It was 5.5- hour drive from Mara to Lake Naivasha, where we were dropped off at Fishermen’s Camp, several kilometers from Naivasha, directly on the lakeshore. Finally on our own! We came early enough for boat ride on Lake Oloiden, short hike at Crater Lake and on-foot evening nature walk.
Water “safari” on Lake Oloiden, nature walk at Crater Lake National Park
We went with hired car and driver from Fisherman’s Camp, which worked very well. Both places were great, we highly recommend community boat tour on small green Oloiden Lake instead of large Lake Naivasha – we were the only tourists there. We saw several pods of hippos, countless birds and many animals on shore.
Hippos in Oloiden Lake
Then we walked part of Crater Lake rim and drove and hiked in game sanctuary. So nice to be on foot watching extended giraffe family with several babies, antelopes and other grazers. It was getting late, we still saw hyena (from car). I wish we had more time there, but evening was perfect to see animals. On the way back a huge giraffe was walking along the road (there is nature corridor between small and large lake) – I just saw long legs next to the car window.
In the camp hippos came to shore after dark to graze (electric fence separates them from people at night ). There were monkeys and so many birds, very close. We stayed first night at a banda which was very old with bathroom in need of urgent upgrade, not good and way overpriced. We switched to cottage for 2 nights, slightly more expensive, but so much better. Restaurant had very good food and good travel atmosfere.
Biking and hiking in Hell’s Gate National Park
Next day we rented bikes to ride in Hell’s Gate National Park. We didn’t want to ride on main road from camp, so we tried to rent bikes at park gate – they were all in bad condition. We went back down dirt road and got slightly better ones. We were “pushed” a bit to hire guide which I regret as we would prefer to spend more time exploring on our own (except when we asked the guide to go first to face scary buffalo). Nice to see many animals without car – antelopes, giraffes, zebras, warthogs, and vary friendly rock hyraxes near Fischer’s tower. Scary to pass a buffalo so close. We went for a hike in very narrow Ol Njorowa gorge with hot springs. Biking back at midday was hot and tiring. We relaxed at the camp in the afternoon watching birds and monkeys.
Hells’s Gate
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Rim hike, Mount Longonot National Park
We travelled with the same driver to Mt Longonot National Park, hiked ~2.5 km from park gate to the rim and then ~6 .5 km all the way around the crater, and back to the gate (11.5 km, total elevation gain ~900 m, 2140-2776 masl). This time on our own, without a guide – it’s an easy hike although some parts are steep and dusty. We heard that buffalos on the trail could slow us down. Didn’t see any animals (small herd of cows on side of the mountain), only footprints. We met other hikers from Fisherman’s Camp, they returned with us to the village, where we had chapati with vegetables at a very local place called “5 Star Hotel” :). We strolled through two small villages and a market. Our new friends helped us find shoemaker’s shop set-up in the ditch by the road, my shoes were fixed very professionally while we were waiting – they are still fine – and it was a lot of fun too. A good warm-up before Mt Kenya.
Mt Longonot
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Visiting the village with hikers we met at Mt Longonot
Relaxing at Fishermen’s Camp
With so many animals, lush vegetation and lake it’s great place to relax. Too bad we didn’t have time/energy for camp fire. We watched bands of Superb starlings instead.
Superb starlings at Fishermen’s Camp
