Lake Nakuru National Park
Lake Nakuru National Park is a remarkable Kenya safari destination and a national park in Kenya located in the South of Nakuru County neighboring Nakuru town which is the largest town in the mid-western region of Kenya and the 4th largest town in the country. Lake Nakuru national park is situated in a distance of 164 kilometers north of Nairobi and lies in the Kenya rift valley, the park covers an area of 188 square kilometers with a landscape dominated by savannah grasslands, wetlands, mountainous area and Lake Nakuru of 45 square kilometers.
Lake Nakuru national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site registered under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the parks gets its name from Masai Slag translating into a place of dust.
The national park is a great birding destination and famous for millions of oink flamingoes (greater and lesser flamingoes) residing on the shores of Lake Nakuru, these flamingoes are attracted to the lake because of a lot of algae on the shores of the lake which is what they feed on. Flamingoes in lake Nakuru national park are of high population crowding the shores of the lake making it hard for you to spot the edges of the lake.
The national park is a birder’s paradise with over 400 recorded species of birds, apart from flamingoes there are other birds and they include grebes, ducks, white winged black terns, Abyssinian thrush, Arrow-marked babbler, Bateleur, Black-tailed godwit, Black-winged lapwing, Brimstone canary, Brown-backed scrub robin, Crab-plover, Eastern imperial eagle, European roller, Grey crowned crane, Grey-headed woodpecker, Great snipe, Greater spotted eagle, Grey-crested helmet-shrike, Hildebrandt’s starling, Kenya rufous sparrow, Lappet-faced vulture, Lesser flamingo, Lesser kestrel, Long-tailed widowbird, Maccoa duck, Montane white-eye, Northern puffback, Pallid harrier, Red-capped lark, Rufous-throated wryneck, Rüppell’s vulture, Rüppell’s robin-chat, Schalow’s wheatear, Shining sunbird, Slender-billed greenbul, Sooty falcon, Speke’s weaver, Western reef heron, White-fronted bee-eater, White-headed vulture and many more.
The national park is also a great habitat for wildlife hosting a variety of wildlife species such as Rothschild’s giraffe, dik-diks, impalas, Burchell’s zebra, hippos, grant’s gazelles, waterbucks, lions, leopards, cheetahs and many more. Lake Nakuru is a famous sanctuary for rhinos declared in 1970 by the Kenyan government, rhinos in Lake Nakuru are recorded to be about 100 white rhinos and 50 black rhinos.
Safari activities in Lake Nakuru national park
Birding
The national park is a great Kenya birding destination renowned for large concentrations of pink flamingoes recorded to be over two millions, fushia pink flamingoes are found along the shores of Lake Nakuru and they are attract to the lake to feed on the abundant algae in the salty waters of the lake. While visiting Lake Nakuru on a birding safari you will enjoy viewing these birds perched on one leg and tuck in the other leg beneath their body and feeding from mud and silt.
Birding in Lake Nakuru national park offers you an opportunity to spot more birds living in the park and have been recorded to be over 400 bird species with resident and migrant species and they include little grebes, ducks, white winged black terns, Abyssinian thrush, Arrow-marked babbler, Bateleur, Black-tailed godwit, Black-winged lapwing, Brimstone canary, Brown-backed scrub robin, Crab-plover, Eastern imperial eagle, European roller, Grey crowned crane, Grey-headed woodpecker, Great snipe, Greater spotted eagle, Grey-crested helmet-shrike, Hildebrandt’s starling, Kenya rufous sparrow, Lappet-faced vulture, Lesser flamingo, Lesser kestrel, Long-tailed widowbird, Maccoa duck, Montane white-eye, Northern puffback, Pallid harrier, Red-capped lark, Rufous-throated wryneck, Rüppell’s vulture, Rüppell’s robin-chat, Schalow’s wheatear, Shining sunbird, Slender-billed greenbul, Sooty falcon, Speke’s weaver, Western reef heron, White-fronted bee-eater, White-headed vulture and many more
Game viewing
Lake Nakuru is a habitat to a variety of wildlife species and it has been recognized to inhabit the largest rhino population in Kenya both white and black rhinos. Rhinos in Lake Nakuru include are recorded to be about 100 white rhinos and 50 rare black rhinos, the rhinos are easily spotted while on a game viewing experience while driving through the park. There are other animals living in savannah plains of the park viewed on game viewing experience and these include impala, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes, deer, jackals, lions, leopards, wild dogs, colobus monkeys and many more.
Camping
Lake Nakuru national park offers thrilling camping experiences, camping offer an opportunity to fully interact with nature and enjoy listening to night lions roars and watch million stars on the sky.
Accommodation in Lake Nakuru Accommodation is Lake Nakuru is offered in a number of lodges and campsites categorized as luxury, midrange and budget, safari lodges and camps in Lake Nakuru national park include Sarova Lion Hill Lodge, Flamingo Hill Tented camp, Kivu Resort, Lake Nakuru Flamingo lodge and many more.
How to get to Lake Nakuru
Lake Nakuru is accessed using both air and road means transport which preferably depend on the choice of a tourist while on a Kenya safari, Lake Nakuru national park is accessed using 3 entry and exit gates that are the main gate, Lanet gate and Nderit Gate.
By road: from Nairobi, Lake Nakuru national park using Nairobi – Nakuru highway which passes through the impressive Great Rift Valley and on your way you will enjoy the amazing views of the escarpments. While using road means of transport it is highly recommended to use a 4X4WD vehicle.
By air: By air means of transport, domestic flights are offered Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Naishi airstrip situated inside Lake Nakuru.
