Kenya vacation lake hotels: Lake Bogoria vacation rentals

Sleeping and Eating

Camping is the only sleeping option with the reserve. If you would prefer a roof, there is a top end hotel nearby and various dives near the Loboi gate.

Fig Tree Camp (Camping Kshs 500)

Nestled beneath a stand of massive Fig trees is this fantastic site. Sure the loos lack doors and baboons can be a nuisance but there are brilliant views down the lake and a permanent fresh water stream. The 2 km drive (4WD only) or hike from the main pack is worth the trip alone.

Acacia Camp (Camping Kshs 500)

A pretty lakeside site shaded by Acacias, with some soft grass on which your tent can rest. You will have to bring your own water. Acacia and Fig tree blow the socks off the dismal hot springs and VIP campsites.

Papyrus Inn (s\tw with shared toilet Ksh 500\ 800)

This overpriced place is in a bit of a sad state, really with crumbling walls and filth pervading the rooms. Its proximity to the lobby gate is probably its only redeeming feature.

Lake Bogoria Hotel

(s\d include breakfast USD$ 70\90). Set in lovely grounds around 2 km before Loboi gate, this hotel is a quality option with two swimming pools, one of them spring-fed. The rooms in the hotel are large and bright, while those in the new cottages (which are the same price) are more modern and much more comfortable.( Lunch\ dinner buffets Kshs 600\700, mains Kshs 100\350) serve a variety of dishes, several with vegetarian options.

The town of Marigat located nearby is a local good place to buy produce or to have local meals:
Kamco- Hotel (off B4 Hwy: meals Kshs 40-150)
Union Hotel (off B4 Hwy: meals Kshs 40-150)

Getting to Lake Bogoria and around

There are three entrance gates to Lake Bogoria – Emsos in the south, Maji Moto in the west and Loboi in the North. The turn off of for Emsos and Maji Moto gates is at Mogotio, which is about 38km past Nakuru on the B4 highway, but both of these are poorly sign posted and inaccessible without a serious 4WD.

Loboi gate is a far more straight forward point of entry, reached by taking a turn off shortly before Marigat. It’s 20 km from here to the actual gate along a good sealed road. The sealed road continues to the hot springs, but is horrendous shape in this section.

The nearest petrol station is found in Marigat. Without your own vehicle Loboi gate can be accessed by Matatus from Marigat (50 Kshs, 30 minutes). Regular Matatus serve Marigat from Nakuru (Kshs 80, 2 hours) and Kabarnet (Kshs 140, 1 1\4 hours).

Location of Bogoria Lake is right in a hot and semi arid environment so the lake provides the much needed cool environment. Look out for soft grounds on the lake shores that you can easily slip into and get yourself scalded by the bellowing steam.

The hills overlooking the lake offer a breathtaking view seemingly hiding the lake from the elements. There is also the occasional antelope on the fringes of the lake but the general attraction here is the lake and its steam bellowing shores and flamingos.

Robert is a tour expert in East Africa Kenya travel. He is a director of a Kenya tour operator company and degreed in tourism management. For more Blah on Kenya tourism see: http://www.landmarksafaris.com/planner