Southern Rift Valley Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Map of Southern Rift Valley

• -1.28638936.8172221 Nairobi – the capital city
• -0.53333337.452 Embu
• 0.3537.5833333 Isiolo
• -0.537.2833334 Kerugoya
• -0.68330637.655 Kiritiri
• -1.51666737.2666676 Machakos
• 0.0537.657 Meru
• -0.71666736.4333338 Naivasha – Lake Naivasha
• -0.28333336.0666679 Nakuru – Lake Nakuru is best known as a birder's paradise mainly due to the huge population of flamingos
• 0.01666737.06666710 Nanyuki
• -1.08333335.86666711 Narok
• -0.41666736.9512 Nyeri
• 0.03333336.36666713 Nyahururu

• -0.3836.6991671 Aberdare National Park
• -2.6537.252 Amboseli National Park
• -0.87540436.3191143 Hell's Gate National Park
• -0.36666736.0833334 Lake Nakuru National Park – small, but has a good variety of wildlife (apart from birdlife) including rhino (both black and white), buffalo, lion, leopard, eland and more common plains game such as impala and zebra
• -1.4935.1438895 Masai Mara National Park
• -0.137.26 Mount Kenya National Park
• -0.91527836.4569447 Mount Longonot National Park
• -1.37333336.8588898 Nairobi National Park
• -2.77861138.7716679 Tsavo East National Park
• -3.31666738.13333310 Tsavo West National Park

This is the portion of the Rift Valley in Kenya more or less to the south of the Ewaso N'goro. It includes the capital city of Nairobi and the National Parks between Nairobi and Mombasa.

The rift is home to a wide range of Kenya's peoples including nomadic herding peoples such as the Turkana, Pokot, Samburu and Maasai but also including farmers such as the Kikuyu and even remnant groups of hunter-gatherer peoples such as the Ogiek who live in the remaining forests on the Mau escarpment of the Rift valley.

The new higher-speed standard gauge railway, or SGR for short, runs between the coastal city of Mombasa to Nairobi with stops in Voi, Mtito Andei, Kibwezi, Emali and Athi River. Travel time for the full journey is just over five hours. Kenya Railways operates several trains per day in each direction. The SGR line extends westwards towards Suswa as well, this route is useful for reaching Mount Suswa volcano. The old (and much slower!) colonial railway network is under rehabilitation and trains from Kisumu and Eldoret are expected to return in late 2021. Connections between the two separate networks can either be made in Nairobi or at Naivasha ICD railway station, which the station before Suswa.

Travelling by road, the Matatu is the standard way of getting around. But be warned it can be very cramped, with goods, people and chickens packing into a 7-seater minibus. It is very common for these to go very fast, to be uninsured, and they are often involved in accidents. They drive appallingly and many are not roadworthy especially for long trips up-country or down to the coast as the roads are very badly maintained. They are not often used by tourists for these reasons so beware!

Some of the main trunk roads of Kenya pass along the rift valley so travel in this region is relatively straightforward. The Matatu is good for getting from A to B, but if you want some luxury for not much more you can hire a 4x4 taxi.

The SGR railway can be used for trips within the region. However railway stations are often located outside city centers, necessitating a connecting taxi or bus ride. Additionally, there is a slow train between central Nairobi and Nanyuki via Chaka (just outside Nyeri). While the train is slow, it can be a scenic option for travel to Mount Kenya national park.

• The Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley, that were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011.