A Unesco World Heritage site, and probably Kenya’s most remote national park, Sibiloi is located up the eastern shore of Lake Turkana and covers 1570 sq km. It was here that Dr Richard Leakey discovered the skull of a Homo habilis believed to be 2.5 million years old, and where others have unearthed evidence of Homo erectus . Despite the area’s fascinating prehistory, fossil sites and wonderful arid ecosystem, the difficulties involved in getting this far north tend to discourage visitors, which is a real shame. It seems slightly ironic that the so-called ‘Cradle of Mankind’ is now almost entirely unpopulated.
The National Museums of Kenya maintains a small museum and Koobi Fora (www.kfrp.com) has a research base. It’s usually possible to sleep in one of the base’s bandas (per person KSh1000) or pitch a tent in one of the campsites (per person KSh500).
Contact both the staff of the Loyangalani Desert Museum, the KWS ([email protected]) and NMK before venturing in this direction.
In the dry season it’s a tricky seven-hour drive north from Loyangalani to Sibiloi. You will need a guide from either KWS or the Loyangalani Desert Museum. Hiring a jeep in Loyangalani will work out at around KSh40,000 per day. It’s also possible to hire a boat (KSh30,000 to KSh40,000 return, with an overnight stop) from Fergusons Gulf on the western side of the lake.
