The air was damp with morning dew and the dusty red dirt remained tamped down to the road beneath the wheels of the Land Cruiser. It was cool enough to need a sweater but the clear blue sky prophesied the searing afternoon heat that awaited us in the Rift Valley. Darting through the Nairobi traffic we finally made it onto the A104 that would take us past Lake Naivasha and on, 150km north of Nairobi, to Lake Nakuru. A journey that in the UK might be expected to take 2 hours, as a result of the Nairobi traffic, questionable road surfaces and numerous police checks, takes closer to 5 hours in Kenya (OK, we did stop for lunch) . Between Nairobi and Naivasha, a distance of about 85km, we passed no fewer than 6 police checks. We were lucky enough not to be stopped at any, but the constant slowing of the traffic and nervous glances at glowering police officers adds time and worry to the journey. However, the drive was a much more enjoyable experience than these facts might suggest. Nairobi was established first as a rail depot, but then became the capital of the British protectorate as the colonials sought both the rail links and the temperate climate of the area. At an altitude of 1,661 metres it is cooler and home to fewer mosquitoes than the rest of Kenya. So as we descended from the plateau we were treated to spectacular views stretching right across the rift valley and could see the peaks of Mount Gikuni, Kiriri, Githingucho and Longonot towering in the distance.

Once in Naivasha we stopped for lunch at Fishermans Camp. A bar/restaurant is set back about 200 yards from the edge of the lake in the shade of yellow fever trees (Acacia Xanthophlea) and the affordable menu included both authentic Kenyan dishes and reasonable attempts at Western food, all served up with some entertainment from Vervet and Colobus monkeys in the nearby foliage. After filling up on cake and coffee we had a stroll down to the lake shore to take in some of the wildlife. Kenya never seems to disappoint on this front and we were able to see Cranes, Egrets, Flamingos, Hottentot Teals, Hadada Ibis’, Marabou Storks, Pelicans and a host of other bird species we weren’t knowledgeable enough to identify. Our hunger and curiosity placated, we hit the road again to cover the remaining clicks to Nakuru. As we rounded a bend about 20km from Nakuru a mass of white tents came into view across the valley. As a nightmare is the antonym of a dream, this camp appeared on the horizon like an antonym to a mirage. It was a camp for internally displaced people that the Kenyan government says no longer exists, yet it was so clear to see against the otherwise desolate muddy-brown landscape that you despair at the glaring lies.

From this barren expanse we swept down into the town of Nakuru, a dusty, ramshackle, crowded and feverishly bustling town much like the outskirts of Nairobi. It is always amazing to go from such an empty wilderness to streets packed with throngs of people. The Chester Hotel, where we were staying that night, is located at the southern end of town, next to the football stadium and a ten minute drive from the gates of Lake Nakuru National Park. We were in the older of the two buildings owned by the hotel and, although it was clean and tidy, the signs of wear and tear gave away its age. After a filling buffet of stew (possibly goat?) and rice we headed to our sagging beds to rest up for the following days safari, but sleep was hard to come by. The rooms of the hotel all open on to a central atrium and the sounds of music blaring, pots and pans crashing, and the passing traffic outside resonated late into the night. Luckily a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausages, coffee and a strange hybrid of cereal and porridge provided the perfect elixir for bleary eyed wannabe adventurers.

After some typically Kenyan administrative faffing at the gates to the National Park, we began to trundle through the forest surrounding Lake Nakuru in search of wildlife. We had heard that there are sometimes Lions in the park and had a first hand account of a Leopard being spotted, but on this occasion the big cats must have been napping. Nonetheless, there was a plentiful display of wildlife on show for us and I can highly recommend a half-day safari at Lake Nakuru National Park. We found a Hippo in a ditch, had a Mexican standoff with a Waterbuck whose breakfast we had interrupted, and were flashed by an entire troop of miscreant Baboons. The lake itself is looking worryingly empty at the moment as this year Kenya has seen its third major drought in a decade. There are still a lot of Flamingos around, our guide thought about 20,000, but in times of plenty it is not unusual for there to be millions feeding in the lake. Despite this, life goes on, and when you look out over the park from the top of Baboon Cliff you can see little pockets of activity throughout the landscape, like the first green shoots that will appear when the rains finally break.

Please let me know what you think of this hub in the comments box below and check out more lakes in part 2 - Baringo and Bogoria.

Have you been to Kenya? Are you considering/planning a trip to to Africa? Have you spotted any of the Big Five? Have you had first hand experience of the perils of Kenyan roads?

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