Few places in Africa feel as far from the ordinary as Lake Turkana. It lies in the parched north of Kenya, a long ribbon of turquoise-green water in a landscape of black lava, sand and wind. Sunlight and algae turn its surface into jade, which is why it is called the Jade Sea. It is the largest permanent desert lake in the world and the largest alkaline lake on Earth, and it is also one of the great places in the story of humankind.
Getting to Turkana is an expedition rather than a weekend away. That is exactly why travellers who make the effort tend to remember it as the wildest and most extraordinary lake they have ever seen.
The lake in numbers
- Area: about 6,400 square kilometres.
- Length and width: roughly 250 to 290 kilometres long and between about 16 and 56 kilometres wide. The northern tip reaches into Ethiopia.
- Depth: about 250 metres at its deepest, though much of the lake is far shallower.
- Water: alkaline and salty, drinkable but not pleasant. It is fed mainly by the Omo River from Ethiopia and has no outflow, so water leaves only by evaporation.
- Ranking: the largest permanent desert lake and the largest alkaline lake in the world, and one of the largest lakes in the Rift Valley.
The lake was named Lake Rudolf by Europeans in the late nineteenth century. It was renamed Lake Turkana in 1975, after the people who live on its western shore. To the Turkana it is Anam Ka’alakol, the sea of many fish.
A World Heritage Site
Three protected areas make up the UNESCO-listed Lake Turkana National Parks:
- Sibiloi National Park on the eastern shore, home to the Koobi Fora fossil beds, petrified forests, and grazing zebra, including the rare Grevy’s zebra, and oryx.
- Central Island National Park, a volcanic island with three crater lakes, each a different colour, and one of the largest Nile crocodile breeding grounds anywhere.
- South Island National Park, a dormant volcanic island and a refuge for water birds, hippos and crocodiles.
The lake is also a stopping place for migratory birds, with around 350 to 400 species recorded, and its crocodile population is said to be among the largest in the world.
The cradle of humankind
The Turkana Basin is one of the richest fossil regions on the planet. At Koobi Fora, on the eastern shore, scientists have found remains of early humans and of the animals that lived beside them, and the site has told us more about ancient environments than any comparable place in Africa. On the western side, at Nariokotome, the famous Turkana Boy, a remarkably complete skeleton of a young Homo erectus about 1.6 million years old, was found in the 1980s. A visit to the Koobi Fora museum and its excavation sites is a highlight for anyone interested in human origins.
The people of the lake
About ten groups depend on the lake, among them the Turkana, El Molo, Dasanech, Rendille, Gabbra and Samburu. Most are pastoralists, but the El Molo, one of the smallest communities in Africa, and parts of the Turkana live from fishing. Loiyangalani, on the south-eastern shore, is a cultural crossroads where several of these communities meet, and it hosts a cultural festival that celebrates their traditions, usually in the middle of the year. If timing allows, this is the most memorable time to visit.
Please treat these visits as invitations, not attractions. Ask before you photograph people, be ready to pay fairly for a guide or a homestead visit, and avoid handing out gifts. See our Responsible Travel page.
Wind and water: a lake under pressure
The lake is famous for its strong, steady winds, which fishermen have long used and which now drive one of Africa’s largest wind farms near Loiyangalani. More seriously, upstream dams and irrigation schemes on the Omo River in Ethiopia have altered the flow that feeds the lake, and communities and scientists are concerned about the effect on fish and on the pastoral people who rely on them. Drought cycles have already pushed more families toward fishing. It is part of Turkana’s story, and worth understanding when you visit.
What to do
- Boat to Central Island to walk the crater rims and look down on the coloured crater lakes and crocodile beaches.
- Explore Koobi Fora and Sibiloi with a park ranger: fossil sites, petrified wood and the museum.
- Visit Loiyangalani and the El Molo villages and meet fishing families.
- Drive the desert road through Marsabit and the Chalbi Desert, with sand dunes, camel herds and huge skies.
- Fish for Nile perch. Sport fishing is possible, with very large perch reported.
- Stargaze. The sky is enormous and almost free of light.
Getting there
Turkana is one of the most remote destinations in Kenya. Overland routes run north from Nairobi via Nakuru, Maralal or Isiolo and Marsabit, on long and sometimes rough roads, and the drive takes two days or more. Chartered flights to airstrips near the lake shorten the travel dramatically. Lodges and camps are few and often simple. We plan every Turkana safari with a specialist driver and plenty of buffer days.
Health and safety
- It is very hot. Carry plenty of water, sun protection and light clothing.
- Crocodiles are abundant: never swim, and keep away from the water’s edge.
- Malaria is a risk. See our Health & Safety page.
- Remote regions require robust insurance, including medical evacuation.
- Security conditions in parts of northern Kenya can change. We check current advice before every departure.
When to go
Turkana can be visited year-round. The drier months, roughly June to October and January to February, are easiest for driving. The middle of the year suits the cultural festival. It is fiercely hot at any time of year.
Lake Turkana with Offmap Safaris
We design Turkana expeditions of five to nine days, often combined with Samburu, Lake Bogoria and Lake Baringo. Plan your safari, message us on WhatsApp +256 701 243 304 or email [email protected]. Please also read our Visa & Entry Requirements for Kenya’s eTA.
