Samatian Island
Price Guide - $370 - 560 pppn
Ross and Caro Withey took on this family property in 2000 and, having been brought up here herself, Caro is now rearing her only family on the island. Together, the couple have invested a great deal of time and energy into re-inventing this lovely island retreat, painstakingly adding and renovating rooms and building a lovely pool. This last was no small feet as it entailed a caste-iron cement mixer being ferried across to the island on fishing boat...a precarious endeavour to say the least. Their commitment has paid off though, and they now have a truly beautiful and unique lodge and home in one of the most stark and intriguing areas of Kenya. Read more?
Baringo's silty waters and surrounding rocky escarpments differ sharply from the other Rift Valley Lakes and, long neglected, the area has suffered under a withering climate and over-grazing. The island is a calm vantage point which affords guests ever-changing views of the lake and mountains behind.Each room is open-fronted but entirely private. Aside from a good deal of relaxation and view-watching, there are a number of activities on offer here.
For those interested in a bit of culture, there are visits to see the very different Pokot and Njemps tribes. The Pokot remain one of the few Kenyan tribes largely unaffected by western influence and the Njemps, cousins of the Maasai, have adapted to their watery home by making flimsy balsa-wood boats.
There are over 450 species of birds including some peculiar to this area and there are some varied and interesting walks and jogging trails on the islands and the mainland. Samatian certainly fall into the 'off the beaten track' category and the personal attention of Ross and Caro makes a stay here very homely and relaxing.
Location - Baringo and Bogoria
Baringo is a fresh water lake in a harsh dry rock strewn landscape where it's hard to say what the inhabitants of this area manage to survive on. Much of the ground vegetation has been decimated by the herds of goats, leaving it bare and vulnerable to erosion. Jump to page?
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