Crescent Island Lake Naivasha Kenya

Crescent Island Lake Naivasha Kenya is a fantastic private island and wildlife sanctuary that is located on Lake Naivasha, it rose to fame after its distinctive natural beauty was featured in the 1985 movie, ‘Out of Africa’ where you can freely roam with the wildlife. Embark on a boat ride on Lake Naivasha, weaving between pods of hippos to Crescent Island in Lake Naivasha. This is the lip of an extinct ancient volcano that protrudes from the lake and is home to the Crescent Island Game Sanctuary. Take a leisurely walk amongst the animals on the island, there are no major predators on the island, which means that other species flourish in large concentrations, from giraffes, wildebeest, zebra, and waterbuck, while watching the wallowing hippos offshore. They usually leave the lake each evening to feed on the banks and doze under the acacia trees.

Take a walk to the hill’s summit for panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, with Lake Longonot, Hell’s Gate, and the Mau Escarpment in the distance. This vista is charming in the golden hour before sunset when animals graze against the shimmering lake waters.

Crescent Island Game Conservancy is a Game Rich Peninsula in Lake Naivasha, Rift Valley in Kenya. It is a park where you walk with the animals. Crescent Island sanctuary is located in Lake Naivasha about 80 km (50 miles) from Nairobi along the Moi South Lake Road.

It is located in the middle of the lake with miles of walking trails and abundant wildlife that provides a 360-degree view of Mt. Longonot to Hell’s Gate to the Mau Escarpment to Eburu and onto the Aberdares, the view simply blows your mind away.

The Island is an animal and bird sanctuary on the eastern side of Lake Naivasha that is also home to Masai giraffe, zebra, dik diks, steenbok, impala, and gazelles.

Crescent Island was created in 1988 when the Lake Naivasha level dropped sufficiently to allow Crescent Island to become part of the mainland. On the eastern end of the island, sailing is possible at a private boating club. The terrain is flat, making it easy for walkers of all abilities to enjoy themselves.

There is a lot of easy-to-see game e.g. giraffes, waterbucks, elands, wildebeests, zebras, and impalas. It is also a heaven for birds with +200 species recorded. The lake has a lot of hippos, which you can easily spot from the island.

Among the resident, birds are fish eagles, ospreys, lily-trotters, black crakes, and a variety of herons. Hippos also live in the lake. A number of mammals can be seen grazing in the surrounding lake environs, such as zebra, impala, buffalo, giraffe, Kongoni, and, at night, hippos.

A short boat trip from the mainland out into Lake Naivasha gives you access to the unique Crescent Island Wildlife Sanctuary. There is also the possibility to access it by road passing through the “Horse Riding Complex” A wide variety of wildlife, birdlife, and flora lives quite freely out there, and as there are no predators to be found, quite happily as well.

Spend some time wandering around at your own pace and enjoy the peace and quiet broken only by the sounds of the Island’s wild inhabitants.

At only two hour drive from Nairobi, Lake Naivasha Crescent Island is a great place to forget the Nairobi urban life and do some sports activities such as hiking, walking, biking, and/ or game viewing popular weekend retreat for the local communities.

* Bushbuck
* Spring Hare
* Wildebeest
* Cape Buffalo
* Masai Giraffe
* Kirks Dik Dik
* Hippopotamus
* Grants Gazelle
* Burchells Zebra
* Bat-Eared Foxes
* Vervet Monkeys
* Impala Antelopes
* Thompson Gazelle
* Defassa Waterbuck
* African Rock Python
* Silver Backed Jackal
* Bushbuck Antelopes
* White-tailed Mongoose

There is also a resident python called Priscilla (occasionally seen when sunbathing) and of course hundreds of Pelicans, Fish Eagles, and all the other birds. That’s over 1000 head of game on 400 acres – Crescent Island Game Sanctuary is so small and is also surrounded by water – it is a paradise with no effort! Animals cannot wander on and off to the mainland since the park is in the middle of the lake.

Crescent Island Game Sanctuary is safe because they protect the shores and if you decide to pay them a visit they gladly provide guides free of charge to show Guests around giving them information about the Island and the animals.

Crescent Island Sanctuary is located on Lake Naivasha, Kenya in the Great Rift Valley and is simply one of the most beautiful parks in Kenya, often called Naivasha’s best-kept secret. It is private, secure, and patrolled by Guides who can accompany anyone who wishes for a guided walk.

