Turkana Lake 2.

The best option is to contact a tour operator in Kenya, so that you head in lake Turkana with a guided tour, most of the tours heading to lake Turkana are private safaris with a 4x4 jeep or land cruiser because the roads are bad and the distance from Nairobi to Turkana is long.

The cheaper option is to drive yourself there and make sure you have a 4 x 4 jeep or land cruiser, but my recommendation is to travel by a tour company

Do you know GOOD AND CHEAP Tour Operator ?

Hiring a vehicle to go there will be very expensive as only high-axle 4-wheel-drives such as Land Cruisers can handle the roads and they must be equipped with extra fuel tanks and the full kit of survival gear. You can of course join a tour, but northern Kenya tends to be popular with wealthier tourists and the package prices reflect that. Also, due to the relative unpopularity of the area, you may need to wait a while for a group to be assembled, and you will be committed to the tour operator's itinerary.

Fortunately, Lake Turkana is accessible by public means on both sides. If you aim for the eastern shore of the lake, your objective is the town of Loyangalani. To get there, you should catch a matatu from Nairobi to Nyahururu, and transfer there to a matatu bound for Maralal. This leg can be done in one day if you start early.

Since there are no buses going north from Maralal, you will need to hitch a ride on one of the big trucks that carry freight up to the lake. These trucks routinely carry passengers so there is nothing unusual about doing this. The ride is bumpy and you are exposed to the elements, but the views are incredible. To find one of these trucks in Maralal town, ask some of the men hanging around the main roundabout or the petrol station to put you in touch with a driver. These men will actually come to you when they see you arrive in town. You should pay them a finder's fee of 100 or 200 shillings if they successfully find you a ride. The actual fare is set by the driver of the truck, but the guy who finds you the ride can help you to negotiate a reasonable price.

It may seem like a long process to get there, but you have to weigh that against the time you could waste while waiting for a seat to become available on a group tour. That is assuming there are tour groups going at all.

The western shore of the lake takes less time to reach because there are direct buses and flights to the town of Lodwar. From there you need to travel a couple of hours to reach the lakeshore. I haven't been this way myself but I believe hitching or catching a local "bus" (which could just be a pickup full of tribespeople) would be options. If you are booked into one of the lakeside lodges they may pick you up from Lodwar but there could be money involved.

Lake Turkana is absolutely beautiful and it's worth the trip!

Thank you Chris. Your information is very helpfull for us. regards. Slavek

Edited by: yesfan

@erickoti

Your last post makes it obvious that you are promoting your own business here which is not allowed. I am asking Lonely Planet to delete your account and all the posts you have put up so far.

@yesfan

I would avoid contact with erickoti. It is certainly an option to go with a tour company but you should choose a different one. I am well familiar with the tactics of people like him. They try to scare you so that you will be willing to pay their rates which could be much higher than the competition.

I agree with Christopher, it's perfectly possible (and in my opinion, preferable and more fun) to do this trip on your own using public transport and hitching (unless you're very restricted for time). It requires a little more time and a more adventurous spirit, but that's partly the point of traveling in the area and should be as much of the goal as getting there.

It's been a few years since I've done it, but I went a different route from Nairobi to Nakuru, Maralal, Baragoi, South Horr then Loyangalani. It's a little slower, but there's the advantage of more towns to stop in so you're not on the road constantly all day long. And anyway, those little towns are quite nice and interesting. South Horr is charming even.

Andrew

Hi
I am from the Eastern shores of L.Turkana and live in Loiyangalani,i know of many backpackers who travel to these region via Maralal route.Unfortunately you will have to go on a truck carrying supplies from Maralal to Loiyangalani which you can board after contacting some boys in Maralal found at the Baragoi bus stage for information of the next truck heading to that direction.If you are planning to head there soon be informed that there will be Lake Turakana Festival that will take place on the 24th - 26th May and it will be a ground breaking event.

On the Western side, I believe there's a bus from Kitale to Lodwar on the Western shores. Purportedly takes 10hrs but I'm skeptical. If coming from Nairobi, you can get to Kitale easy enough by taking a bus to Eldoret and then a matatu from Eldoret to Kitale. You can break the trip up by staying at Kitale for the night. Kitale also happens to be close to Saiwa Swamp NP, which is probably worth a visit although I've never been there.

The main reason I would opt to go to the Western side over the Eastern side is to visit Central Island NP.

Edited by: strikingstar

I read about the situations (even in lonely Planet guide book), that you have to wait even few days for the truck from Muralal sometines. Is this truth, or there are several trucks by day ?