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Christopher Haslett
CA
Visited:
November 2011
Reviewed: May 13, 2012
Email Christopher Haslett | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Hell's Gate is a small but stunningly beautiful property whose main attraction is the ability to walk or cycle in! The animals are limited to the hoofed species: gazelles, antelopes, zebras and a few scattered buffalo and giraffes. But the experience of tracking them on foot makes this park well worth a day visit. And it doesn't get any cheaper: you pay just US$25 for a 24-hour entry, and with no vehicle to rent, your only other expense is your food and drinks.
I spent another $15 for a camping permit, and enjoyed lovely views of the cliff-lined pastures as the sun set. You are supposed to carry in your own wood or charcoal, but I found a generous pile of dead wood that the park rangers had left behind for campfires. I was told a leopard sometimes relaxes on the rocky ledge above the campsite when the sun comes up; I woke up early to try and spot it but had no luck.
The narrow, winding gorge makes a good walk, though on weekends it will be crowded with
A bike rental for the day should cost 500 shillings, and you can rent one at the turnoff for Elsa Gate (the first park gate as you travel along South Lake Road). Pedestrians can get off the "matatu" public bus here and just walk in. The gate is supposed to be 2 km in from the road, but it is really only 1 km.
I spent another $15 for a camping permit, and enjoyed lovely views of the cliff-lined pastures as the sun set. You are supposed to carry in your own wood or charcoal, but I found a generous pile of dead wood that the park rangers had left behind for campfires. I was told a leopard sometimes relaxes on the rocky ledge above the campsite when the sun comes up; I woke up early to try and spot it but had no luck.
The narrow, winding gorge makes a good walk, though on weekends it will be crowded with
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Kenyans. It is dry most of the time, but floods dangerously when it rains. Tragically, seven people drowned in a flash flood there in April 2012. New warning measures are expected to be put in place to prevent such incidents in the future.A bike rental for the day should cost 500 shillings, and you can rent one at the turnoff for Elsa Gate (the first park gate as you travel along South Lake Road). Pedestrians can get off the "matatu" public bus here and just walk in. The gate is supposed to be 2 km in from the road, but it is really only 1 km.
