The 4th largest town in Kenya, Nakuru, is the closest town to Lake Nakuru National Park, a very rewarding Kenya safari location for birding and game viewing experiences. The park has a total area of 188 square kilometers, of which Lake Nakuru makes up 45 square kilometers. It is located in the Kenyan Rift Valley, some 164 kilometers north of Nairobi.
Lake Nakuru, which is protected by the park, gives the park its name. The word Nakuru is a local dialect of the local Maasai language and means “a place of dust” or simply “dust.” Lake Nakuru was created as a national park in 1961.
The park is made up of savannah grasslands, mountains, and Lake Nakuru, which covers 45 square kilometers of the space. Alkaline Lake Nakuru is a striking feature of the park and a well-known location for bird watching in Kenya.
Millions of flamingos and other water birds can be found on the lake’s beaches, drawn there by the algae. With over 2 million pink flamingos residing on the lake’s shores and flourishing on the plentiful algae in its warm, saline waters, the national park is the best place in the world to see birds.
There are 400 different bird species that live in the Lake Nakuru national park’s savannah plains and along its shores, including pink flamingos, little grebes, ducks, white-winged black terns, stilts, avocets, goliath herons, hammerkops, pied kingfishers, African fish eagles, verreaux’s eagles, and many others.
Lake Nakuru national park
56 species of mammals have been identified in the park’s savannah grasslands, including lions, leopards, buffaloes, warthogs, waterbucks, Thomson gazelles, black and white rhinoceroses, zebras, impalas, deer, jackals, giraffes, wild dogs, and colobus monkeys.
A rhino sanctuary is part of the Lake Nakuru National area and is home to roughly 100 white rhinos and 50 black rhinos. Male rhinos in the area weigh an average of 2300 kg, while female rhinos weigh an average of 1700 kg.
Kenya safari activities to do in Lake Nakuru national park
Game viewing
One of the best places in Kenya for game viewing is Lake Nakuru National Park, which is home to a variety of gorgeous animal species that can be observed on game viewing safaris, making the experience worthwhile. The park offers morning and full-day game drives on a variety of trails that wind through the park. During a game viewing safari, guests may see lions, leopards, buffaloes, warthogs, waterbucks, Thomson gazelles, zebras, impalas, jackals, wild dogs, and rhinos among other stunning creatures.
When visiting the rhino sanctuary, which is home to approximately 100 white rhinos and roughly 50 black rhinos, the park offers visitors the chance to see the endangered rhinoceros (black and white).
Bird watching
A great place to go on a birding safari in Kenya is Lake Nakuru National Park, which serves as a haven for millions of pink flamingos drawn to the lake’s beaches by the algae. During a Kenya birding safari, visitors can see over 400 different bird species in the park, including the Abyssinian thrush, the Arrow-marked babbler, and many others. Bateleur, Godwits with black tails, Lapwing with black wings, Burning canary scrub robin with a brown back Crab-plover, European roller, Eastern imperial eagle crane with a grey crown Woodpecker with a grey head, Amazing snipe, a larger-spotted eagle, the grey-crested helmet shrike Starling of Hildebrandt, rufous sparrow of Kenya the lapwing vulture Maccoa duck, a lesser flamingo, a lesser kestrel, a long-tailed widowbird, White-eyes of Montane Arctic puffback, drab harrier, lark with a red cap The Rüppell’s robin-chat, the Rufous-throated wryneck, the Schalow’s wheatear, Slender-billed greenbul, shining sunbird, sooty falcon, weaver of Speke, Among others, White-fronted bee-eaters and the Western reef heron.
From November through April, when the park is in breeding season and many of the birds are in full plumage, is the greatest time to go on a birding safari in Kenya.
Walking safaris
The Lake Nakuru National Park is a breathtaking location for Kenya walking safaris. Walking safaris are a great way to explore many park areas that are inaccessible by vehicle. In the Lake Nakuru National Park, walking safaris are conducted primarily along the lake’s shoreline and the park’s savannah plains. As you stroll through the park, you may see lions, leopards, impalas, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes, and other animals as well as numerous birds, including flamingos, pelicans, and grey-headed woodpeckers.
ACCOMMODATION IN LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK
There are several lodges and campsites in the park that provide accommodations for visitors on Kenya safaris. Luxury, Midrange, and Budget lodges and campgrounds are available in the park. Some of these are Sarova Hill Game Lodge, Flamingo Hill Tented Camp, Kivu Resort, Lake Nakuru Flamingo Lodge, and Ziwa Bush Lodge.
HOW TO GET TO LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK
The park is a popular Kenya safari location since it is easily reached by both air and ground transportation. It can be entered through one of three gates: the Main gate, Lanet gate, or Nderit gate.
By Road: Using the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway, it takes 30 minutes to travel there from Nairobi, and along the way, you’ll be rewarded with stunning vistas of the Great Rift Valley. If you choose to travel by road, you must drive a 4X4 vehicle.
By air: It takes 25 minutes to fly domestically from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Naishi Airstrip.