Great Rift Valley

The Great Rift Valley is one of the most awe-inspiring highlights of Kenya. It is named for the Great Rift Valley Kenya fault-line, which stretches 6,000 miles around one-sixth of the Earth’s circumference from Lebanon in the north to Madagascar in the south. Of the world’s finest lakes, geysers, peaks, and plains along the fracture, most can be found along Kenya’s portion in the Rift Valley, where the crack has literally cut the country in two and created some of the Kenya’s most spectacular lake systems and wildlife habitats.

The Great Rift Valley Lake System

These lakes, coupled with their feeder rivers and rich volcanic soil are the crux of life in the Rift Valley. They begin in the northernmost remote reaches of the country with the rarely visited Lake Turkana, the largest desert lake in the world and the haunt of Africa’s largest population of Nile Crocodiles, and they extend south to the three UNESCO-protected, inter-linked alkaline lakes of the Kenya Lake System. On the shores of the famous trio of Lake Bogoria, Lake Nakuru, and Lake Elementaita reside 13 globally threatened bird species and some of the highest bird diversities in the world, including a spectacular display of flamingo and pelicans. Thanks to the lakes’ role as the single most important foraging site for the Lesser Flamingo—welcoming populations of up to 4 million each year—and their position as a major nesting and breeding ground for the great white pelican, their surfaces remain in a constant, fascinating pink-to-white flux.

The Rift Valley Lake System is further enhanced by its breathtaking backdrop, a moon-like paradise of steep escarpments, hot springs, volcanic outcrops, and more true geysers than any other area of equal size on the planet. It is here where a staggeringly large proportion of Kenya’s wildlife stakes their claim, including the black rhino, Rothschild’s giraffe, greater kudu, cheetah, and the infamous tree-climbing lion.

Explore the Great Rift Valley with Ker & Downey

Whether taking in the exciting geothermal scenery or visiting the fascinating cultures along its ridges, a visit to Kenya’s Rift Valley and its beautiful Lake System promises of world of unbelievable “firsts”, especially when paired with Ker & Downey’s signature luxury African safari service. Experience your own luxury Tanzania safari or Kenya safari with us today!