Lake Nakuru National Park

Lake Nakuru National Park is located in the Nakuru County, within the Rift Valley Region, south of Nakuru town in Kenya.  This National Park is a remarkable wildlife & Birding safari destination in Kenya, famed for its millions of pink flamingos that flock it alkaline lake. Lake Nakuru National Park is one of the most popular safari destinations on Kenya itineraries, especially for bird lovers and wildlife enthusiasts. The protected wilderness of Lake Nakuru National Park is an expansive park resting on a land mass of close to 188 km², encompassing woodlands, grasslands, cliffs, savannas, and the alkaline lake. The alkaline Lake Nakuru covers about 45 square kilometers (17 square miles) of the total 188 km² that is covered by the park. It is, however, important to know that the size of the lake varies depending on the season.

This National Park is one of the best places in Kenya to combine wildlife viewing and Bird watching on a single tour. Lake Nakuru National Park is famous for its millions of Flamingos that flock at the shores of its alkaline lake. There are also several other bird species in the park, especially water birds like African spoonbill, and African fish eagle, making it a great destination for birding in Kenya. The National Park is also a top destination for wildlife viewing in Kenya, boasting a healthy population of wildlife all year round. This National Park hosts four of the the African Big Five animals (lion, leopard, rhino, and buffalo), and several other wildlife species including; Giraffes, waterbucks, zebra, warthog, wildebeest, hippos, olive baboons, and spotted hyenas among others.

History of Lake Nakuru National Park

The history of Lake Nakuru National Park explains the story of destruction to conservation which transitioned from game hunting in 1950s to conservation to protected endangered animals species and other wildlife around this area. Birding viewing was a common aspect from the colonial times around the area of Lake Nakuru National Park, with watchers coming from as far as Europe. The huge numbers of flamingos on Lake Nakuru were the most of birding attraction.

The hunting practices created pressure on the wildlife in the area, which called for the setting up of a conservation area in 1957 to conserve wildlife like rhinos, elephants, among others, which allowed for animal numbers to grow.

This Park gained its National Park status in 1968, declared by the Kenyan government.  The conservation efforts led to setting of an electric fence to further encourage animal numbers to grow and reduce poaching in the national park and the fence was set up in 1986.

Attractions of Lake Nakuru National Park

Flamingos of Lake Nakuru

Lake Nakuru is the flamingo capital of Africa, with flamingos swarming through the skies and covering large portions of the shores. Blue meets pink at Lake Nakuru National Park as the blue waters are shaded by the pink covering of the flamingos, which gives the impression of a pink blanket on the water. Most of the day, the flamingos are visible and millions of them can be seen by birders. Flamingo watching is a good adventure, merged with other cool wildlife viewing adventures like Big Five safaris in Lake Nakuru National Park.

The Wildlife of Lake Nakuru National Park

This safari Park is indeed a wildlife encampment harboring a diverse number of animals and birds. Visitors can see over 50 mammal species on the game drive through the grasslands filled with rhinos, elephants, hyenas, and hippos, together with the Big Five animals. Sighting animals in the park is as much fun as the animal encounters are usually spectacular. Plenty of the Big Five are spotted in the grasslands, and small animals are mostly seen during the walking safaris. Makalia camp is adored by leopard lovers, offering them regular sightings of leopards while at Lake Nakuru National Park.

Lake Nakuru National Park is well known for its high numbers of baboons which can be seen at the Baboon Cliffs.

Birds

Birders from all over the world should visit this when it comes to bird watching in Kenya. The National Park’s fame is from the millions of pink flamingos that occupy the shores of its alkaline lake. Kenyan authorities established a bird sanctuary in the southern part of the Park, making it a recommended birding destination with up to 400 species of birds to spot. The most famous of the birds are the lesser flamingos forming a pink pattern on the surface of Lake Nakuru. Others birds that visitors love to watch at Lake Nakuru National Park during Kenyan Safaris include; the white-faced whistling duck, fulvous whistling duck, Macco Duck, Egyptian Goose, Southern Pochard, Tufted Duck, Garganey, African Black Duck among others.

 

Lake Nakuru

Lake Nakuru is one of the main attractions of the Park that captures the attention of most travelers. A wildlife haven has been felt around Lake Nakuru with about 50 mammals and 450 birds roaming around about the area which makes it a key center for an authentic African Safari and Big Five safari experience as lions, leopard are some of the animals to see. Flamingos are more than usual while at Lake Nakuru and it is the best place to see lesser flamingos in world. Boat Safaris are part of the long list of activities on offer here.

 Why visit Lake Nakuru National Park

This Park is the best place to do a Kenyan birding safari, the only place where you can see a large number of birds – up to one million at once.  Safaris here combine a number of safari activities including game drives, nature walks, and boat safaris on a single journey.

The national park is the flamingo capital of Kenya and perhaps Africa at large – millions of these birds flock at the lake shores creating a stunning array. The natural contrast between blue water and pink lesser flamingos creates a natural spectrum which is a rainbow of its own.

Lake Nakuru Park is located within the Rift Valley and there are riff valley escarpments which create stunning scenery and host a number of wildlife species. Places around the Great Rift Valley are photogenic, beautiful landscapes can be seen everywhere around the Park.

 

The Best Time To Visit Lake Nakuru

Just like most safari parks and Reserves in Kenya, Lake Nakuru National Park can be visited all year round. However, some months of the year offer the most ideal conditions for safaris in the park. The dry months or dry seasons are the best time to visit this safari park. There are two dry seasons in Kenya at large; the long dry season between June and September and the short dry season that lasts between December and February.

The best time to visit Lake Nakuru is therefore either between June to September or between December to February. During these month of the year, the track in the park are very accessible and wildlife viewing is at its best. The weather is also favorable for safaris during these months.

How To Get To there

The Park can be reached using both road transport and air transport, depending on the time and budget of the visitors.

By Road;

From Nairobi city, a car drive takes about 3 hours heading 155 kilometers northwest towards Nakuru Town. The main gate for Lake Nakuru National Park is a 33-minute drive over 5 kilometers from Nakuru Town. Driving from Masai Mara National Reserve takes about 4 to 6 hours to reach Nakuru Town over 235 kilometers of road. From Samburu Game Reserve, a drive towards Nakuru Town takes about 6 hours along the 300 km highway.

By Air;

A charter flight from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in the capital, Nairobi, takes about 45 minutes to reach Nakuru. From there, visitors can get into a 4×4 vehicle to reach Lake Nakuru National Park.