KHVS 0023:Kenya Walking Safaris To Loita Hills

KHVS 0024: Kenya Trekking Safari Walking Chyulu Hills

KHVS 0025: Lake Magadi Walking Trekking Adventure

Lake Magadi Safaris, 3 Days Ologasaile-Magadi
Day 1: Nairobi-Magadi
08.00 a.m: Depart Nairobi and drive west to the Ngong hills (which in Maasai means knuckles.). The vehicle will drive to meet you at the end of the Ngong hills hotel and then proceed to the Ologasaile Prehistoric site. Picnic , then lunch, then continue down the sloppy hills in Magadi in time for dinner and overnight at the camp.
Day 2: Magadi
After breakfast drive past the 18 hole golf course through to the medical springs(spas)- relax, proceed to the beautiful lake and unsparingly many species of birds including the flamingos!! Dinner and overnight at the camp.
Day 3: Magadi-Nairobi
After breakfast drive slowly back up-hill; stopping for lunch on the way, arriving in Nairobi late afternoon.
Lake Magadi
Deep in the heart of Southern Kenya’s Maasai land is the unearthly Lake Magadi. This 104 sq km soda lake is completely surrounded by vast natural salt flats. These sweltering hot plains prevent any animals reaching the alkaline lake at its centre. For this reason, thousands of flamingo descend on the lake each year to nest on elevated mud mounds at the lake’s edge safe from any potential predators.
Lake Magadi is the southermost lake in the Kenyan Rift Valley, lying north east of Lake Natron. During the dry season, it is 80% covered by soda and is well known for its wading birds, including flamingos.
It is a saline, alkaline lake, approximately 100 square kilometers in size, that lies in a graben. The lake is an example of a "saline pan". The lake water, which is a dense sodium carbonate brine, precipitates vast quanitites of the mineral called trona (sodium sesquicarbonate). In places, the salt is up to 40 m thick. The lake is recharged mainly by saline hot springs (up to about 83°C), there being little surface runoff in this arid region. Most hot springs lie along the northwestern and southern shorelines of the lake. During the rainy season a thin (<1 m) layer of brine covers much of the saline pan, but this evaporates rapidly leaving a vast expanse of white salt that cracks to produce large polygons. A single species of fish, a cichlid called Alcolapia grahami, inhabits the hot, highly alkaline waters of this lake basin. Lake Magadi was not always so saline. Several thousand years ago (during the late Pleistocene to mid-Holocene) the Magadi basin held a freshwater lake with many fish, whose remains are preserved in the High Magadi Beds, a series of lacustrine and volcaniclastic sediments preserved in various locations around the present shoreline. Evidence also exists for several older Pleistocene precursor lakes that were much larger than present Lake Magadi.
Magadi township lies on the lake's east shore, and is home to the Magadi Soda factory, now owned by Tata India. This factory produces soda ash, which has a range of industrial uses.
These sweltering hot plains prevent any animals reaching the alkaline lake atits centre. For this reason, thousands of flamingo descend on the lake each year to nest on elevated mud mounds at the lake’s edge safe from any potential predators.
Where To Go
NGONG HILLS: When visiting Nairobi, you can not miss the Ngong Hills rising over the Nairobian suburbs highlands (Karen & Langata estates). Ngong hills, of the shape of "the God's hand grabbing the arid soil of the Rift Valley" have four knuckles. The main summit is Lamwia (2,460m - 8,070 ft.). The hills can be easily climb but a K.W.S. guide is recommended as there are risks of smuggling. You need to count Kshs 500 for a guide (at K.W.S. Headquarters). Same remark for cars which should not be left without a guard. The hills provide good walking over rolling evergreen slopes and nice view points on the Rift Valley and the Nairobi plains. - Read also the East Africa Mountains website for a walking guide at Ngong hills.
OLORGESAILIE PREHISTORIC SITE :
This prehistoric site, covering an area of 52 acres and discovered by Louis and Mary Leakey in 1942, has been donated to the Kenyan Government by the Maasai community. This site comprised six different excavated areas where you can see hand-axes, cleavers, various other tools and animal bones. Most of these finds have been left in place and protected by shaded roof. The site has also an exposition center at the entrance which develops further the importance of the discovery. From sediments dating, the site was probably abandoned more than 200'000 years ago. There is possiblity to camp in the site or spend a night in the four bandas (without bed linnen) available. Reservation can done through the Nairobi National Museum - See camping/bandas section for contact and read the historical background of the prehistorical site at National Museum website.
MAGADI TOWN/LAKE :
About soda lakes ? - The explanation of the existence of this shallow soda lake comes from geology. Most volcanoes of the Rift Valley have covered the area with alkaline ashes that contain sodium carbonate. The sodium is carried to the lakes by rainwater. If the lakes have no natural drainage, the sodium stays in the lake water. Therefore, all alkaline lakes are near a volcano : Lake Natron (Tanzania) and Lake Magadi (Kenya) are near Shombole, Olorgesailie (Kenya), lake Elmenteita near Eburu crater, lake Nakuru near Menengai crater, lake Bogoria near Laikipia volcanic escarpment. The tons of algae in soda water and the millions of flamingoes are the final result of thousands of years of volcanic activity.
The town and where to go ? - The Magadi Soda Company is the owner of the lake and the town. A fee is asked at the gate to enter the town and access the soda-lake. The town is very clean and well maintained. The township includes schools, hospitals and even sport clubs (public swimming pool). From town, you can either go eastwards to the Nguruman escarpment (2,330 m-7,644 ft.) and its dense forested area or southwards to the Lake Natron, the Shompole volcano (1,564 m-5,131 ft.) and the Ewaso Ngiro delta.
The eastern road is interesting for bird life as you cross some lake branches soaked by fresh water rivers coming down the forests, allowing birds to drinks and clean themselves. The forest are located on the western flank of the Nguruman escarpment, just after crossing the Ewaso Ngiro river, where the landscape is hilly and evergreen - Read also the East Africa Mountains website for a walking guide at Nguruman escarpment.
The southern track is one of the best place to spot flamingoes as you drive on the lake shore along the southern part of the lake. Two hot springs water, where tilapia fishes specially adapted to hot and alkaline water are living, can be visited. Further south is the Shombole volcano and Tanzania, where there is a beautiful over the lake Natron and the delta of the Ewaso river.
WILDLIFE IN THE AREA : Magadi is one of the best location for watching birds. You can at some point approach flamingoes more closely than in Nakuru lake. Other birds seen in the area are heron, pelican, spoonbill, etc. The best place for bird watching is along the road crossing the two upper branches of the lake where fresh water running down from the forest brings diversity in life. In addition to the birdlife, mammals are abundant as Magadi is between Maasai Mara N.R. and Amboseli N.P. But, large mammals are very discreet during the day. Common mammals are giraffes, warthogs, some gazelles and antelopes and zebras/gnus in July-August. Note the presence of the rare Chandler's mountain reedbuck, rarely seen in Kenyan National Park and of the black rhinoceros.