Rock art + Kenya yoga retreat
Our retreats in Kenya have a rich history of rock art, ranging over several thousand years with a variety of styles and themes with the major concentrations of art occurring in western Kenya near Lake Victoria and in northern Kenya in the Rift Valley region.
In western Kenya in Suba District, Mfangano Island in Lake Victoria, has two painting sites (Mawanga Cave and Kwitone shelter), where red and white geometric symbols 1,000 to 4,000 years old can be seen. The centre of the island also has cupules which are probably much older than the paintings.
Kakapel is another important rock art site (a National Monument) located on a huge rock shelter in the Chelelemuk hills in western Kenya and some of the paintings here may date between 2,000 years and 4,000 years old. Some of the art is believed to be the work of Twa (Abatwa) hunter gatherers.
It has paintings illustrating wild animals and stylized cattle, as well as geometric art. Some of the latter may have been made by ancestral Teso people.
The Turkana region, in the very north of the country, is world renowned for its archeological finds by the Leakey family. In 1984, the Leakey team found an almost-complete fossilized skeleton that was dated to about 1.5 million years ago. This was a Homo erectus and is famously known as "Turkana Boy."
In northern Kenya, southern Turkana (Rift Valley) is an important site called Namoratunga west of the Kerio River.
In addition to the rock engravings on the rocky outcrops are old grave circles with carved headstones where dates have been obtained of around 2,300 years.
On the eastern side of the lake are many engraving sites with a mixture of animal engravings, especially giraffe as well as other animals and geometrics.
The best Kenya wellness retreats have a combination of yoga, meditation, pilates classes, along with safari and pre-historical visits and activities.
Other significant sites can be found in the Lewa Downs area and in Laikipia during our luxury yoga retreats in Kenya.
We went to visit one site called The Ol Ngoroi Rock Shelter located in the central west part of Lolldaiga Hills Ranch. The archaeological evidence indicates that this rock shelter has been in use by people since at least 2700 BC, and that pastoralists have used this site since ca. 1260 AD.
The white, geometric, pastoralists rock art present at this rock shelter is generally attributed to Maasai meat-feasting or initiation rituals. It is situated in a huge arching cave mouth that views a sweeping landscape of the Kenyan savannah. This rock shelter can be viewed by visitors to Lolldaiga Hills.
Information in this post was sourced with thanks from the Trust for African Rock Art.
Your Kenyan Safari Retreat offers a luxury wellness experience for body, mind and soul
We invite you to experience our award-winning Kenya wellness retreat. If it’s time to fill up your cup and reconnect with yourself on a deeper level, we’d love to help you rejuvenate, unwind, reawaken and experience the very best of Kenya safari. Dive into transformational yoga and meditation classes with your favourite host or our own teachers, enjoy safari life on foot, horseback or game drives and restorative healing sessions. How much or little you do is all up to you.
Take a look at our wellbeing retreat packages and luxury Kenya retreat accommodation options. We’d love to hear from you and help you plan your memorable and transformative retreat in the wilderness.