Great Rift Valley
Great Rift Valley
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
82 reviews
Excellent
40
Very good
30
Average
11
Poor
1
Terrible
0
cmyw0rld
Melbourne, Australia183 contributions
Feb 2020
This was a short stop on a drive from Nairobi to Lake Elementeita.
The viewing area is just off the road and there is a gift shop and a food stop for some snacks and hot tea.
Beautiful views of the vallery despite it being a bit hazy. Great break stop on a busy road.
The viewing area is just off the road and there is a gift shop and a food stop for some snacks and hot tea.
Beautiful views of the vallery despite it being a bit hazy. Great break stop on a busy road.
Written June 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travel2014573
Mumbai, India10 contributions
Jul 2013 • Friends
The history of the Great Rift Valley is mind-boggling. It is mostly known in Kenya as the East African Rift Valley. The "Cradle of Life" was formed between 2 and 7 million years ago and is the longest rift on the surface of the earth. It starts all the way from Jordan, Middle East, and runs through Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Congo, Malawi and ends near the coastal town of Solada in Mozambique. Once it reaches the Kenyan border, it diverges into two rifts, which later converge near Lake Rukuwa in southern Tanzania. It is approximately 4,000 miles long and 35 miles wide. It was formed due to geological tension In the earth's crust that caused a deep depression, while probably forcing the sides upwards. In Kenya, the Rift Valley gave rise to many lakes that have become a habitat for diverse wildlife and is luscious and green all around. The walls of the Rift Valley are called escarpments, the famous escarpment of Kenya being the Mau Escarpment which rise over 8500 feet and are famous for their height. Watching the valley from above, you feel tiny and insignificant in the midst of so much history. The stalls along the drive sell the most intricate and beautiful handicrafts. I would love to visit again
Written March 30, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kenya-Car-Hire
Nairobi, Kenya14 contributions
Mar 2014 • Family
You start descending the great valley only a few minutes from Nairobi.
Beautiful scenery and a haven for bird lovers in Lake Naivasha and not forgeting the serenity of the huge fresh water lake.
Lake Nakuru awaits you just after Lake Elementaita.The park which borders the overflowing lake (thanks for the Mau conservancy) is well known for the white rhinos.
If time allows Lake Baringo and Bogoria should be a must where flamingoes breed and the hot water spas
Beautiful scenery and a haven for bird lovers in Lake Naivasha and not forgeting the serenity of the huge fresh water lake.
Lake Nakuru awaits you just after Lake Elementaita.The park which borders the overflowing lake (thanks for the Mau conservancy) is well known for the white rhinos.
If time allows Lake Baringo and Bogoria should be a must where flamingoes breed and the hot water spas
Written May 30, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kokodee
Nairobi, Kenya4 contributions
Jan 2014 • Friends
Just a few days ago, my friends and I were in Eldoret for a business function and we wanted a short trip out of town. Kieran Tours and Travels owner Alex Burer organized a fairly affordable day trip to Kerio Valley via the Iten - Kabarnet road. First we stopped at Iten for views of the Great Rift Valley - quite breathtaking with views of of both the Eastern and western escarpments. At the bottom is Lake Kapnorok which is to be open to the public after they increase the wildlife to accommodate the Big 5. Iten town is home to the great marathoners and middle distance runners. They all seem to be jogging around the town and estates. Then we took the winding road down to Kolol and Chebloch (spelling) River where we had a picnic lunch of fried chicken, soft drinks, fruits and ham sandwiches. The local guides are extremely knowledgeable and even took us to see crocodile lying on the banks of the river overlooking the gorges below. These gorges have been formed by raging floods for millions of years. Thereafter some of us swam in the brown waters with the guides keen eye.
Please do not forget your camera and binoculars- the van driver had his binoculars which came in handy at the view points.
Kieran tours can still organize other trips around the North Rift (Eldoret) and other parts of the country. Maybe Masai Mara and Nakuru will be our next trip. The prices for the day trip were quite affordable. email Alex at safariskenya@kierantours.com or kierantours@gmail.com.
T. Benson
Please do not forget your camera and binoculars- the van driver had his binoculars which came in handy at the view points.
Kieran tours can still organize other trips around the North Rift (Eldoret) and other parts of the country. Maybe Masai Mara and Nakuru will be our next trip. The prices for the day trip were quite affordable. email Alex at safariskenya@kierantours.com or kierantours@gmail.com.
