Crescent Island

Crescent Island is a private Island on Lake Naivasha that rose to fame after the 1985 movie “Out of Africa” that showcased the beautiful nature of Lake Naivasha and its surrounding. The Island is found within the Great Rift Valley on the eastern side of Lake Naivasha, and it was established in 1988 about 3 years after the “Out of Africa” movie.

Though the movie had a bit of influence in establishing the Island, the main reason the Island was established is that Lake Naivasha had a significantly huge drop in its water levels which drop caused the Island to significantly come up and attach to the mainland permanently to this day.

The Crescent Island though on Lake Naivasha, it’s owned and run privately unlike Lake Naivasha that is managed by the Kenya wildlife services. The Crescent Island is owned and managed by the private game sanctuary on the Island. The Island has plain terrains that are easy to hike and make walking around the Island less tedious and very interesting.

The Crescent Island is one of Nakuru and Kenya’s top destinations, receiving over a thousand guests every year. The Island is surrounded by bushy grasslands, papyrus swamps, acacia woodlands, a forest and amazing landscapes from volcanic activities of the past century.

This Crescent Island is home to a number of bird species that roam around between the lake and the Island which include the fish eagle, herons, black crakes, cranes, pelicans, ospreys, lily-trotters and more. The Island is also home to a number of wildlife that includes zebras, giraffes, waterbucks, Impalas, Kongoni, elands among other animals.

Guests to the Crescent Island enjoy several activities that are both refreshing and relaxing; these activities include:-

Walking among wild animals and enjoying them up-close. This is because this island doesn’t have any predators that can attack either the animals or the humans, so walks on the Island very close to the animals are very common.
Picnicking on the Island
Guided Nature Walks
Biking on the Island
Horseback ridding
Bird watching
Game viewing: the Island has very strategic spots for viewing water animals like the Hippos in Lake Naivasha

The Crescent Island is about 2 to 3 hours from Nairobi city accessed by boat ride on Lake Naivasha or through the sanctuary farm; the farm has a swampy narrow road that you can drive through to get to the Island. The boat ride to the island takes 15 mins from the mainland. Alternatively, you can take a horse ride to the Island.

Though the Island doesn’t have active predators, Lake Naivasha has hippos that come alive at night, so while at the islands guests, are cautioned not to move in the night or even stay out passed 7pm because you may become a hippo’s meal. The Island management and your tour operator will take you the information about Island and give you tips to keep you safe while you visit the Island.

On your visit to the Crescent Island you can also visit the surrounding tourism destinations that include:- Lake Naivasha, Lake Nakuru National Park, Elsamere Museum, Mount Longonot, Hell’s Gate National Park and many more other destinations.

The Crescent Island is open all through the year though it receives most of its guests during the dry season in July, August, September, December, January, February and March. Most tourists prefer safaris during the dry season and also the Island is dry during the dry season, making your visit to the Island enjoyable.

The Crescent Island has a variety of accommodation options that surround it, the accommodation options range from Budget, mid-range to luxury.