Kenya vacation lake activities: Baringo Lake vacation highlights

Lake Baringo Boat Rides

The most popular activities around Lake Baringo are boat rides which are touted as competitively as the Maasai Mara is in Nairobi- they are boat offices all over town and literally everyone you talk to will claim to have access to a boat and be able to undercut everyone else’s price. A specialty is a trip to see fish eagles feeding; the birds’ dives for fish at a whistle making for great (if slightly contrived) photo opportunities.

The most reliable trips are organized by the following:

Community Boats and Excursions (Kampi ya Samaki; per boat per hour Kshs 2200)

Lake Baringo Club (Kampi ya Samaki; per boat per hour kshs 7000)

Roberts Camp (Kampi ya Samaki; per boat per hour kshs 2400)

Most boats accommodate up to seven pass angers. A one hour trip allows you to cruise the shoreline while two hours allows you to checkout Parmalok Island. With three hours you can visit Ol Kokwe Island.

Shoreline Surprises on lake Baringo

While some life in the lake is indeed struggling, crocodile populations are healthier than ever- so you best are careful when standing next to the shore. We got lost in the beauty of an early morning sunrise one day while at the water edge, and before we knew it, there were 12-15 snouts poking from the glassy surface directly in front of us- Cue speedy retreat!

While crocodiles open (and hippos) do pose a threat, malarial mosquito’s actually pose more of a risk here- whatever you do remember your bug repellant

Lake Baringo Bird Watching Walks

There is a constant twittering from birds in the trees around the lake, in the rushes and on the face of the escarpment near Kampi ya Samaki. Even if you are not an avid twitcher, it is hard to resist setting off on a dawn bird walk, when you have a good chance of seeing hornbills or a magnificent fish eagle in action. Lake Baringo club offers the most knowledgeable guides and charged Kshs 1100 per person froa60-90minute walk.

Roberts’ Camps and Community Boats and Excursions give less rewarding walks fro about Kshs 300 per person

Lake Baringo Cultural Tours

Lake Baringo Club offers tours to Pokot, Tugen and Njemps villages close to the lake ( Kshs 600 ) ; the Njemps are cousins of the masaai and live one the Ol Kokwe Parmalok Islands and around the lakeshores, mainly practicing pastrolism and fishing. You will usually be able to walk around freely and take photos but you will probably be hassled to buy handicrafts. There is additional Kshs 500 for entering each village.

Other Activities on Lake Baringo

If nothing mentioned so far has floated your boat, there is even an uninhabited and uncharted ‘devils island’ with a fearsome reputation among the normally prosaic locals who wont go near the place at night, claiming you can see flames and hear screaming. So far no visitors have confirmed these sightings but it sounds a bit more exciting than the bird watching!

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