10/07/2024
The Chalibi Desert, Kenya!!
East of the remote Lake Turkana is the Chalbi Desert, a 100,000 square kilometer area (38,610 square miles) that is aptly named in the native language of the Gabra people as “salty and bare.” Like many of the areas in the Northern Frontier, the desert was once part of an extensive lake, as evidenced by the basin that fills with shallow water during heavy rains and fossilized remains of snail shells and fish vertebrae.
When you journey into the Chalbi Desert, prepare yourself for an eerie landscape edged by rocky lava flows, cracked earth, and a sandy mixture of white salt and clay which your guide carefully drives through. Even in this barren and desolate location, you may see a shadow emerge in the distance, as ostriches, Grevy’s zebras, oryx, and other adapted animals are often observed in the desert. Amazingly, spotted hyenas have been seen too.
The Chalbi Desert, though, does have a secret. On the northern edge is a gorgeous area of oases with groves of palm trees that attract sand grouse and other birds including vulturine guinea fowls. The oases are also used by the Gabra people as water sources for their camels. Another contrasting landscape in the desert is the Huri Hills and Mount Forole to the north, at the Kenya-Ethiopia border, where temperatures are slightly lower and the wilderness is much greener, giving you a private escape from the desert heat while enjoying expansive views of the hottest location in Kenya.
The Chalbi Desert is a harsh and very remote environment; therefore, we recommend that Viutravel guests tour the desert by a helicopter or arrive at the airstrip at Sibiloi, and then utilize a prearranged safari vehicle available to you from a Lake Turkana accommodation.
Travel Advice: https://www.ultimatewildsafaris.com/index.php/package/130-12-days-exploring-northern-kenya-tribes-and-kenya-wildlife-tour-experience-at-samburu-national-reserve
