Tucked away in a hidden corner of Kenya's Great Rift Valley, Crater Lake offers a stirring encounter with wild Africa, just ninety minute's drive from downtown Nairobi. This magical lakeside lodge is the perfect stopover en route to the Nakuru and the Masai Mara game parks, as well as a romantic getaway by itself!

At Crater Lake, the wild world of Africa meets the refined elegance of the colonial era in an utterly enchanting location. Here, you can sip chilled champagne and dine on the finest cordon bleu cuisine under the watchful gaze of genet cats and Colobus monkeys. After dinner, the expert trackers will transport you to another world among the hippos, giraffes and leopards that call the Camp's private game sanctuary home.

Accommodation
This is the heart of what the Kenyan settlers called "Happy Valley", that lush oasis where the early European farmers forged their first links with the African soil. Today, the fine living of that elegant era has been recreated in this luxurious tented camp on the shores of Crater Lake.

The spacious tents sit in secluded clearings in the lakeside forest with sweeping views over the flamingo-lined waters. Each tent is furnished with a giant four-poster bed, the finest furniture and an ensuite bathroom with piping hot shower. The new 'honeymoon tent' offers a sumptuous bedroom and a deep sunken bath looking over the lake through a giant stained-glass window.

History
History is everywhere at Crater Lake. The 10,000-acre game sanctuary houses the famous hilltop grave where Happy Valley's tragic heroine, Lady Diana Delamere, is buried with her last two husbands, Gilbert Colvile and Thomas Delamere. For the truly intrepid, there are the mysterious 'Caves of God' in the golden wheatfields of Ndabibi, reputed to be an inspiration for H. Rider Haggard's Allan Quartermain.

Eco-friendly
As the custodian of an important swath of African wilderness, Crater Lake strives to uphold the highest social and environmental standards. The Camp employs its staff from neighboring communities, and leases part of its game sanctuary for sustainable woodlots.

A dedicated team of rangers working in close cooperation with the Kenya Wildlife Service strictly monitors the sanctuary itself. The camp recently established its own community development trust, the Crater Lake Action Network (CLAN), which is raising funds to fence the sanctuary as part of the wildlife corridor around Lake Naivasha.

Activities
Crater Lake offers special escapes for a wide variety of visitors. Bird-watchers will thrill (and trill!) to the 170 species of birds that live in and around the crater. The Camp runs regular painting weekends with famous local artists, as well as stargazing evenings with heaven-sent astrologers. Their lakeside conference room has been a source of inspiration to countless companies and incentive groups.

With its spectacular setting and pitch-perfect peace, Crater Lake is richly deserving of its reputation as "Kenya's most romantic tented camp". In fact, we challenge any visiting couple not to fall in love all over again!

Things to do at Crater Lake

• Escorted game walks
• Boating on the lake
• Horse riding
• Night drives
• Bird walks
• Stargazing
• Crater rim sundowners
• Candlelit "lake dinners"
• Historical tours
• Absolutely nothing

Day Excursions from the Crater

• Joy Adamson's home at Elsamere
• 8-hole golf course at Great Rift Valley Lodge
• Game drives in Hell's Gate National Park
• Climbing and hiking on Mount Longonot
• Dinghy sailing on Lake Naivasha
• Black Bass fishing on Lake Naivasha
• Tea at the Edwardian manor of Lentolia
• Fly camping on the crater floor
• Visiting Lake Nakuru National Park and "the world's greatest bird spectacle"