The travails of Turkana

By Allan Olingo

Turkana is a beautiful terrain with rolling plains, valleys and hills, and Lake Turkana is an outstanding place to visit. Local myth claims that the name Lodwar means “a bitter thing.” It originates from the fruit of the Edung tree, which was consumed by the locals that most visitors found bitter.

Turkana’s main administrative centre is Lodwar. There are airstrips both at Lodwar and Kakuma, but there is also the connecting road that cuts through Kapenguria to Kitale onwards to Eldoret. It will take you almost two days to get to Lodwar by road, but a flight is less than an hour.

Turkana boasts of the fresh lake that has a lot of Nile Perch. Other attractions are the mountains, the desert museum and the spectacular lunar landscape around Lake Turkana. The lake is the largest permanent desert lake in the world and it is jam-packed with large Nile crocodiles.

Desert museum 

Located on top of a hill, with a backdrop of the picturesque Lake Turkana, is the Desert Museum in Loiyangalani. It is also home to the El Molos, an almost extinct community, and is fast becoming a tourist attraction due to the unique desert environment coupled with the rich cultural lifestyle of the people of Lake Turkana.

The stunning landscape and interesting vegetation provides great inspiration on a variety of our abundant walks. Game in the area is shy and scattered but you can spot baboons, zebras, antelopes and leopards, though this is a rare occurrence.

You can also do journeys by road for an adventure into this rugged part of the world. The attractive mountains here are the Ndoto Mountains, Mount Nyiro, and Mathews Range, which offer some wild rock climbing. On the lake, with an excellently equipped fishing boat, you can manage to engage in fishing and will be able to get the Nile perch.

Situated along the Eastern shores of Lake Turkana is Koobi Fora Site and Museum, a World Heritage Site also popularly known as the Cradle of Mankind. On site are mainly extinct fossils like the crocodile, elephant and tortoise at least four times larger than today’s.  You can also relax at the Koobi Fora camp overlooking the lake away from city life and enjoy spectacular sunsets and wildlife.

There is a wide array of accommodation in Turkana. In Lodwar, there is the Honey Pot, a popular centre for lunch. There is the Lodwar Lodge, the Turkwel Lodge, the Green Leaf Motel, Oasis Lodge in Loiyangalani, Pal Shade, Young Star Resort, St Teresa Catholic Guesthouse owned by the Catholic Diocese of Lodwar, Desert Rose Lodge in Lake Turkana, Eliye Springs and Lake Turkana Lodge.

Accommodation 

You will part with an average of Sh1,000 per night within Lodwar, Kakuma or Loiyangilani towns with some lodges and camps within the Lake Turkana ecosystem charging to the tune of Sh17, 000 for their accommodation facilities on a full board basis.

For a tourist, the basic activities that can be enjoyed within Lodwar include game drives, swimming, cycling, sun downers by the lake side, fishing, sight-seeing, boat rides, visit traditional Turkana Boma, visit to the local market, cultural visits and bird watching. Despite its negative press, Turkana as a whole needs a much-deserved attention as a beautiful and culturally important place to visit.