The Great Rift Valley is sprinkled with lakes of all sizes, shapes, forms and waters of differing qualities. Small soda pink coloured lakes, medium sized translucent fresh waters, large azures and jade seas. All hemmed in on either side by walls the sizes of mountains. This, the largest geological event in Kenya, provides its own unique range of habitats.

THE ABERDARES are a beautiful mountain range in the central highlands of Kenya, for the most part, over 3000m (10,000ft) in altitude. Within the heart of these mountains is the Aberdares National park, a magical place of dense forest, and misty moorlands where icy rivers plunge in glorious cascades and waterfalls.

This area is rich in wildlife amongst a variety of mammals more commonly seen are elephant, buffalo, forest-hog, colobus and sykes monkeys and a wide variety of antelope including the legendary and rare bongo. Birdlife is abundant and varied 200 species have been recorded, perhaps the most conspicuous group of which is the sunbirds. Birds of prey such as the crowned eagle, mountain buzzard and African goshawk are of special interest. A game viewing drive, possibly en route to Treetops or the Art, is a worthwhile inclusion.

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LAKE BARINGO & LAKE BOGORIA

Lake Baringo lies in the Rift Valley, approximately 125 Kms(80 miles) north of Nakuru. It is a peaceful place of outstanding beauty, and the home of the Njemps tribesmen, smaller cousins of the Maasai, who have abandoned their nomadic way of life for fishing from fragile reed boats. Baringo is an ornithologist's paradise, its two main attractions being Gibraltar lsland with its large nesting colony of Goliath herons, and the escarpment to the western side of the lake-notably the home of Verreaux's Eagle. Walks along the lakeshore and on the islands offer the chance to identify the abundant birdlife found here, and boat trips tot he Molo River provide opportunities to view crocodile and hippo.

Hidden in formidable hills 50 Kms (30 miles) south of Baringo is Lake Bogoria, a slender stretch of blue water lying under the towering cliffs of the Laikipia Escarpment, and a place of great scenic beauty with its steam jets and boiling geysers- evidence of the origins of the Valley. Lake Bogoria is best known for its greater kudu to be seen mainly along the Easter shore, and the multitudes of brilliant flamingos that often descend on the lake. Time permitting, a side trip to Lake Baringo is a must for anyone visiting Lake Baringo.

LAKE NAIVASHA

Only 90 kms (56 miles) north west of Nairobi, at the foot of the Rift Valley Escarpment, lies Lake Naivasha. Few lakes have a more commanding or lovelier setting than this, the highest and purest of all the Rift Valley lakes. Its secluded lagoons are fringed with papyrus. Mount Longonot 2,977 m (9,109 ft ) a now extinct volcano, dominates the skyline in shades of misty blues and purples. Lake Naivasha claims to be home of more species of birdlife than the whole of British lsles. Water birds exist in great variety and abundance. Pelican, cormorant and heron are well represented and are best viewed during a boat trip on the lake, which also offers the chance to see hippo at close quarters. A notable bird is the African fish eagle which nests in the trees along the lakeshore, and whose haunting cry is heard echoing across the water. A narrow causeway links the mainland to Crescent island, a private game sanctuary, which you can walk, viewing a variety of game such as gazelle, waterbuck, zebra, giraffe, bat-eared fox, and dik dik. 13 kms (8miles) south of lake Naivasha is the dramatic Hell's Gate Gorge- a stark passageway between red towering cliffs. It is here that the Lammargeyer nests- the rarest of Kenya's birds of prey.

LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK

Situated between Lakes Naivasha and Baringo, beneath the high cliffs of the Eastern Rift, lies Lake Nakuru. This is a shallow soda lake surrounded by yellow-barked arcacia woodland and grasslands, rocky cliffs and hillsides covered with the unusual giant Euphobia trees. Lake Nakuru is world famous as the home of myriad flocks of greater and lesser flamingoes which frequently form a stunning pink ribbon along the edges of the lake. But flamingoes are unpredictable and are not always found here in such vast numbers- they migrate up and down the Rift Valley from Natron to Turkana in search of the best food supply. An entertaining spectacle is the large flocks of pelicans found fishing and washing at the southern end of the Lake. Over 400 species of birdlife have been recorded at the lake, making this yet another of Kenya's major ornithological sites. In addition to the birdlife the park is home to herds of buffalo, waterbuck, impala, Rothschild giraffe, and leopard. A defined area of the park has now been designated a rhino sanctuary.

LAKE TURKANA

Lake Turkana is the largest and the most northerly of the Rift Valley Lakes, with its northern shore bordering Ethiopia. Appropriately called " The Jade Sea" because of its remarkable colour which contrasts with the harsh surrounding purple and black volcanic rock, it is undoubtedly the least hospitable, but most fascinating of all Kenya's lakes. Although mammals are not well represented here, the lake is an important locality for the northward movement of European migrant birds. Central lsland National Park accessible from Ferguson's Gulf is a nesting area for large colonies of waterbirds and crocodiles.

Lake Turkana, where men and animals struggle for survival, may actually have been the Cradle of Mankind" itself . The rich fossil region Koobi Fora in the Sibiloi National Park, located on the far north-eastern shore, has revealed fascinating clues to the origins of mankind and his predecessors dating back almost two million years. Access Sibiloi is by private charter, and the only permanent accommodation available is rustic self-help bandas.

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