Summary
This is a 2 days/1 night tour that takes you to the top of the Great Rift Valley in the name of Mount Longonot and takes you to one of the renowned parks with the Rif valley Lakes, giving you the chance to experience the freedom and awesome wildness of East Africa. The Mountain is just less than 9100ft. above sea level with a tree filled interior and a lonesome steam vent to the north east. This hike is not an easy hike but is achievable by people of average fitness. On the other hand gives you an opportunity for a game viewing and enjoy other attractions within Lake Nakuru National Park.
Itinerary
You will be picked at around 0600 hrs. and begin with a drive north towards Lake Naivasha, you will have a stop along the way for a breath taking views of the Rift Valley , you will proceed with your trip to Mt. Longonot National Park.
Rising from the floor of the Great Rift Valley like a monolith is the extinct volcano of Mount Longonot. A unique feature is the thick forest that lies within the crater of the mountain. The crater rim also provides great scenic views across the beautiful Rift Valley all the way to Lake Naivasha. Major wildlife attractions at Mount Longonot include buffaloes, elands, lion, leopard, bushbucks, common zebra, giraffe and Grant's gazelles.
On arrival, you will prepare and start the assent at 6000 ft. Like all good uphill hikes it will lull you in to a sense of false security with a slow gentle rise to the first peak. The whole tour is only about 8-9 km long but very steep, that it takes about 5 hours hiking to get to the peak. There are four sections before getting to the pick of the mountain. At the end of each section there is a rest point where you can prepare yourself for the next part of your journey.
As you heave yourself over the rim of the crater your reward is the awesome sight of Naivasha and the Great Rift Valley and you know that it was all worthwhile.
You will begin descending and arrive in good time for lunch and later embark on your trip and continue to Nakuru town, the capital of Nakuru County. You are expected in good time for a short city tour and proceed to check in at the lodge for dinner and have the rest of the evening at leisure.
On this day after breakfast, you will depart for a game drive to show you the best of the park.
Lake Nakuru is known as an ornithological paradise by bird-watchers because the lake is world famous as the location of the greatest bird spectacle on earth which boasts anywhere between one and two million lesser and greater pink flamingos that feed on the abundant algae thriving in the lakes warm waters. Other than the Lake itself, the park is also world famous as a sanctuary for both black and white rhino. Besides the flamingos there are more than 400 species of birds that can be seen in the park. The other attraction is, in the large dense woodland is inhabited by pythons that can often be seen crossing the roads or dangling from trees.
You will return to the lodge for lunch and later pick your bags as you proceed for another short game drive as you drive out of the park. You will then embark on your 2 hour drive trip back to Nairobi.
