Lake Nakuru National Park is one of the premier safari destinations in Kenya and known for its outstanding game viewing and birding expeditions. Lake Nakuru Game Park is characterized by vast open plains, acacia forest, rocky escarpment and scenic waterfalls in the surrounding Lake Nakuru along the Great Rift Valley. Today, Lake Nakuru Park boasts of its beautiful flamingoes often spotted painting the lake’s landscapes while they feed on the algae.
Lake Nakuru National Park is a compact protected area about 188 sq. km. Lake Nakuru Park is 170 km Northwest of Nairobi city and is set on the floor of the Greater Rift Valley. It was declared as one of the national parks in Kenya in 1968 and is also a recognized UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as an Important Bird Area since 2009.
Major Attractions in the park
The pink flamingos
The colorfully pink flamingos are without doubt the key attractions in Lake Nakuru National Park. Their presence create a beautiful spectacle as they dominate the lake shores while feeding. The park features the lesser and greater flamingos. But the lesser flamingos are slightly more than the greater flamingos.
Wildlife species at the park
Lake Nakuru National Park supports diversity of wild animals. The park is home to wildlife such as hippos, zebras, buffaloes, impalas, gazelles, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, waterbucks, colobus monkeys, reedbucks, rhinos, reedbucks, warthogs, elands, and others.
Birds of Lake Nakuru Park
Over 450 species of birds make Lake Nakuru National Park an IBA. They include flamingos, greater white pelicans, yellow-billed stork, Abyssinian thrush, Augur buzzard, arrow-marked babblers, blue-billed teal, black-tailed godwit, bateleur, Eastern imperial eagle, brown-backed scrub robin, brimstone canary, grey-crested helmet-shrike, Kenya rufous sparrow, greater spotted eagle, great snipe, European roller, Pheasants, Northern shovelers, Southern pochard, Egyptian goose, tufted ducks, Hottentot teal, Northern pintail, white-whistling-duck, helmeted guinea fowl, Egyptian goose, black-bellied bustard, white-bellied bustard, black-faced sandgrouse, red-eyed dove, Namaqua dove, laughing dove, dusky turtle dove, speckled pigeon, great spotted cuckoos, white-browed coucal, red-chested cuckoo, Dideric cuckoos, pallid swift, Horus swift, African palm-swift, Nyanza swift, Klaas’s cuckoos, Levaillant’s cuckoos, red-chested cuckoos, gray crowned crane, Eurasian moorhen, black-winged stilt, red-knobbed coot, lesser sand-plovers, black-winged lapwing, three-banded plovers, Greater painted snipe, and spur-winged lapwing.
Additional birds to explore in Lake Nakuru Park include crab plovers, black-headed gull, whiskered tern, bull-billed tern, Dark chanting goshawk, African fish eagle, Augur Buzzard, Eurasian marsh-harrier, Verreaux’s eagle-owl, spotted eagle owl, red-fronted tinker bird, rufous-crowned rollers, European rollers, broad-billed rollers, white-headed barbet, lilac-breasted rollers, Greater kestrel, Eurasian hobby, lanner falcon, and many others.
Lake Nakuru National Park also inhabits birds such as the old world flycatchers, sunbirds, weavers, thrushes, allies, the northern gray headed sparrow, rufous sparrow, wagtails, pipits, red-capped larks, golden-breasted bunting, brimstone canary, Reichenow’s seedeater to mention but a few.
Lake Nakuru National Park also consists of tourist attractions like baboon cliffs, out of Africa picnic site, Makalia falls, lion hills, and others.
Tourist Activities to do in Lake Nakuru National Park Kenya
Different tourism activities to do in and around Lake Nakuru National Park include birding, game drives, camping, and horseback riding.
Game drives
Guided game drives are best done in the southern part of Lake Nakuru National Park. On a game drive, expect to come across myriad of wildlife including leopards, rhinos, zebras, impalas, vervet monkeys, and many bird species. The best months to consider for wildlife game drive are January to March and then July to December.
Camping
Lake Nakuru National Park is without doubt one of the leading places in Kenya any enthusiastic nature traveler should consider for camping experiences. Camping options at Lake Nakuru Park include Enjoro Campsite which is situated at the main park gate.
Mbweha camp –perfect for visitors interested in game viewing. Lakira camp lies inside Lake Nakuru National Park just at the edge of Lake Nakuru. Nakuru tented camp is one of the peaceful campsites in Lake Nakuru Park, Flamingo hill tented camp is found along the scenic shores of Lake Nakuru.
Makalia falls campsite –ideal for visitors with desire to enjoy game viewing or the stunning views of water falls. The untamed Makalia falls are found in the extreme southern part of Lake Nakuru National Park.
Picnicking
Picnicking can be done at any time of the year or day. But the most preferred time is around the dry season when rains are low. Some of the top picnic sites to consider visiting in Lake Nakuru National Park include Lion cliff, baboon cliff, and out of African outlook.
Birding tours
Bird-watching is a must-do when on a trip in Lake Nakuru Park. Birding tours get birders exposed to diverse bird species including pelicans, flamingoes, Augur buzzard, curlew sandpiper, temminck’s stint, coqui francolin, Maccoa ducks, helmeted guinea fowl, northern shovelers, Egyptian goose, cuckoos, black-bellied bustard, white-bellied bustard, doves, Caspian plovers, three banded plovers, lesser sand-plovers, blacksmith lapwing, crowned lapwing, spur-winged lapwing, and little ringed plovers.
Other birds to encounter include marsh sandpipers, Terek sandpiper, wood sandpiper, sanderling, little stint, whiskered tern, black-headed gull, saddle-billed stork, yellow-billed stork, Abdim’s stork, long-tailed cormorant, eagles, hawks, kites, hoopoe, Northern carmine bee-eaters, Madagascar bee-eaters, white-throated bee-eaters, white-fronted bee-eaters, scimitar bills, owls, rollers, African barbets, woodpeckers, falcons, caracaras, Eurasian golden oriole, chin spot batis, Meyer’s parrot, red-fronted tinkerbird, kingfishers, and more.
When to travel to explore Lake Nakuru Park
Lake Nakuru National Park is open for exploration at any time of the year although the dry months are the best. The dry months in this park occur around January, June, August, September, October, November, and December.
Where to stay
Lake Nakuru National Park safari lodges to consider for overnight stay include among others Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge, Lake Nakuru Lodge, Savor Lion Hill Game Lodge, Campsites, and more.
Access to Lake Nakuru Park
Getting to Lake Nakuru National Park takes visitors about 2 to 3 hour from Nairobi. The access gates to this park include Nderit gate, Lanet, and main gate. By air, Lake Nakuru Park is served by the Naishi Airstrip which is found near Naishi Guesthouse.