T. Benson
Written February 25, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Basemath E
Eldoret, Kenya5 contributions
Jan 2014 • Friends
kieran tours and travel situated in Eldoret, Kenya made our trip to kerio valley worth it. The prices are definately affordable for anyone and lunch was provided thank God woah. The trip began at nine from the keran offices at zionmall and off we took the Iten Road. The landscape is so magneficient. The most interesting part is the winding roads down into the valley. My group of friends were so happy. We saw the beauty and art of the Lord. For lunch we had sandwiches , chicken, juice, n bananas. The other astonishing part was when we watched the local young guys dive into the deep River Chebloch, It was fantastic. Some of my pals swam in the river. Young boys were selling ``mkwaju`` and i gladly bought them but till now i still have them . I took river bed stones to remind me of these beautiful moment. Though thats what i do when i visit an area i take stuff to remind me. The trip back up the hill was short and i didnt want to go home though i had to. We were dropped at the kieran offices at six. Thank you kieran tours for giving my friends and i a trip worth it, memories created, sweet memories.
Written February 25, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Parag D
Kolkata (Calcutta), India447 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
Students of geography can refresh their school day memories of rift valley and rift valley lakes like lake Victoria, Edward, Albert, Tanganyka, Kivu etc travelling along the Nairobi Lake Naivasha road, though not a single one can be viewed from the viewpoints.If one wished to have a glimpse of the great escarpment and the Great Rift Valley, this route is an ideal one.Besides Masai Mara, one of the most amazing experience of my Kenya trip was a glimpse of the Rift Valley.My route was from reverse direction from Masai Mara to Nairobi through beautiful tea growing town of Limuru.The escarpment can be best viewed from specific points, called"the view points".One can have wonderful views of the Masai Mara plains flanked by small mountains on two sides.There are resting places where one can sip hot coffee and enjoy the beauty. A number of souvenir shops attract with tourists with local crafts
Written February 21, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ved_Ray
Mumbai, India38 contributions
Mar 2015 • Friends
Africa's Great Rift Valley is a 6,000-mile crack in the earth's crust, and much of it is to be found in Kenya, where it has literally cut the country in two. It contains some of the finest lakes and mountains of Kenya and is home to plethora of wildlife which are source of major tourist attractions .
The northern part of the valley (northern part of Kenya) is relatively more remote and attracts relatively less tourists . The North Most lake in the valley IS Lake Turkana ,the largest desert lake in the world, and supports Africa's biggest population of Nile Crocodiles.
Further south, there are a number of lakes - Baringo, Bagoria, Nakuru, Elimentaita, and Naivasha - all unique, all supporting a staggeringly large proportion of Kenya’s wildlife.
If you travel from Nairobi to any of the above lakes you will be traveling through the scenic rift valley and the valley looks most beautiful from specific observation points which you encounter on your way.
Near these observation points you will be confronted by lot of vendors selling local hand crafted items which are worth buying if you are good at negotiation .
The northern part of the valley (northern part of Kenya) is relatively more remote and attracts relatively less tourists . The North Most lake in the valley IS Lake Turkana ,the largest desert lake in the world, and supports Africa's biggest population of Nile Crocodiles.
Further south, there are a number of lakes - Baringo, Bagoria, Nakuru, Elimentaita, and Naivasha - all unique, all supporting a staggeringly large proportion of Kenya’s wildlife.
If you travel from Nairobi to any of the above lakes you will be traveling through the scenic rift valley and the valley looks most beautiful from specific observation points which you encounter on your way.
Near these observation points you will be confronted by lot of vendors selling local hand crafted items which are worth buying if you are good at negotiation .
Written April 5, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Isbawandi
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia54 contributions
Feb 2014 • Family
First view was truly amazing and spectacular. Amazing to see a wonderful God's creation. Upon entering the road to Rift Valley, you will be greeted by the view of a very large plains area that stretches as far as your eyes can see. The border between the plains and the valley was made up by a 500 meter (or so) cliff drop. Traffic here was quite heavy and the ride was quite scary with many faster vehicle attempting to overtake the slower moving lorry (the road here is the shortest link from Tanzania to Nairobi-that was what my tour driver said)
Written June 4, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CossyWombat
Diani Beach, Kenya397 contributions
May 2014 • Family
On a sunny day this view form the many observation points is truly spectacular. It is one of the most impressive landscapes I have ever seen. It is a bit fickle and the weather can change in a few minutes to hide Mt Longonot and other high mountains and hills. It is well worthwhile stopping for a few minutes but be warned that it is cold and often windy so bundle up. Also you have to establish yourself with the local vendors who are very keen to sell soapstone and other curios.
Written May 14, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sojan Ipe
Ernakulam, India2,505 contributions
Mar 2017
The Great Rift Valley is part of an intra-continental ridge system that runs through Kenya from north to south. A beautiful sight of vastness. there are many view points where there are curio shops and short eats. the weather is always cool and with gentle breeze.
The valley contains many Hills and a chain of volcanoes, some of which are still active. Kenya is drilling holes into it and with the steam electricity is generated.
The valley contains many Hills and a chain of volcanoes, some of which are still active. Kenya is drilling holes into it and with the steam electricity is generated.
Written April 6, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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