlative views out over the lake, with some fine aerial vistas down onto the flooded lake shore…

Close to the Elsa Gate end of the Buffalo Circuit, a side track leads for 2km to the Obsidian Cave, where you’ll find moderately interesting examples of…

This private conservancy offers quite extensive wildlife viewing, as well as camping. It is home to colobus monkeys, Rothschild's giraffes and about 450…

About halfway along the lake, hot springs and geysers spew boiling fluids from the earth’s insides.