Attractions in Nakuru County
41. Jacaranda Lake Elementaita Lodge
A drop in at Kariandusi Museum and the Church of Goodwill should not omit a visit to Jacaranda Lake Elementaita Lodge to admire the quintessentially gaudy British country home architecture and espy the obelisk shaped cairn in honour of its befallen original owner, Galbraith E. Cole – son of 4th Earl of Enniskillen. After resigning from army duties, serving in the 2nd Boer War in South Africa, Galbraith Cole decided to settle in Kenya where his sister, Lady Florence Anne Cole, had married Hugh Cholmondeley – 3rd Baron Delamere, more popular as Lord Delamere, the most influential settler in pre-independent Kenya. In good time, Delamere gifted Cole with a 30,000-acres estate adjoining his 100,000-acres Soysambu Farm on the western side of Lake Elementaita. Cole named this ‘Kekopey’, Maasai equivalent of ‘the place where green turns white’ in reference to the pale soda dust around the lake. In 1917 when Cole married Lady Eleanor Daughter of 2nd Earl of Balfour, this goodly house with a generous, sun-awning pillared verandah and a pleasurable courtyard peering at Lake Elementaita was almost completed. A century later, its romantic beauty is undeniable. The cairn, erected by Lady Cole in honour of her husband is not far from “the farmhouse”.
42. Lake Elementaita
It may have lost some of its glamour when the flamingos flew and hardly came back but its draw lives on. In 2015 it became the 5th Ramsar Site along the Rift Valley thanks to its importance as a birding area, an average of almost 610,000 birds populated within the ecosystem during the annual census belonging to a resounding 450 species of which 80 are waterfowl. The surface increment of the shallow 13 km2 Lake Elementaita is from the Kekopey, Mereroni, Mbaruk and Kariandusi streams and a kin to Lake Nakuru it is also fed from the water table. Evaporation accounts for its higher salinity. The flora around the lake is mainly Acacia that harbour its multitude of avi-fauna. It is bounded in the south by the bulky volcanic pile of Eburru and in the north by Bahati Escarpment. Between Eburru Mountains and Elementaita is a volcanic cones-strewn area forming a pockmarked rocky wilderness known as the Elmenteita “badlands”. These cones upthrust as striking features from the plain. The most prominent of these is, of course, the Sleeping Warrior massif. About 2/3 of the shoreline sits within the Soysambu Conservancy and there is an impressive catalog of hotels around the lake. A viewing slip-road off A104 Gilgil-Nakuru Road for viewing the Lake has been in existence for many years. Lake Elementaita is found 12 kms from Gilgil.
43. The Sleeping Warrior
Humorously awarded the epithet ‘Delamere’s Nose’, a formal appellation given to the high-ranking owner of Soysambu Conservancy where it sits, the Sleeping Warrior volcanic pile as the name suggests resembles “the face and a body of a reclining human”. On arrival, any skepticism about the profile of the Sleeping Warrior is quickly dispelled. Various interpretations of the particular profile of the figure exist, although ‘the sleeping warrior’ is arguably the most convincing. This oddity is part of the broken basalt craters rising from the dry Elementaita alluvium. It can be easily spotted from several resorts around Lake Elementaita and more exceptionally on the camel-tours around the Soysambu Conservancy.
44. Soysambu Conservancy
The 48,000-acres Soysambu Conservancy hived-off the larger Soysambu Ranch in 2007 aims to conserve the beauty, in perpetuity, for generations to enjoy its sights and sounds. It spreads around most of Lake Elementaita and is loved for its dramatic scenery and natural geological wonders which include the Sleeping Warrior, Kekopey geysers and a series of caves. Other interests: birding, nature walks, horse or camel rides, speleology, open-top drives, bush-dining and sun downers. The cattle ranch and hay farms occupy the grassy plains in vicinity of Lake Nakuru and Elementaita. Wheat, maize and hay are the main crops grown while coffee thrives along the Solai Valley. In 1905 the 100,000 acres Soysambu Ranch was bought by Lord Delamere, turned base address for his burgeoning agricultural enterprise. He had walked across it during his mind-blowing 1,000 kms trekking odyssey from Somalia to Kenya, in 1896, and found it enchanting.
Delamere arrived in Kenya on foot after a 1000 mile walk from Somalia – and fell for the country. He returned to settle in 1903 with his first wife Lady Florence, daughter of the Earl of Enniskillen, and their son Thomas, who was born in 1900. Their initial home was at Njoro, but in 1906- after suffering heavy losses of livestock and money – they moved most of their livestock to the Soysambu Ranch.
45. Heaven’s Gate Prayer Mountain
Heaven’s Gate Prayer Mountain, not related to Hell’s Gate National Park, is a singular touring attraction just outside of Elementaita atop a hill overlooking it. It is a well-thought complex of buildings mingled with outdoor spaces that offer angelic tranquility for Christians who love fasting and praying. The outstanding feature of Heaven’s Gate is the serenity and pleasing panorama. “Complete with beautiful lawns, guest houses, a hall for prayers, watch towers and the beautiful landscaping, the place is like a magnet to pilgrims in search of a calm shrine to pray or fast” – Daily Nation. The road up to the ‘Prayer Mountain’ is fairly good.
46. Lemon Valley Farm
If all the resorts and lodges around Lake Elementaita were not sufficient, the appeal of this budget-friendly bush and camp weekend foxhole is completed by stunning scenery of the lake. Within the vantage of the Kasambara Hill, 4 kms from the A104 Gilgil-Nakuru Road, guests can enjoy splendid vistas, take walks through the countryside, enjoy horseback rides or take a self drive through the farm. The best way to spend an afternoon at the Lemon Farm is enjoying a dip in the swimming pool overlooking the valley and outwith to Lake Elementaita. It offers quirky if not unique accommodation in shabby chic rooms that blend into the farm surroundings without sacrificing comfort – ranging from single bed cabins to a 20-beds hostel-style cabin. The Frog and Toad Canteen is the epicentre of Lemon Valley where guests enjoy a range of exquisitely prepared intercontinental dishes, all with a local twist. To get there, take the turnoff into Lake Elementaita Serena Camp and drive for 4 kms (on an all-weather road) towards the hill following directional signs to Lemon Valley Farm Estate. For more details, get in touch at: reservations@lemonvalley.co.ke or, 0778 915 880.
Abiri Kenya 