Surrounded by water, it is actually peninsular and is accessible by boat from East or West as well as by road, taking under two hours on tarmac from Nairobi.

Crescent Island Game Sanctuary shores host abundant birdlife especially huge numbers of pelicans, cormorants, and fish-eagles with their haunting cry. There are more animals per acre than in any other Kenyan Park, hence many film companies have been to the Island to film the herds of Wildebeest, Waterbuck, Zebra, and Gazelle.

We are not fenced to allow the wildlife on the mainland to come in as they lose their habitat to development and the ever-increasing population. Hippos graze all over us at night then sleep under the acacia or rest in the water by day. The giraffe who was born on the Island returns to give birth; sometimes you see three generations at a time.

Hyena comes to hunt at night but is not a resident on the island, the many pythons who do live here can be seen occasionally with a kill. Groups of Buffalo come and go but they are always monitored.

From the top of the hill, there is a 360-degree view across the Lake from Longonot to Hell’s Gate to the Mau Escapement to Eburu and onto the Aberdares. Walking along the ridge in the golden hour before sunset whilst watching the animals grazing with the water shimmering beyond, is what Africa is all about…

Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake, unlike Lakes Elementaita, Nakuru, and Bogoria which are Soda. It lies at 6,200 feet above sea level, about 95 km north of Nairobi in the Great Rift Valley. Crescent Island and the adjacent Lotus Island, home of a Yacht Club, form the rim of an extinct volcano protruding out of this Lake in the shadow of Mount Longonot, also an extinct volcano, close to Hell’s Gate National Park.

The name Naivasha derives from the local Masai name Nai’posha meaning “rough water”. The circumference of the Lake is about 80 km, the deepest part is within the Crescent at roughly 18 meters.

It is known to have dried out twice since 1898 and is fed by the Malewa river. It had one indigenous fish until 1929 when the Black Bass were introduced, followed by Tilapia in 1956 but Carp is now predominant.

In the 1940s when air travel first came to Kenya en route from England to South Africa, the four-engine Flying-Boats landed on Lake Naivasha and the foundations of the Terminal and Customs shed can still be seen today on Crescent Island.

It was also pictured on Kenya postage stamps from 1949 to 1952. Naivasha has seen huge development since the 1980s, and the climate ideal for horticulture.

Just forty km south of the Equator with a nearly all-year even temperature, the combination of dry heat during the day, the cool evenings of high altitude plus close proximity to Nairobi on good roads and easy access to wildlife have made it a hugely attractive place to live and many hotels have been built around the Lake.

The island accommodation includes Crescent Island Fish Eagle Cottage, Crescent Island Giraffe House, Owls Nest & Bee Hut, and Crescent Island Hippo House. In addition; accommodation is also available around Lake Naivasha. The sanctuary opens at 0900 hours and is usually closed at 1700 hours.

Guests are advised to be out of the park by 1730 hours as the encounter with hippos is not fun while on foot!

Other hotels in Naivasha include:

Luxury Hotels
* Chui Lodge
* Olerai House
* Kiangazi House

Lake Naivasha Mid-Range Hotels

* Malu
* Loldia
* La Belle Inn
* Lake Naivasha Resort
* Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort
* Lake Naivasha Simba Lodge
* Lake Naivasha Country Club
* Lake Naivasha Great Rift Valley Lodge
* Elsamere Lodge and Conservation Centre Lake Naivasha

Lake Naivasha Camps/Campsite & Bandas

* Crayfish Camp Naivasha
* Camp Carnelleys Naivasha
* Fishermans Camp Naivasha
* Lake Naivasha Sanctuary Farm

Notes:

* School Groups are allowed from Monday to – Friday only

Guests to Crescent Island enjoy several activities that are both refreshing and relaxing; these activities include:-

* Bird watching
* Horseback ridding
* Biking on the Island
* Guided Nature Walks
* Picnicking on the Island
* Game viewing: the Island has very strategic spots for viewing water animals like the Hippos in Lake Naivasha
* Walking among wild animals and enjoying them up close. This is because this island doesn’t have any predators that can attack either the animals or the humans, so walks on the Island very close to the animals are very common

Mobile: + 254-721-242-711
WhatsApp: +254-721-242-711
Reservations: +254 718-179-967
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://africanspicesafaris.com