Masai giraffe in the Shompole Conservancy.

© JordiStock/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Shompole Conservancy

Southern Rift Valley


In a wild and remote corner of the country, between the Rift Valley lakes of Magadi (in Kenya) and Natron (Tanzania), Shompole is one of southern Kenya's most rewarding wilderness experiences. Isolated Maasai villages, dramatic escarpment views all along the Western Rift Valley wall and some surprisingly good wildlife watching more than compensate for the difficulty of getting here. And with much of the conservancy having only recently reopened, there's a chance you may be the only ones here.

The birdwatching is excellent with species you're more likely to see across the border in Tanzania's Crater Highlands than elsewhere in Kenya, while elephants, lions and other large mammals are all possible.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Southern Rift Valley attractions

1. Hot Springs

8.16 MILES

The hot springs at Magadi aren’t particularly dramatic, but you can take a dip in the deeper pools and there are large numbers of fish that have adapted…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "kenya/the-rift-valley/attractions/shompole-conservancy/a/poi-sig/1581412/355341",
      "destination": "Southern-Rift-Valley",
      "continent": "Africa",
      "country": "Kenya",
      "region": "Southern-Rift-Valley",
      "position": "superzone"
    }