LAKE MAGADI
Lake Magadi lies in a Rift Valley depression 1.000m below Nairobi as an amazing unique and vast shallow pool of soda (the second-largest source of soda in the world), a sludge of alkaline water and crystal trona deposits and one to he hottest place in the country. Nature lovers, bird lovers and adventure camping tourists visit Lake Magadi to observe its spectacular geographical landscape and fauna, including flamingos and Pelicans.
The Magadi Soda Company owned by the Indian company Tata operates the unlimited soda resources. as the hot springs gush out of the earth’s crust to provide an inexhaustible supply of briney water for evaporation. By comparison with the rest of Kenya, the company pays its 700 staff high wages, starting at around 40,000 KES per month; people tend to get drunk a lot, and staff accommodation and many services are free. Some Maasais also live on the shore of the lake.
Best time. Avoid visiting the Lake is December - January due to the high temperatures.
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Get to Magadi
By car from Nairobi is 4 hours driving. On the way some local Maasai will do hitchhike. If you have a free seat, try to pick them up!
Before getting to the lake, visitors must pass a company police barrier where you sign in and enter over a causeway, past surreal pink salt ponds, often flocked by flamingos. Now on company territory, a sign advises visitors that “it is dangerous to walk across the lake surface”, just in case you were contemplating a stroll across the soda. Note that some of the company police are touchy about you taking photos of the factory installations.
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Once you reach to Lake Magadi Main Gate, officers will ask you some fees for enter and camping on the shore of the lake. To get to the hot springs located in the south of the lake, you must follow the Shompole road. There you will find some facilites to camp such as basic bathrooms (a hole in the ground).
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The climate here is really hot, reaching 40º in the mid day and 30º at nights. You can buy some waters, have lunch or swim in the poo in the near Magadi Sports Club.
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What to do in Lake Magadi
Hot springs (really hot!)
Birdwatching. There’s a wealth of avifauna here, including, usually, large numbers of flamingos at the southern end of the lake.
Visit the facilities of the Tata company.
Observe spectacular sunset, sunrise and stars in the sky at nights.
Shompole Conservancy. It is a large privately operated conservation area. Wildlife include giraffe, buffalo, elephants and desert antelope such as gerenuk and oryx. Fom hot springs you can drive west to the Ewaso Nyiro River at the foot of the Ol Choroi. You will need 4WD.
Find a mud river to take a fresh bath near Lale'enok South Rift Resource Center. You will need a 4WD.
Buy some souvenirs from local Maasais.
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Note: Bring enough sun cream.
