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Menengai Crater, Near Lake Nakuru National Park - Great Rift Valley
Menengai Crater is said to be the one of biggest volcanic calderas in the world. Accommodations such as Maili Saba Camp are right on the edge of the crater rim and are thus are able to enjoy the change of scenery by the hour. What makes the Menengai Crater unique is the fact that guests are able to hike down and explore the floor on foot. The Menengai Crater holds a wealth of rare bird species and quite some mammals. Dik-dik, Duiker, Hyena, Baboons and some limited numbers of cat species are found in the Crater. Most of the mammals found in Menengai Crater are nocturnal. Mostly after rains you will be able to see geothermal geezers. These steam jets are caused by water going down the trenches and come in to contact with the hot surfaces below the volcanic floor.
The economic challenges and growth of population among other things has placed enormous challenges on the local community and ecology resulting to the creation of a charcoal production industry. Looking at the crater floor from the crest, you can see the village at work creating charcoal for the purpose of selling. AfricanMecca guests can distinguish charcoal burning and geezers by the color of the smoke/steam. The jets are white in colour while the smoke is grayish. Steam also evaporates quickly while the smoke can be seen blowing across the crater.
The legends of the Maasai state that thermal geezers are in fact Maasai warriors who have perished on the battle fields. The geezer steam are the souls of warrior ascending to the heavens. Local Kikuyu folk tale states that the name Menengai means: A Place Of No Gods. Another variation combines pidgin English and Kikuyu to refer to Menengai as an assembly of Many Gods. The choice is for you to discover.
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