Lake Nakuru National Park; Lake Nakuru is an alkaline lake, located in Rift Valley and covers an area of about 188 square kilometers, was established in 1961 around Lake Nakuru near Nakuru town. The park is best known for its millions of beautiful flamingos nesting along the shores. The surface of the shallow lake is often hardly identified due to the continually shifting mass of pink. Due to number of flamingos on the lake varies with water and food conditions and the best vantage point is from Baboon Cliff.
The word Nakuru means ‘’Dust’’ or Dusty Place’’ in the Maasai language and the lake is under the protection of the Ramsar Convention on wetlands.
More so, Lake Nakuru National Park is a beautiful wildlife paradise, surrounded by wooded and bushy grassland. Tourists on visit can enjoy the wide ecological diversity and varied habitat that range from Lake Nakuru to its surrounding escarpment and picturesque ridges. The park is an ideal for birdwatching, picnic, hiking and game drives among others.
Attractions in Lake Nakuru National Park;
Flamingo; Greater and Lesser and other water birds including various terrestrial birds of about 450 species of birds.
Mammals; The park harbors over 56 different species including white rhinos, waterbucks among others.
View-points; Lion hill, Baboon cliff and out of Africa.
Hills; Good for the honeymoon, enasoit, lion hill ridge among others.
Waterfalls; Makaila
Unique vegetation; The park hosts about 550 different plant species such as the unique and biggest euphorbia forest in Africa, picturesque landscape and yellow acacia woodland.
Cycle with rhino event every September yearly.
Activities in Lake Nakuru; Camping and Game viewing
Game drives;
The best way to explore the park’s treasures is through engaging in game drive. The drives provide rewardable wildlife experience close to animals like white rhinos, leopards, lions, giraffes, hippos, impalas, waterbucks many more. It can be done in different times of day and each session provides perfect experience during safaris.
Bird watching
This is an interesting activity carried out of the park and it’s majorly experience by the visitors who are bird lovers. There is bucket of list of birds to spot including Flamingo, Yellow- billed stork, Grey crowned crane, Marabou, Bustards, Lesser flamingo, Common Ringed plover, Blacksmith Lapwing, Spur-winged Lapwing, Black-winged lapwing, Crowned Lapwing, Lesser Sand-plover, Caspian plover, three – banded plover among others.
Hiking
This is also an activity liked by the tourists that provides a visit to the viewpoints around the national park.
A traveler can combine activities here with a visit to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Uganda for Gorilla Trekking Tours.
N.B Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be accessed through flying in from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Entebbe International Airport, then fly with a domestic flight Aero link Uganda to Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrip a nearby airstrip to the park’’1:30hours’’
Best time to visit Lake Nakuru National Park
The park can be visited all year round but the best time to enjoy the activities with no limit starts from June to September and October to December and March. April and May can be peak rainy season with a lot of rainfall received in the park. The rain received provide water for the wildlife species in the national park and pastures since the pools are filled with fresh rainwater. The rains received does not spoil roads that lead to the lake since all roads to the park are in good condition.
Accommodations In Lake Nakuru National Park
Lake Nakuru National Park boosts with excellent accommodation facilities ranging from Luxury, Mid-range and Budget. From hotels ,lodge and campsites;
Campsites in the park; Makalia campsite, Reedbuck campsite, Naishi campsite, Rhino campsite, Baboon cliff, Chui Campsite,
Lodges; Lake Nakuru lodge, Sarova Lion Hill lodge, Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge and The Cliff Hotel.
Getting there;
Roads; Lake Nakuru National Park has a tarmac road that connects with Nairobi, a distance of 156 kilometers north west of Nairobi on the main A1o4 road. The commonly used route into the park is via the main gate ,4kilometers from Nakuru town Centre.
The park can also be entered from the main Nairobi Nakuru Road at Lanet Gate. The Nderit gate is most used by people accessing the park from Masai Mara or Elementaita.
Airstrips; The park can be landed in through Naishi airstrip, especially for tourism and KWS activities.
Park gates; Lanet and Nderit gates lies on the larger part of the park on the Eastern side. Old Main gate lies on the northern western side of the park. But due to the rise of water level you cannot make a full circuit to connect to the Eastern side. Tourists with tickets can be able to access both sides of the park at no costs.
