Things to know about Lake Naivasha

Neatly tucked in a serene location in Nakuru County, surrounded by grassy banks and shingled with cacti and sand olive trees, Lake Naivasha boosts the unrivalled tag of being at the highest elevation of the Rift Valley (at 1,884 metres).

Lake Naivasha is located just 93km from Kenya’s capital Nairobi and has a surface area of 139km², surrounded by a swamp an area of 64 km².

The freshwater lake derives its name from the Maasai name Nai’posha which means rough water because of the sudden storm which can arise.

Lake Naivasha is fed by the perennial Malewa and Gilgil rivers. There is no visible outlet, but since the lake water is fresh it is assumed to have an underground outflow.

It is home to a variety of wildlife including over 400 different species of bird and a huge population of hippopotamus.

There are two smaller lakes near Lake Naivasha; Lake Oloiden and Lake Sonachi which is a green crater lake.