Roadtrip Africa (7) | Nakuru–Naivasha

caribu! In other words, welcome to my adventurous roadtrip blog about Africa. I'm Eric and I travel (already three years now) with a scooter and a car through Africa. In this blog I scooter past zebras on the highway and I take a boat trip on Lake Naivasha with a visit to Crescent Island (recommended!).

From Nakuru to Naivasha

It continues smoothly on the highway towards Naivasha. Around eleven I stop for a late breakfast. That again consists of two smokies this morning. The salesman who maneuvers his smokie cart along the highway even gives me a hard-boiled egg.

At the roadside restaurant I frown for a moment. Whole chunks of goat (choma) go on the barbecue there. And that it is goat becomes clear when I see the roasted goat heads on the display case next to it. "Rafiki (Swahili for friend), taste." The goat baker holds a freshly roasted slice of goat in front of me. I point to the smokies and politely decline the test.

Halfway I decide to leave the highway in the direction of Lake Elementaria. At the shore I find a few fishermen, but the huge colonies of flamingos are not there. "Floods, rafiki."

Lake Naivasha and Crescent Island

I have to stop under a viaduct along the highway near the city of Naivasha. A number of zebras graze the roadside there. And that is not an everyday phenomenon. Normally the zebras live in the nearby national park around Lake Naivasha. But what do you do as a zebra, when the grass along the highway is apparently not to be sneezed at…

In Naivasha I then drive a round, but there really isn't much to experience. Time to head to the lake. I follow the sign: 'Lake Naivasha Boat Safari.' And a little later has to work hard to get around all the mud. Floods have also left their mark here. A few Indians (from Mombasa) are standing at a kiosk. They have just returned from a boat trip on Lake Naivasha. Despite a difficult journey due to the many floods, they visibly enjoyed it. "So many crocodiles and hippos, sir!"

In the absence of tourists (it's Covid time) I charter a private boat. After fifteen minutes of plowing through the swamp, the first hippos swim towards me. At Lake Naivasha Resort it's all price. "The resort feeds the hippos," my captain tells me. 

An absolute must: Crescent Island

Then we decide to sail to Crescent Island. A unique experience! The area has been hit by flooding from the mainland in recent years. However, the wild animals have remained! Including a leopard that does not show itself.

You can walk around freely on the island. There are only a few guards to keep you away from the buffaloes. For the rest you can walk everywhere and enjoy zebras, wildebeest, various antelope species and the absolute main attraction: giraffes.

It's so amazing when I'm filming from a few feet away from a baby giraffe, while its mother keeps an eye out from about five feet away.

Lake Naivasha Resort

After the boat trip I get lost again (that's a very annoying quality of mine). On the way I pass one of the many Dutch flower growers that are active in this region of Kenya. Unfortunately due to covid I am unable to get past the gate. There, but of course I have a picture of the waving Feyenoord flag by Van den Berg Roses.

All roads eventually come to a dead end here and in the dark I google whether there is a hotel nearby. From 200 for 60$ Lake Naivasha Resort advertises on Booking.com (NB Genius price; see here for an explanation). And there I go on my scooter. At the entrance they don't know what to do with me. The guards know no better than that the Kenyan Ministry of the Interior has written off the resort. Inquiry at the reception shows that I am very welcome. My reservation has arrived.

Well, there I am in my shorts and Orange shirt. Between the ties and miniskirts of the employees of the Ministry of the Interior. No matter how beautiful the hotel complex is, give me regular guesthouses. Plastic gloves plus face mask required at dinner and breakfast. No cheerful chat with the owner or useful info at the reception. There are a thousand in a dozen of these types of hotels. Only the location differs. Everything is arranged perfectly. There is even an employee who ensures that the hippos from the lake – in the garden separated by an electric fence – enjoy all kinds of delicacies. 

In the next blog I will drive to Nairobi, stay a few days in the Jungle Villa of Charlies Travel and then leave for Amboseli National Park.