Marsabit County

Attractions in Marsabit County

16. Marsabit National Reserve and Park

Midway through the especial verdant green patch of Marsabit and following the signage to take a right turn is the entrance into Marsabit National Park within the Marsabit National Reserve. The road into the park travels across a heavily forested montane of Marsabit National Reserve and past the spell-binding Lake Paradise before arriving at the park offices. This misty montane mosaic lying uniquely between Kaisut and Chalbi Deserts and overlooking Mount Marsabit is wondrous, if not magical. “Rising gently out of a near desert environment, this great volcanic bump has a certain aura of romance about it.” The 1,554 km2 Marsabit National Park well known for its scenery and beautiful craters lakes is also home a sizeable population of elephants. On the slopes of Mount Marsabit, not too far from Lake Paradise, is Marsabit Lodge, operated and maintained by the Kenya Wildlife Service. Although not where it used to be and a tad bit grey, the lodge is of a modern design with running water and electricity. There are several campsites operated by KWS within Marsabit National Park. Marsabit National Reserve owes its almost cryptic fame to the chronicles of Ahmed the Elephant. In the 1960’s and 1970’s, Ahmed was conceivably the most famous elephant in the world. The good-natured, almost tame crown-jewel of Marsabit National Park, was world-famous for its epic long tusks rumored to weigh 85 kgs each. Upon his death in 1974, a presidential decree was issued to have the remains of Ahmed mounted and preserved at the Nairobi National Museum in perpetuity for the future ages. Marsabit National Park is 565 kms from Nairobi.

Marsabit National Park. All Image Rights Reserved to Safari Bookings

Ahmed of Marsabit was and still is the most legendary Elephant ever to have roamed the African continent. The territory around Mount Marsabit in Kenya may always have been renowned for its extraordinary tuskers, yet this particular ”Bwana Tembo” eclipses all predecessors. Born in 1919, Ahmed came from the forests of Mount Marsabit and grew to become a truly unique giant, justifiably known by locals and big game hunters alike, as “King of Marsabit”.

17. Lake Paradise

“The natural amphitheater of Gof Sokorke Guda, with it’s 150 ms high caldera shelters the fresh waters of Lake Paradise. Sublimely beautiful ringed by forests whose trees are laced with delicate filigrees of Spanish mossand the silken cloaked Colombus monkey.” The Marsabit National Reserve is a well watered area and other water point within it include Elephant Pool, Hulahula wells, Karsa wells, Lagga Lchut, Lagga Lguru, Lagga Mohammed, Lagga Sirba and Lake Bongole (Crater Lake). Tall moss and lichen-laden trees trap moisture from the low clouds and the thick early morning mists to recharge underground aquifers and replenish the water sources within the mountain. The lush forest ecosystem both creates and protects the water; while two crater lakes (Sokorte Dika and Sokorte Guda) serve as small surface reservoirs: the porous mountain is an enormous invisible one. Although Lake Paradise shrinks now and then drastically to no more than a few square feet it is never without a concentration of birdlife. Buffalo are plentiful during the morning and evening hours and herds of elephants habitually pass to water here. It is located within walking distance of the park office and the lodge. It’s widest around May and November.

Lake Paradise, Marsabit National Park. Image Courtesy of KWS

18. Bongore Crater

Bongore Crater, a busy watering-hole for wild animals like elephants, giraffes and buffaloes resident in Marsabit National Reserve, is among its outstanding natural wonders. Bongore Crater which sits on the south-eastern periphery of the reserve is one of three prominent craters (also known as Gofs) in Marsabit National Reserve – alongside Gof Reddo and Gof Sokorke Guda also popularly known as the Lake Paradise. Karare Bongore Resort located on the fringes of Bongore Crater and classified as the first tourist resort in Marsabit County is a great stance to view this. The seasonal Bongore Lake supports plenty of wildlife.

Bongore Crater, Marsabit National Park. Image Courtesy of KWS

19. Jaldesa Community Conservancy

Established in 2013 through Northern Rangelands Trust, the 650 km2 Jaldesa Community Conservancy of a gently undulating plain interspersed by low-lying hills and craters situated east of the Marsabit National Reserve (around Badasa, Jaldesa and Gachacha) is a community-run rangeland aiming to set a balance between livestock keeping and preservation of wildlife through a participatory process led by the Conservancy Board. It lies within a 1,039 km2 communally owned land traditionally swayed by the Borana (90%) and Gabbra (10%) people who are agro-pastoralists keeping livestock and doing subsistence agriculture. Critical wildlife species include elephants, reticulated giraffes, Grant’s gazelles, leopards, lions, ostrich, impala, common zebras, greater kudu and lesser kudu among many others. It is accessed via Marsabit-Jaldesa-Yamich Road passing through Jaldesa borehole and Shurr Town. Callers to Jaldesa Conservancy may be interested in exploring its striking and primitive landscape, viewing wildlife, and exploring the cultural tribal sites. Being a relatively new conservancy, the communities in Jaldesa are concentrating on improving security, infrastructure development and sustainably management. As such, there’s little tourism in the area yet. However, Jaldesa holds great promise, with fascinating, breathtaking natural landforms. So there is no reason natives here could not mark a blossom.

Jaldesa sits between Songa and Shurr Conservancies, and Marsabit National Reserve, in the far north of Kenya, close to the Ethiopian border. Historically, ethnic tensions in this arid and harsh region have been high, as competition over resources for livestock has remained “consistently fierce”.

20. Shurr Community Conservancy

This was launched in 2008 through Northern Rangelands Trust. The Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) partners with local communities to foster peace and stability through conservation. Conceived in 2004 by Lewa Conservancy with support from USAID, NRT brings together local pastoralist communities with land owners and the Government to proselytize the long-term conservation of wildlife in Kenya’s northern rangelands. At present, NRT oversees more than 30 community-owned and managed conservancies, which cover nearly 32,000 square kilometers. The 364 km2 Shurr Community Conservancy nearby Shurr Town and abutting with Jaldessa Community Conservancy (and also accessed via Marsabit-Jaldesa-Yamich Road) was formerly used as a grazing ground by the native Gabbra Community. As a conservancy it aims to protect, restore and bring up to code the rich wildlife and natural resources of the area. Unique to Shurr Conservancy, a dry grassland and bushy savannah with pockets of acacia growth covering a rocky lava-terrain, is that it is a wildlife corridor and a buffer section between the wildlife-rich Marsabit Mountain and Jaldesa Conservancy.