A Unesco World Heritage Site, 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. The difficulties involved in getting this far north tend to discourage visitors – it seems slightly ironic that the so-called ‘Cradle of Mankind’ is now almost entirely unpopulated.
The National Museums of Kenya (NMK; www.museums.or.ke) 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).
Best to contact all of the following before venturing in this direction: staff of the Loyangalani Desert Museum (you'll have to visit in person), the Kenya Wildlife Service (kws@kws.org) and NMK.
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 Ferguson's Gulf on the western side of the lake.