Although listed here alongside the four other main Rift Valley lakes, Magadi is far removed to the south close to the Tanzanian border in some of the most arid, dramatic and remote landscapes that this part of Africa has to offer.
On the map, Lake Magadi is shown top right, whilst the even more dramatic Lake Natron straddles the border to the south.
The word Magadi means soda and there is in fact a large commercial extraction facility here amongst the wilderness.
Apart from some interesting palaeontological sites in the area, the main reason to visit is the upmarket
Shompole Lodge, which contrasts the wildness of these surroundings with the comforts of a high quality natural spa.