Lake Nakuru National Park is located in the central part of Kenya on the floor of the Great Eastern Arm Rift Valley in the northwestern direction from Nairobi. This national park is characterized by woodlands as well as grasslands, which act as habitats for the different wildlife species that can be seen during game viewing experiences using a luxurious safari vehicle with a rooftop in the National Park. Kenya Wildlife Services Authority manages Lake Nakuru Park as well as other national parks and national reserves in Kenya and is also in charge of the conservation of wildlife.
Lake Nakuru National Park has beautiful scenery with attractions such as Lake Nakuru, which the national park is known for, and the Rift Valley escarpment. The landscape of this national park also consists of steep rocky escarpments and plenty of flamingo birds on Lake Nakuru, dense forests, and hills that act as viewpoints during game-watching experiences at this destination. This national park is also strategically located at a short distance from Nairobi, which is the capital city of Kenya. Lake Nakuru Park is also found close to Hell’s Gate National Park and Naivasha National Park, which makes it worth visiting. Soysambu Conservancy is also found on the southeastern boundary of the national park.
Entry gates at this national park include the Nderit gate, which is less used for entry, the Lanet gate, or the main entrance gate, which is located not far from Nakuru town. Park entry fees for tourists visiting Lake Nakuru Park can be paid according to citizens, residents, and non-residents.
Forms of payment for park entry fees at the Park include M-Pesa, Visa cards, and direct deposits to the Kenya Wildlife Services bank account at any of the gates used to access the national park.
Activities in Lake Nakuru National Park
Activities that tourists can engage in during their safaris to this destination include the following:
Game drives are among the ways of experiencing Lake Nakuru National Park. These drives provide wildlife viewing experiences close to the wildlife species, such as the white rhinos, leopards, lions, giraffes, hippos, impalas, and waterbucks, among others. These game drives take place at different times of day, which provides unique experiences during safaris at this destination.
Birdwatching is another interesting activity that is carried out in Lake Nakuru National Park. This is because of the various bird species that can be seen in the different birding spots around the national park, mostly for plenty of lesser flamingos and not found elsewhere in plenty apart from Lake Nakuru. Hiking is another activity that takes place in the National Park, and it takes place as tourists visit the viewpoints around the national park.
What to see on your safari holiday To Lake Nakuru National Park
Lake Nakuru National Park also has a number of attractions, which include the following:
Lake Nakuru is one of the attractions that this national park is famous for. This is because of the large numbers of lesser flamingos, which can be seen along the shores of this lake. The lake is a shallow soda lake that attracts the flamingos to its alkaline shores as they feed on red algae. Many other bird species can also be seen at this lake, which makes it a good birding spot and a birders haven to experience both the native and migratory birds. The types of flamingos that can be seen at this lake are lesser and greater flamingos, which flock to the lake with their pink color. These flamingos can be seen from viewpoints around the national park, such as Baboon Cliff and Lion Hill.
Wildlife mammals of a variety can also be seen in the National Park despite its smaller size compared to other national parks and reserves around Kenya. The wildlife species that can be seen include waterbucks, white rhinos, and black rhinos, which can be seen in the woodlands; Rothschild giraffes; leopards; lions; and cheetahs, among others. Not far from Lake Nakuru is the fenced-off sanctuary where some of the wildlife species, such as giraffes and rhinos, can be seen. The fence around the sanctuary keeps poachers away as well as restricts the movement of the wildlife species.
Bird species that can be seen in the National Park include both the migrant and native bird species, such as the greater and lesser flamingos, African fish eagle, goliath heron, hammerkops, pied kingfishers, eagles, white pelicans, Hottentot teals, starlings, black-winged lapwings, crab plovers, grey crowned cranes, African skimmer birds, yellow-billed stork, saddle-billed stork, and others. Waterfalls in the National Park include Makalia Waterfalls, which is located in the southern part of the national park and is a good spot for hikes as well as picnics for tourists as they explore the beautiful scenery and surroundings at this destination.
Viewpoints within the national park provide good vantage spots to see the different wildlife species as well as other attractions within the National Park. Some of the viewpoints include the Baboon Cliff, Makalia Cliff, among others. Rivers that provide water to Lake Nakuru include the Njoro River, Makalia River, and Enderit River.
Getting to Lake Nakuru
The park can be accessed by different means, which include the following:
By road, it can be accessed by driving from Nairobi to the entry gates of the national park, such as the main gate, which is located near Nakuru town, or using the Lanet gate from the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.
By air/flight, tourists can use Naishi airstrip, which is found in the southern part of the national park.
Accommodations around the National Park are categorized into luxury accommodations, midrange accommodations, and budget accommodations, as well as camping. The accommodation facilities around this national park include Sarova Lion Hill Lodge, Lake Nakuru Lodge, Lake Nakuru Flamingo Lodge, Merica Hotel, Mbweha Camp, Miali Saba Camp, Mirius Guesthouse, Hotel Waterbuck Nakuru, among others.
Tourists can also opt for camping as an option of accommodation during their safaris, and some of the campsites in the park include the following: Naishi campsite, Rhino campsite, Soysambu campsite, Kambi Nyuki campsite, Makalia campsite, among others. Experience the beautiful flamingos as well as a variety of wildlife during a safari to the National Park as you explore its different attractions.