A Guide To Menengai Crater
Menengai Crater is an extinct volcano standing at 2490 meters high. It is the 2nd largest volcanic crater in the world with a surface area of 90 square kilometers. Local people believed that this crater has caves that host devils on motor bikes. However, its flanks are occupied by productive farmlands.
Located on the northern side of Nakuru is the single largest surviving volcanic crater in the world. The Menengai Crater is an extinct volcano that offers striking views of Lake Nakuru, Lake Bogoria and the crater itself.
It is believed that the crater is a historic ground for a battle between different clans from the Maasai community who fought for grazing land and pastures on the slopes of the Rift Valley. For photography lovers, 8 km to the top of the crater, beautiful pink and blue colors of Lake Nakuru and Lake Bogoria become clearer and can make excellent pictures under a brisk sunset.
Activities: Hiking, trekking, biking, camping, picnicking at strategic campsites, and photography
Menengai Crater Destination Guide
Menengai Crater is a massive shield volcano with one of the biggest calderas in the world, located in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya. It is the largest volcano caldera in Kenya and the second largest volcano caldera in Africa. Farmland occupies its flanks.
Menengai Crater is located on the floor of the Rift Valley. The volcano formed about 200,000 years ago and the prominent 12 x 8 km caldera formed about 8000 years ago. The caldera floor is covered with numerous post caldera lava flows.
The Menengai volcano is considered one of the best-preserved Krakatau-style calderas in the world. Menengai Crater has very little sediment in the caldera which is a thick mass of lava boulders and inaccessible ridges. Volcanic activity continues and is used for geothermal power generation.
Menengai is located 10 km (6 mi) north of Nakuru, the fourth – biggest city in Kenya.
Menengai Crater _Where The Devil Rides Motorcycle
A number of strange things are said to happen in Menengai Crater, such as people disappearing without trace, Others losing directions for hours (or even days) only to be found by their relatives wandering around in a trance.
The local people believe that Menengai Crater is haunted by evil spirits that capture people and animals and hide them in the netherworld. It is said that in the late 1950s and early 1960s, ghosts used to farm on a fertile piece of land on the floor of the crater.
Menengai Crater Demons
According to eye witnesses, the ‘demons‘ used to plough the land with tractors, plant wheat and harvest all within an hour. The locals even claim to have seen the devil riding a motorcycle on a hill called “Kirima Kia ngoma (Devil’s Hill)” situated next to the crater. There is also the widespread allegation of a ‘flying umbrella‘ that normally appears whenever it rains.
But despite the eerie stories about the crater, pilgrims from as far as Kisumu, Kakamega and even Mombasa come to pray and fast at the site for days.
Some even stay in the cave at the south of the crater for months. They say that they feel very close to God when praying in the crater.
There are reports from the locals in the area that they have witnessed the devil riding a motorbike on Kirima Kia ngoma or Devil’s Hill which is next to the crater.
Menengai Crater Spirits and Peace
The Crater is believed to be a very spiritual place and people come from far and wide to spend time praying and contemplating – and those who have spent time there say they have felt the presence of God – but it is thought by some to be haunted by evil spirits that take people captive.
Many people are said to have disappeared after exploring the area, and others return totally confused. There are reports of spirit beings cultivating the land on the crater floor with eyewitnesses saying that the plowing with tractors, planting and harvesting all happened within an hour. There are even witnesses who speak of a flying umbrella rising from the crater floor when it rains.
There are reports from the locals in the area that they have witnessed the devil riding a motorbike on Kirima Kia ngoma or Devil’s Hill which is next to the crater.
Attractions
- Viewpoints of both Lake Nakuru and Lake Bogoria
- Hikes and nature trails
- Caves
- Picnic spots
- The Menengai caldera
- Mountain biking
- Birding
Facilities
- Curio shops
- campsites
Visiting Menengai Crater
The Menengai Crater is surrounded by lush forest and is protected by the Kenya Forest Service. There are numerous flowering plants and grasses, you can see Kirk’s dik dk, slender mongoose. Black faced vervet monkeys, tree hyrax and mountain reedbuck here. Also home to Verreaux eagle, Abyssinian ground hornbill and African Marsh Harrier along with other forest species of bird.
How to get to Menegai Crater
Menengai Crater is very difficult to get to unless you have your own transport, but once there the rewards are worth the getting there. Hiking through beautiful scenery and spectacular landscapes make it an outing to remember.
A Map of Menengai Crater
Where to stay around Menengai Crater
Accommodation is available in Nakuru town and surrounds.
What to do at Menengai Crater
- Hiking
- Scenic site
- Hot springs and geysers
- Mud pots
- Rotary Club sign post
- Panoramic views
- Cave
- Camping
- Picnic site
Menengai Crater contacts
Attraction Type: Scenery & Landscapes
Category: Volcano, Crater
Region: South Rift
City / Town: Nakuru
Road / Street: Off Nyahururu Nakuru Road
Telephone: 254 772 743500
Email: info@northrifttourism.com
Menengai Crater charges
Entrance Fee: None
More About Kenya
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Tourist Attractions in Kenya:
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Kenya Safari
Kenya is the ultimate safari destination, providing travelers with a window into the heart of Africa. But this is not all that Kenya has to offer. Located near the equator, Kenya´s magic lies in the fact that the country encompasses an astounding variety of landscapes and climates, flora and fauna, as well as communities and cultures, home to water sports, a swim with dolphins and adventure.
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Hotels and Accommodation in Kenya
Hotels in Kenya vary enormously in price and facilities. Luxury hotels in Kenya offer excellent standards of service and are comparable to the best hotels anywhere in the world. Kenya’s abundance of natural produce, combined with the rich variety of cultures and traditions, has created a great culinary nation.
The fertile volcanic soil of the Rift Valley produces a bounty of fresh vegetables, while the coast is a great source of tropical fruit and fresh seafood. The Kenyan coast is also the home of the world-renowned Swahili cuisine, a blend of Middle Eastern and African cooking with a particular coastal twist.
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Apart from the towns of Nairobi , Mombasa, Kisumu and Nakuru, Kenya has other major towns each a unique representation of the country’s striking abundance in flora and fauna. Most of these towns are headquarters in their respective counties or major economic bases in their regions. Luxury hotels and lodges located here provide good accommodation and conferencing facilities for guests who dare to try out a taste different from the capital or the coast.
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The Kenyan People Culture and Tradition
Kenya’s culture blends together diverse tribes, traditions, and religions into one beautiful, well-woven tapestry. These traditions complement each other while incorporating the modern influences of globalization – resulting in a vibrant cultural spirit that is uniquely Kenyan. Kenya has over 42 different tribes with different languages and several dialects. Kenyan tourism has made the Maasai and Samburu tribes the most famous because of their long preserved culture.
For more information visit: Kenya People and Tribes