Visit Lakes of the Great Rift Valley
The Shompole Conservancy lies 120 kilometres south of Nairobi on the border with Tanzania in the heart of the Great Rift Valley. It protects 35,000 acres of untouched wilderness and borders onto the shores of Lake Magadi. Dormant volcanoes dot the horizon and towering over the conservancy is the extinct volcano which gives the area its name Shompole. Running along one edge of the conservancy is the Nguruman escarpment whose forested slopes are home to buffalo and countless bird species. Stretching out from the escarpment are the vast sun baked plains, mud flats and swamp where zebra, giraffe, antelope and warthog roam and at night the resident prides of lion are heard calling to each other. On the southern border of the conservancy lies Lake Natron, a soda encrusted lake where lesser flamingos come to breed. From the top of the escarpment the views are endless and in the heat of the day during the dry season the wind across the plains whips up the dust into impressive dust devils. The conservancy is owned by the local Maasai community and its establishment has helped to both protect this stunning natural habitat and directly benefit the community. Shompole is above all a spectacular wilderness destination and a successful community conservation area.