Breakaway Destination Guides (International)

This geologic phenomena, dubbed the Great Rift Valley by the Scottish explorer John Walter Gregory, divides Kenya neatly down the length of the country essentially separating east from west. Today's Rift Valley is characterized by uninhabitable desert and fertile farmland, flat arid plains and steep escarpments.

A natural geological phenomena caused by the weakening of the earths crust followed by volcanic eruptions.

West of Mount Kenya in the Kenyan highlands.

Volcanoes, hot springs and millions of birds.

Some 20million years ago, the earths crust weakened and tore itself apart, causing a jagged rift, thousands of kilometres across the African continent. the land on either side then erupted, creating great volcanic mountains, while the valley floor gradually sank into a low flat plain. The geologic phenomenon, called the Great Rift Valley by the Scottish explorer John Walter Gregory, divided Kenya down the length of the country, essentially separating east from west. Today's Rift Valley is characterised by uninhabitable desert and fertile farmland, flats and plains and steep escarpments.

In some places the natural divide is up to 100km (60miles) wide and at its narrowest point, just north of Nairobi a mere 45km (28miles) wide. The valley floor, at its lowest near Lake Turfkana where there is virtually no distinction between the Great Rift and the surrounding desert. As it heads south, however, the valley walls forms sheer cliffs rising up to 1,900m (6232ft) at Lake Naivasha. From there the valley descends further to 580m (1902ft) at the Tanzanian border.

The Rift Valley is currently home to 30 active and semi-volcanoes and a countless number of hot springs. The string of lakes and boiling springs north-west of Nairobi include Lake Barfingo, Lake Nakuru, Lake Elementaita, Lake Naivasha and Lake Magadi in the South. These lake are unique for their water composition of high concentrated sodium carbonate caused by the high alkalinity in the surrounding volcanic rocks coupled with poor drainage outlets because of the steep side of the valley.

The sodium carbonate content creates an ideal breeding ground for algae in which several species of fish, tilapia in particularly thrive. As a result, millions of birds flock to these soda lakes to feast on the abundant food supply.

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