Lake Oloiden,Naivasha Kenya.

Have you ever fallen in love, so hard, so bad and so desperately?

I know you probably want to know if I have, and the answer is yes. I am in love. With a guy I met, just last weekend. He is rich, quiet and shy. Very little is known about my Mr.

He is surrounded by the big, popular and loud guys, but my man chooses to be quiet. I like it that way, I want him to maintain a low profile. Haha competition is real you know… and a girl must protect her own…

But wait a minute, I am already talking about him here, so I might as well just spill it…

This guy lives in Naivasha.

His name…(drum rolls)…. is ….(Faster drum rolls.)  Lake Oloiden. hahahaha! Gotcha!

Lake Oloiden is a small salt water lake in Naivasha just next to Lake Naivasha. My tour guide, a local, told me that a long time ago it was part of the larger L.Naivasha but a hill(s) grew in between and/or Lake Naivasha  ‘moved’ away… (I wish I could get a researched version of this theory. (If you have any valuable info about this lake, please share with us).

Lake Oloiden is along South lake Road, about 27Km from the start of the road. As you approach the lake, there is a small shopping center called Kongoni which is about 800m to the lake. The lake is on the right side of the road. ( see who tried to give directions there!)

If you love nature photography, water bodies, land forms, amazing landscapes, peace, quiet and tranquility then this is the place.

This lake is hidden and that is why very little is known about it. However, I can confidently say that never in my life have I ever had a mix of awe, thrill, fear and amusement in just under an hour.

  1. Awe.

As you drive in towards the lake, the road is a bit curved so you just don’t know what to expect. Then Alas! the curtains are drawn and you get to see the secret nature has been keeping from you. Bliss!

Lake Oloiden
Lake Oloiden.

2.Thrill.

The boat ride.It will cost you Ksh.2000 to rent a boat for about 30 minutes. The boat carries a maximum of 7 at a go. The thrill  about this ride is debunking of the myth that L.Oloiden is tiny.What you see with your eyes when standing on the shore is not what is actually experienced when you go for the boat ride! It is fairly big.

Nothing beats the feeling of seeing a tiny hill across the lake then only to move closer and discover it is actually huge.

Oloiden hills.
Oloiden hills.

3.Fear.

What would you do if you see a huge hippo a few meters from you, then at the blink of an eye it is not there. You quickly open your eyes and now it is just centimeters from you.You swallow hard and open your eyes wide while murmuring incomprehensibles…the next thing you know it has swam right beneath your tiny boat to the other side only to resurface with its mouth wide open!!! The questions that go through your mind suddenly are… where is the mother, father and siblings? How fast can I swim to the shore(Swim? to where?) Am I at peace with my maker? Jeez! It is scary. I wont talk about the confessions I heard from my pal Myra… (hilarious)

Scary hippo
Scary hippo

4. Amusement

birds3
Grooming time.

Peeping giraffes, ducking dik diks, grazing zebras, grooming birds, cheerful fishermen, croaking frogs,old cabin houses, rolling hills, green campsites and so much more… I could go on and on and on and on but no. I will stop at that.

Peeping Giraffe.
Peeping Giraffe.
Pelicans...
Love birds?

See why I fell in love and why I will go back again when the sun shines?


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I travel, I write about travel. I take travel photos. Talk to me about destination reviews,cultural trips, and responsible tourism.

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  1. Myra

    6 May

    You have conveniently forgot to mention that the boat stalled there and then when the hippo started swimming towards us? Weh! But my oh my L.Oloiden is huge, it started overwhelming me cause I had underestimated it lol. What of ‘nyumba ya mzungu’? I stop ✋

    • Bonita

      6 May

      Hahaha. Myra, and you know you have big eyes already! How could I forget ‘nyumba ya mzungu?’ You mean the boat stalled for real? I thought the guy stopped it…Gosh… ah…

  2. Anthony

    6 May

    Kindly what are the prices for accommodation in the place.

    • Bonita

      6 May

      Hi Anthony, there are so many campsites , hotels and lodges in Naivasha. I also saw Oloiden campsite during the boat ride. Let me check out their rates and inform you.

  3. Anonymous

    6 May

    Wow! I’m in love already. Is the boat ride Kshs.2000 per person?

    • Anonymous

      6 May

      The next time you go there please visit the place. Its worth it. The Ksh 2000 is for renting the boat for 30 minutes. The boat can carry a maximum of 7 guys though…

  4. CYNTHIA NOELLER

    6 May

    In my maternal language the boats are called Andururu(, tradition made boats) before you reach the scary hippo the most scary experience is the Andururu which after a while you adopt and love the ride

    • Anonymous

      6 May

      Hahaha I should probably change the article to ‘The Scary/Thrilling Andururu ride ?. I thought it is called ‘meli’ *insert mother tongue accent*

  5. Okay literary I’ve heard of this Lake once or twice in my life time I think.

    • Bonita

      6 May

      I heard someone mention it vaguely in a conversation and decided to check it out. Maybe you should check it out ?

  6. Myra

    6 May

    Big eyes? All the better to see the hippos for you and warn you lol which I did but alas! Yup the boat motor got in a muddle with the fishing lines.

    • Bonita

      6 May

      Hehe this once they failed us! ???.

  7. Mungai

    7 May

    …they were not ‘cheerful fishermen’ – walikuwa #poachers! At least that’s what the guide said. ..

    Good piece.

    • Bonita

      8 May

      No way… I saw them smiling ???. They were poaching fish? And smiling? They were stealing? Poaching in broad day light… Gathoz!

  8. Anonymous

    8 May

    Nice piece Bonita. I will visit soon majaliwa. Thanks, I din’t know such a lake exists. Next time msiniache.

    • Bonita

      12 May

      Hey Anonymous ?,
      I am happy I created that awareness.It will be fun to have you tag along…thanks for checking the article out.

  9. Thanks for this piece… A pleasant read all through.

    • Bonita

      19 June

      Thanks Dennis. I am glad you liked it!

  10. Eva

    4 June

    Spring is here! I’m at Oloiden like yesterday! Thanks Bonita …….it’s a bucket list plan……it looks so chilled and one of those places to go offload a truckload of stress!

    • Bonita

      19 June

      Eva, maybe this weekend we should drive down to Oloiden and its environs. What say you?

  11. Anonymous

    21 December

    5

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