Tourist Places to Visit in Lake Rudolf, Kenya, Africa

Tourist Places to Visit in Lake Rudolf, Kenya, Africa

Lake Turkana, earlier called as as Lake Rudolf, is a lake in the northern part of Kenya, lying on the Ethiopia border. It holds many titles such as the largest permanent desert lake in the globe, the largest alkaline lake in the globe and the 4^th largest salt lake in the globe by volume. The lake measures a catchment area of 130,860 km², surface area of 6,405 sq. km and surface elevation of 360.4 meters. The lake is home to three national parks such as South Island National Park, Central Island National Park, Sibiloi National Park and gathering these three national parks together gained place on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Lodwar is the major town near to Lake Turkana.

Connectivity to Lake Turkana:

The area surround Lake Turkana are served by Lodwar Airport, which receives schedule flights from Lokichogio and Nairobi, catered by Aircraft Leasing Services and seasonal flights from Eldoret and Kitale, catered by Fly540.

The town of Lodwar (nearest town to Lake Turkana) is well connected to the national capital, Nairobi by scheduled bus services. Dayah Bus is the prominent bus operator charging around 2100ksh from Nairobi to Lodwar. Lodwar also can be reached by rental vehicle from Nairbo but that is relatively expensive.

Shopping and Food in Lake Turkana:

Lodwar is the prominent town near Lake Turkana, housing all sorts of modern and traditional shopping options and food corners. Also, it is advised for visitors to bring some local currency as many shops and restaurants Lodwar don’t accept credit cards.

Things to do in Lake Turkana:

Bird watching
Day tours
Boating
Hiking

Places of interest in Lake Turkana:

Sibiloi National Park:

The Sibiloi National Park is one of three national parks belonging to Lake Turkana, situated on the northeastern shore of the lake. Established in 1973, the park is especially noted for the Australopithecus and early homo fossils. The park sprawls over an area of 1570 sq. km.

Central Island:

The Central Island National Park is located in the heart of Lake Turkana. Along with Sibiloi National Park and South Island National Park, the Central Island National Park was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1997. The Crocodile Island is also called Crocodile Island for its abundant crocodile population.

Bird watching at Lake Turkana:

Bird watching is one of the popular activities among visitors coming to explore Lake Turkana. The region in and around park houses dozens of native Kenyan birds, including Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, African Skimmer and Little Stint.

Desert Museum:

The Desert Museum situated in Turkana District showcases the features of the people native to Lake Turkana region, especially on distinct Lake Turkana Cultural Festival. An ideal site to know local culture and tradition.

List of other places of interest near Lake Turkana includes:

Marsabit National Reserve
Eliye Springs
Ol Kinyei Conservancy
Mara River
Mara Naboisho Conservancy
Olare Orok Conservancy
Amboseli National Park
Ol Pejeta Conservancy
Observation Hill
Crescent Island Game Park
Selenkay Conservancy
Shaba National Reserve
Lake Nakuru
Lake Oloidien
Musiara Swamp

Best time to visit Lake Turkana:

Lake Turkana features a hot and very dry climate and the best time to visit Lake Turkana to explore its beauties is from June to August.

Accommodation options in Lake Turkana:

Being a top tourist destination, the Lake Turkana is surrounded by plenty of accommodation centres such as lodges, camp sites, guest houses, vacation rentals and hotels with all basic facilities and services. Some nice hotels around Lake Turkana are listed below: