I am awake in the middle of the night at Elsamere. There is a steady sound of munching outside the chalet. The Hippopotamuses are mowing the lawn, as usual, and a peek out of the window shows several large forms moving slowly across the grass, heads down, daintily avoiding the planted flowers, almost close enough to touch.

Elsamere is on the shore of Lake Naivasha in the Kenyan Rift Valley, with comfortable accommodation for guests and excellent food. It is run by the Elsa Conservation Trust, occupying a house built by the late Joy Adamson and husband George, of Born Free fame, and has a museum to their memory. We spent a fascinating three weeks there in January and February.

The site hosts a healthy colony of Black and White Colobus Monkeys, an endangered species, and has an impressive bird list. A pair of Fish Eagles nest in the grounds. Daily feeding of monkeys and eagles provides great entertainment and photo-opportunity to guests. Lake Naivasha is home to a large number of water birds and waders, especially during migration seasons. Boat trips from Elsamere are a good way to see these, helped by a knowledgeable boatman, as well as encountering the many Hippos living in the Lake. You can also visit the Crescent Island Wildlife Sanctuary.

There is a Field Studies Centre on the site, supported by the Trust, teaching ecology and conservation to schoolchildren and their teachers, in an effort to stem the damage being done to the environment as population growth and development gathers pace in Kenya. The staff is doing an excellent job, an inspiration to us all. There is a Kenyan graduate as coordinator, a graduate volunteer and a botanist. The Centre has its own accommodation for visitors and schoolchildren.

The water in the Lake is fresh and a cause of much controversy as local flower and vegetable farms draw it off for irrigation. Fish stocks have also been badly depleted by overfishing to feed the sudden increase in population come to work on the farms. There is, however, an active conservation movement involving local landowners determined to limit the damage. It was moving to hear children singing songs and reciting poems urging their parents and elders to improve behaviour towards the environment. This was at a gathering in the Field Centre of teams from local schools in celebration of World Wetland Day. Lake Naivasha is a Ramsar site because of its birds.

Just a few miles from Elsamere are the Hells Gate National Park and Crater Lake. Hells Gate consists of a narrow valley between volcanic rock cliffs and holds a splendid collection of wild game throughout the year, including Zebras, Giraffes, Warthogs and various Antelopes together with Klipspringers. The absence of really dangerous animals such as Lions and Elephants means that visitors can walk and cycle through the Park without harm, although Buffaloes can be a bit tricky. The cliffs hold large numbers of Vulture nests, while Eagles and Falcons may be seen. To exploit this further a hide has been constructed on top of the cliff, called the Vulture Restaurant, where meat is put out to bring the birds in close. Plans are in hand to re-introduce the Lammergeier as a breeding species.

Elsamere is only a day trip from the Nakuru National Park, one of the best places to see Leopard and White Rhinoceros, which has been re-introduced. The alkaline lake there is famous for its Flamingos. It is also relatively easy to reach the Masai Mara National Reserve, still considered to be the best place to see large numbers of wild game, including Lion and Elephant.

I say easy, but not painless. Our 4WD trip to a Safari Camp for three days was along rough, wet and deeply rutted roads for much of the way, made worse for the return journey by several thunderstorms. The vehicles and drivers are well up to the task, however, and we had little fear of getting bogged down. The camp site near the Mara River was very comfortable and from it we had several game drives and even a bird walk, accompanied by a Masai warrior with spear and field guide. We woke in the night to the roaring of Lions and the grumble of a Leopard close by, while further off the Hippos bellowed in the river. Magic.

David Knight 6th March 2001