Experience the best of Naivasha

Naivasha lies in the Great Rift Valley nearly two thousand metres above sea level, beside Lake Naivasha, a freshwater lake fringed with papyrus and acacia. Hippos graze along the shore at night, and fish eagles call over the water, which makes it a good place for boat trips among the birds. The surrounding land is a patchwork of farms, flower greenhouses and ranches.

Crescent Island, joined to the shore by a causeway when the water is low, is a game sanctuary where visitors can walk among giraffes, zebras and antelope. Hell's Gate National Park, with its red cliffs and gorge, is a place to cycle among wildlife, and Mount Longonot has a walking trail around its volcanic crater rim. Elsamere, the former home of the conservationist Joy Adamson, stands beside the lake as a conservation centre.

Naivasha is Kenya's flower-growing centre, and roses from the lake's greenhouses are exported across the world. Nyama choma, grilled goat or beef, tilapia from the lake and sukuma wiki, kale cooked with onion, are everyday meals. Mornings are cool at this height, and the dry months of mid-year have the clearest skies.