Central Island National Park is set in the middle of the largest permanent desert lake in the world, Lake Turkana. Made up of three active volcanoes, more than a dozen craters and cones are located across the National Park’s Island, three of which are filled by small lakes.
The destination offers stunning scenery of blue-green waters, as they wash the shores of the black lava beach. Hovering over the beaches, volcanoes steam away, giving visitors a unique safari experience during their stay in Kenya.
Crocodile Island
Central Island is also known as Crocodile island, for their volumes of reptiles in the three crater lakes. Crocodile Lake, Flamingo Lake and Tilapia Lake, provide breeding grounds for the world’s largest concentration of Nile crocodiles. Filled with crocodiles living in perfect harmony, they breed on the shores of the island’s crater lakes, a unique sighting for visitors of the island.
How to get there
If you’re looking for an intriguing place to visit, Central Island National Park is the destination for you. Plan your visit and start your journey with Cheetah Safari’s.
- Roads
The Lake is a three-day drive from Nairobi via Marsabit and North Horr, or Maralal and South Horr. Alternatively travel by road from Nairobi to Kalokol on the lake’s western shores via Kitale and Lodwar.
Kalokol boat hire services are available to Central Island.
- By Air and Airstrips
There are two airstrips, Loiyangalani Airport and Lodwar Airport.
What are the key features of Central Island National Park?
There are several reasons as to why you should consider visiting the Central Island National Park for your next safari getaway. If you are planning on visiting, please see some of the key points that have been put together by the Cheetah Revolution Safaris team below:
- Park Climate
The Central Island National Park is scorching hot if you visit between December and March. If you would rather visit during the coolest months, you are best off visiting in June/July. If you decide to visit between May and September, you can also expect to experience some strong winds.
Concerning rainfall, this is a rarity at the Central Island National Park. Yearly rainfall averages out at less than 250mm, and in certain areas it has not rained for a number of years!
- Vegetation
On the whole, vegetation does not come in abundance at the Central Island National Park, however some of the parks covered areas are overgrown with thick grass and bushes.
- Park Wildlife
Central Island National Park is home to a variety of wildlife, such as hippo, bats and planets biggest Nile crocodile population. In addition to this, you can expect to see huge flocks of flamingo’s as well as hundreds of additional bird species.
