Lake Turkana is the world's largest permanent desert lake, a 250-kilometre ribbon of jade-green water stretching through the arid volcanic landscape of northern Kenya. The lake has no outlet — it loses water only to evaporation — and its alkaline waters support enormous Nile crocodile and Nile perch populations. The surrounding terrain is some of the most dramatic and desolate in East Africa: black lava fields, extinct volcanoes, and shores littered with petrified wood.
The eastern shore is home to the Koobi Fora fossil beds, one of the most important paleoanthropological sites in the world — multiple early human species were discovered here by the Leakey family. South Island and Central Island, both volcanic, are national parks and important crocodile breeding grounds. The Turkana, El Molo, Rendille, and other peoples live around the lake's shores and maintain traditional ways of life that have changed little in centuries.
Getting here is an expedition in itself. The most common route is overland from Nairobi via Marsabit or Maralal, a two- to three-day drive on rough roads. There are no luxury lodges — accommodation is basic, and you need to be self-sufficient. But for those willing to make the journey, Lake Turkana is one of the most extraordinary landscapes on the continent.