Lake Turkana

The tip of Lake Turkana, in Kenya's northwest, runs into the Ethiopian highlands, but the rest of Kenya's biggest lake stretches for 250 km (155 mi) south. Sometimes called the Jade Lake because of its vivid green color, it's a shallow alkaline lake in the Great Rift Valley that has been drying up alarmingly over the past decade. Surprisingly, it's still home to the legendary giant Nile perch, huge herds of hippos and more Nile crocodiles than anywhere else in the world—more than 20,000 reside here. There's abundant birdlife with many European migrants wintering around its shores. Lobolo Camp (www.bush-and-beyond.com) makes a good base and boats can be hired for US$250 per day. Kenya Wildlife Service, Box 40241, Nairobi www.kws.org