Just a short drive from Suswa rises Mount Longonot, a dormant stratovolcano whose name derives from the Maasai word Oloonong’ot — ‘mountain of many spurs.’ Its perfectly circular crater, blanketed in dense montane forest, is one of the most striking geological features of the Great Rift Valley, and the hike to its rim is a rite of passage for anyone who loves the wild.

Longonot is part of the same volcanic story that shaped Suswa — both born of the tectonic forces tearing the Rift Valley apart. Together, they offer a complete picture of the valley’s fiery origins and its slow, green recovery.