Twenty million years ago the Earth’s crust tore apart, creating the phenomenal 8,000km Great Rift Valley and giving rise to Kenya’s most spectacular scenery. It’s a landscape distinguished by contrasts: uninhabitable desert, beautiful deep blue and green lakes, arid plains, sheer escarpments and towering volcanic mountains.
Rift Valley holidays have endless possibilities. Drive by a pride of lions or a solitary leopard, watch elephants protecting their babies as they search for food and sit by a lake watching crocs, hippos and rhinos in the mud while witnessing a million and more flamingos taking flight from the lake. See it all on one of our Kenya safari holidays, and if you’ve a head for heights, it’s hard to beat a sunrise balloon ride as the light and warmth of a new day brings the plains of the valley to life below you.
Rift Valley Adventure Holidays
8 Daysfrom£ 2615
Guided Group (Excl. Flights)
Enjoy the quintessential wildlife-watching adventure in Lake Nakuru and the Masai Mara
Kenya’s top holiday experiences: The Great Rift Valley
The Rift Valley Lakes: Relax by the freshwater lakes of Naivasha and Baring,o where, as you take in the myriad birdlife, sleepy crocodiles stare sideways at you and fat hippos wallow in the mud. A boat journey onto the lake gets you closer to the birds and you may even get a fish eagle swooping down to your boat in anticipation of food.
Enter Hell’s Gate: On the drive through Olkaria, natural vents erupt with huge sighs and groans as you pass through to enter Hell’s Gate, one of the most intriguing, surreal places in east Africa. As you’re allowed to walk or cycle unaccompanied through the park, you can come face-to-face with grazing zebras, be looked down on by towering giraffes and stare up at the two huge volcanic towers, sometimes teeming with hyraxes.
Teeter on the Losiolo Escarpment: When you stand on this knife-edge ridge and look at the 2,000m sheer drop down into the Suguta Valley, the longest drop in the Rift Valley, you’ll understand why it’s also known as the ‘World’s End’. Try to get there just before dawn and as the sun rises: you’ll see the breathtaking views slowly unfolding below.
It was an absolutely amazing trip. We saw the Big 5 plus their babies. We also saw the Ugly 5. Plus thousands of zebras and wildebeests and hundreds of different gazelles.
The 14 day experience was truly amazing for me and my son. The whole experience including the organisation, camping and hotels was outstanding. The trip involved some long days, long drives and early morning but you soon forgot about this as you were rewarded with amazing sunrises, stunning wildlife in at least five different national parks or wildlife area and beautiful scenery. Our local guides and Exodus team were extremely friendly, professional and knowledgeable.
The final few days in Zanzibar allowed us to chill out on a beautiful white beach and enjoy the Indian Ocean. The optional trips including the Serengeti Balloon Experience, the snorkelling in Zanzibar and the Maasia people tour were brilliant.
This trip exceeded all expectations in terms of the iconic wildlife we saw and the spectacular scenery, with a wonderful guide and crew. Also we had a good group of only 7, and being outside peak season camp sites were quiet, and there was less competition between safari vehicles for prime viewing spots.