Affordable Getaway Lake Elementaita | 2 Days 1 Night
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Lake Elementaita Lodge or similar
One night above the quietest lake in the Rift Valley, two hours from Nairobi
Affordable Getaway Lake Elementaita: one night above a quiet Rift Valley lake, an early bird walk down towards the shore and a bonfire to close the evening. It is the reset you book when the week has been long and the two of you just need somewhere slower. Your room, every meal, the guided walk and your sanctuary fees are already in the price.
Lake Elementaita sits about 120 kilometres from Nairobi on the A104, between Naivasha and Nakuru, and it is the quiet one of the three. There are no boat queues and no crowds at the gate. The lake is shallow and alkaline, part of the Kenya Lake System UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the long ridge of the Sleeping Warrior hill shapes its skyline.
You stay at Lake Elementaita Lodge, on the escarpment above the water. The lodge grew around an old farmhouse that Galbraith Cole established about a century ago, and it still feels more like a country house than a hotel. There are 33 rooms, a pool, gardens and a terrace that look out over the lake.
The plan is light on purpose. Arrive, eat, swim and sit. After dinner the evening ends at a bonfire. The next morning a lodge guide walks you down towards the shoreline to look for great white pelicans, which breed at Elementaita and nowhere else in Kenya. Flamingos come and go with the water levels, so we never promise them, but when they are in, you will know.
Transport is not included, which keeps the price honest for couples who like to drive themselves. If you would rather sit back, add our private car from Nairobi and your driver stays with you for both days. If you want something with more adrenaline, add the zipline or high ropes at Sirville Adventure Park nearby.
For everything else the lake offers, see our Lake Elementaita guide, or browse all our couple getaways.
Details
Summary information about this package
Lake Elementaita Lodge or similar
Elementaita
Couples
Included
Road
For Adults only (18+)
Full-board
Included
All year round
Costs
Kenyan Citizen
Ksh. 15000 per person sharing
Non-resident
$ 180 per person sharing
Transport
Options: Road
Duration and Timing
No
Overnight (2 Days 1 Night)
About Package
More information about this package
Lake Elementaita Lodge or similar: A 33 room lodge built around a farmhouse that Galbraith Cole established about a century ago, set about 500 metres off the highway on the escarpment above the lake. Rooms are standard doubles or twins, simple and comfortable rather than showy.
Full board for your stay: Lunch when you arrive, dinner that evening and breakfast before you leave are all covered. The only thing you pay for at the table is drinks.
A guided bird walk at first light: A lodge guide takes you down towards the shoreline early, when the air is cool and the birds are busiest. Great white pelicans breed only here in Kenya, while flamingo numbers rise and fall with the water.
Your sanctuary fees, already paid: Lake Elementaita is a Kenya Wildlife Service sanctuary, and the conservation fee is included in your price. We pay it through eCitizen before you arrive.
A bonfire to end the evening: We arrange an evening bonfire with the lodge after dinner, which is where most couples end up staying longer than they planned.
The pool and the gardens: Swimming is included in your stay, and the gardens and terrace look out across the lake towards the Sleeping Warrior hill.
Two hours from Nairobi: The A104 gets you there in about 2 to 2.5 hours. Drive yourselves, or add our private saloon or mini SUV and your driver stays with you for both days.
Package Itinerary
The package itinerary is as follows
Affordable Getaway Lake Elementaita Itinerary with Baecation Adventures from Nairobi
Day 1: Out of the City
Check in at the lodge from midday. Adding our private transfer? We collect you from your Nairobi address at 9 am for the 2 to 2.5 hour drive on the A104.
Morning: The Drive Out
The road climbs out of Nairobi, then drops onto the floor of the Rift Valley, and somewhere around the escarpment viewpoint the week starts to fall away. Past Naivasha and Gilgil, the lake appears below the highway, pale and still, with the Sleeping Warrior hill lying along the skyline.
Afternoon: Settling In
Lunch at the lodge, then the afternoon is yours. Swim, nap, read on the terrace or walk the gardens. Nothing is scheduled, and that is the point.
Evening: Bonfire and Stars
Dinner at the lodge as the light goes, then out to the bonfire. Elementaita evenings are cool and clear in the dry months, so bring a warm layer and stay out as long as you like.
Day 2: First Light and Home
Morning: The Shoreline Walk
An early start, and worth it. Your lodge guide walks you down towards the water while the lake is still quiet, looking for great white pelicans, avocets and whatever else is feeding in the shallows. Back for a slow breakfast with the lake in front of you, then check out.
Afternoon: The Slow Way Back
If you have the car, two easy stops sit on the way home: a nyama choma lunch at Kikopey on the highway, and the Kariandusi Prehistoric Site, where early humans made hand axes between 700,000 and one million years ago. Both are at your own cost. You are back in Nairobi with the evening still free.
Add Ons
Romantic Touches: (Optional extras to make the night feel like an occasion)
Room and bed decoration: KES 4,500 ($45) per setup
Sparkling wine on arrival: KES 5,000 ($50) per bottle
Celebration cake: KES 4,000 ($40) per cake
Private bush dinner for two: KES 9,000 ($90) per couple
Photographer, one hour: KES 11,500 ($115) per session
Upgrade Your Stay: (Turn one night into two)
Extra night at Lake Elementaita Lodge on full board: KES 12,500 ($95) per person sharing
Transport: (Private car from your Nairobi address, driver stays with you for both days)
Private saloon car with driver, Nairobi return: KES 24,000 ($240) per couple
Private mini SUV with driver, Nairobi return: KES 36,000 ($360) per couple
Experiences: (Add any of these when you book)
Proposal: From KES 72,000 per couple for Kenyan citizens, with transport from Nairobi available as an add on.
Surprise: From KES 39,000 per couple for Kenyan citizens, with transport from Nairobi available as an add on.
Sirville Adventure Park water slides, high ropes or zipline: from KES 2,500 ($30) per person, lodge transfer arranged if you are not using our car
Private guide: KES 3,000 ($30) per group
Specialist birding guide: KES 4,000 ($40) per group
Packed lunch: KES 2,000 ($20) per meal
Massage and wellness session: KES 3,500 ($35) per session
Lake Nakuru game drive: KES 10,000 ($100) per person, requires the transport add on
+ Inclusions
1 night at Lake Elementaita Lodge or similar, standard room
Full board: lunch on arrival, dinner and breakfast
Guided nature walk and bird watching with a lodge guide
Lake Elementaita Wildlife Sanctuary conservation fees (KWS)
Evening bonfire at the lodge
Use of the lodge swimming pool
Baecation Adventures planning and support throughout your stay
All government taxes and levies
- Exclusions
Transport between Nairobi and the lodge, available as an add on below
Drinks, including bottled water outside meals
Lunch on Day 2 and any meals outside the lodge, including Kikopey
Sirville Adventure Park activities, available as add ons below
Kariandusi Prehistoric Site entry and Soysambu Conservancy fees
Spa treatments
Festive season supplement for stays between 20 December and 4 January
Tips and gratuities
Travel insurance
Anything not listed under Inclusions
What To Carry
A warm layer for the bonfire and the early walk, since Elementaita mornings and evenings are cool
Comfortable closed shoes for the shoreline walk
Binoculars, if you have them
Swimwear for the pool
A sun hat, sunscreen and sunglasses
A light rain jacket between March and May, and in November and December
National ID or passport, which confirms your KWS fee category
Insect repellent for the evening
A charged phone or camera and a power bank
Cash or M-Pesa for drinks and tips
Book This Package
Reach out:
For enquiries or bookings, write to [email protected]. We’ll revert within 20 minutes during business hours.