Its with a lot of nostalgia that I took this trip to Lake Magadi, the last time I was here I was with a visitor from UK who was retracing her Grandpas footprints in 1920’S. She was armed with the images of how the magadi soda plant looked like then, their mode of transport and their house in kajiado which 4years ago was the residence of the District commissioner it was a very interesting day.
Ngong” means “knuckles” in Maasai, a fitting name since these beautiful pointed green hills resemble the back of a fist facing the sky. The hills are the peaks of a ridge overlooking the Great Rift Valley, and many white settlers established their farms here in the early colonial days. Several walking trails traverse the hills offering beautiful views of the valleys below. Wildlife is also visible in the area. Buffalo, gazelles, giraffes, bushbuck, the occasional klipspringer, and troupes of baboons are often glimpsed grazing along the roadside. For Out of Africa fans, the grave of Denys Finch Hatton, the lover of famous Danish author, Karen Blixen, lies on the eastern slopes, graced by an obelisk and garden. This hills were voted as the most romantic film location in the world.
We approached Magadi from kiseriani corner baridi and we had a stop over at corner Baridi, Ngong hills and champagne Ridge below are our views different times of the day.
On this trip I was actually very lucky as I was accompanied by the best guide anyone could ever have in Maasai Land… I always say if you want to feel the spirit and magic of a destination use local guides they know best. They will take you to all those hidden gems with quite authentic and unforgettable experiences and quite early on the journey we visited Oldanyati quite a serene place in its natural status, just after corner Baridi.. The place has this ridges, caves, valleys, kopjes and hills, if anyone grew up here they must have had one great childhood. Its a perfect place for outdoors e,g hiking, walking, biking, camping and enjoying the panoramic views over and beyond its such a peaceful, serene place as everything goes quiet and you can converse with nature overlooking Olooruka hills at a distance… I loved it..
Around this area there are many places one can stop to eat or have an overnight, for us we chose the country club for our lunch as the views of down below rift are superb and the chef didn’t disappoint.
The way to lake Magadi is rugged , remote, semi-arid and full of beautiful hills, perhaps this area is one of the few places in kenya where residents live according to their traditions, the road is tarmacked all through though we did come across an area with mud on the road perhaps brought by floods.
For history enthusiasts you can have a stop over at the olorgessaille pre-historic site.
It took us may be two hours to get to lake Magadi and the country music we listened to and stories along the way made it look like 30 minutes. Take your time this rugged countryside will mesmerize you trust me you will get there, don’t rush it..
Our first night was at lake Magadi tented camp and by the time we got there it was already late afternoon all we wanted was to flush off the dust and cool ourselves as it was burning hot.
Luxit Africa 