Lake Baringo is part of the Great Rift Valley, the Earth's great scar, which in Kenya is fringed by a string of lakes. After the huge Turkana, Baringo is the northernmost and the largest, with 130 km². Together with Naivasha, Baringo offers the only freshwater shallow in the Kenyan Rift.

The lake is not officially ranked as a protected area, but it is the shelter for more than 400 bird species that give the area its main attractive. The lake is a quiet and solitary oasis embedded in the abrupt and arid land that foresees the northern deserts. Until the end of the 19th century, Baringo and Bogoria were only visited by the slave caravans; the remains of Fort Baringo, dating back to these years, are still visible there. The lake was first described by Joseph Thomson in 1883. Nine years later, in 1892, the English geologist J.W. Gregory explained the Rift Valley creation from his observations at Baringo.

Tourism in the area has increased over the past years, hence Baringo is no longer a place off the beaten track. Still, at the lake's shores you can enjoy a peaceful mood very different from the most crowded parks. Its chocolate waters, stained with the region's soil, change in tonality along the day and depending on the sky's colour. After the sunsets, the visitor can watch the hippos emerging from the water to graze in noisy groups at the moonlit pastures.

The lake is also populated with crocodiles, considered harmless by the local Njemps people, paranilotic fishers and shepherds related with the Maasai that speak a dialect of the Maa language. The Njemps sail the lake in small boats and dip into the water for fishing, while crocodiles wander about with the same purpose. The locals state that fish abundance has supported the croc population in such a way that the reptiles have forgotten the taste for mammal's meat. In fact, the high fish concentration has accustomed the Njemps themselves to this kind of food, which is not very frequent among the pastoral tribes.

Baringo fresh waters host a fish variety absent in the alkaline lakes, which attracts a broad range of waterbirds. The rocky isle of Gibraltar, at the eastern shore, is blessed with the largest Goliath heron population in all East Africa. Another place of interest is the escarpment which lies next to the town of Kampi ya Samaki, at the western shore, where a lucky watcher could find Verreaux eagles, Hemprich's hornbills and bristle-crowned starlings.

In addition to bird watching walks and boat trips, with the guidance of a professional ornithologist, the lake offers a range of activities which include fishing, water sports (ski, wind-surfing), camel rides, day trips to the nearby Lake Bogoria National Reserve or visiting a Njemps village, where you can purchase some of the local handcrafts and enjoy local dances. Activities are mainly run by the lake's two lodges, Lake Baringo Club and Island Camp. Local fishermen also provide boat trips, during which they usually spread fresh fish as a bait for the fish eagles.

Birds are the kings and queens of Baringo. More than 400 recorded species make the visit to the lakeside a competition to achieve the highest numbers of species sighted, the world record set at 342 species in 24 hours. The experience is more rewarding during the rainy season, when many birds fly back to Baringo. If you are not an expert ornithologist, you will enjoy it in any case with a good field guide in your backpack and responding to the chants you hear.

Gibraltar Isle, at the eastern bank, hosts the largest Goliath heronry in all East Africa, whereas the escarpment next to the west shore is the place for watching, with a bit of luck, Verreaux eagles, Hemprich's hornbills and bristle-crowned starlings. Among the multiple birds nesting on the lakeside acacias, you will find several beautiful species of starlings, as well as grey-headed silverbill, grey-headed bush shrike, curly-crested helmet shrike, silverbird, West Nile red bishop and northern masked weaver.

Apart from the herons, waterbirds are represented by the fish eagles, hovering over the fresh fish used as bait by local fishermen, cormorants, pelicans and even some flamingoes from the nearby salty Lake Bogoria .

South of Lake Baringo Club, along the road, there is an area in which you may find rare species such as the male paradise flycatcher in its white phase, the violet wood hoopoe, the grey-headed bush shrike and several kingfisher species. In this area, it is not infrequent to see hippos grazing.