Lake Nakuru National Park is one of the popular tourist destinations in Kenya situated near Nakuru town famous for millions of flamingoes nesting along the shores of Lake Nakuru. Lake Nakuru National Park lies south of Nakuru in the Rift Valley region of Kenya.
The park was created in 1961 covering an area of 188 square kilometers majorly to protect the large population of flamingoes, giraffes, and both black and white rhinos.
Lake Nakuru National Park was named after Lake Nakuru which is situated in the southern region of the park. The word Nakuru is a local Masai word meaning “Dust or Dusty place”.
Originally, the park stretched across a mountainous vicinity but it was extended to cover savannah grasslands. Lake Nakuru National Park consists of many tourist attractions which is a reason why it is ranked among the top destinations in Kenya
Examples of tourist attractions in Lake Nakuru National Park include:
Lake Nakuru
Lake Nakuru is a Rift Valley Soda Lake from which Lake Nakuru National Park derives its name. Lake Nakuru covers a surface area of 45 square kilometers covering a reasonable area of the park and is a habitat for many animals and also a bird watcher’s paradise as it is always crowded by a huge population of birds such as the lesser and greater flamingos which flood the shore of the lake.
Makalia falls
Makalia Falls is a magnificent feature in Lake Nakuru National Park found on the southern end of Lake Nakuru National Park. The falls make up a magnificent sight on Makalia River with a drop of 10 meters off a sheer cliff which forms a plunge pool.
Hills
Lake Nakuru National Park is made up of rugged terrain that consists of hills which include Enasoit, Honeymoon, Lion Hill, and many more. These hills are the best spots to enjoy views of the park and its attractions such as the wildlife and the beautiful nature.
Birds
Birds are one of the greatest tourist attractions in Lake Nakuru National Park most especially the millions of greater and lesser pink-colored flamingoes which crowd Lake Nakuru and paint it with a pink hue.
Lake Nakuru National Park is a great habitat for birds and is listed among the best birding areas in Kenya. The park is a habitat for over 500 bird species that scatter around the park. The large population of birds in Lake Nakuru National Park includes a variety of birds such as endemic bird species which live only in Kenya.
Mammals
Lake Nakuru National Park is an exceptional home for a variety of mammals including the big animals of Kenya.
Lake Nakuru National Park is a habitat of over 56 species of mammals and it is recognized as one of the few destinations in Kenya hosting the endangered rhino with the largest concentration.
Other mammals in Lake Nakuru National Park include eastern black rhinoceros, southern white rhinos, Rothschild’s giraffe, waterbucks, lions, predators, cheetah, Burchell’s zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, hippopotamuses, hyena, and many more. Apart from mammals, the park also hosts vervet monkeys, olive baboons, and black and white colobus monkeys.
Beautiful scenery
Lake Nakuru National Park is one of the most scenic destinations among the popular national parks in Kenya.
The park’s breathtaking scenery consists of a rift valley escarpment that rises from the Lake Nakuru shore and is dotted with a gallery of Euphorbia trees and Lake Nakuru which is dotted with yellow fever trees on its banks.
The lake is always crowded by millions of flamingoes both greater and lesser which is a fascinating sight to witness and as a result of the beautiful scenery, Lake Nakuru National Park offers fantastic sites for photography and nature viewing.
The best time to visit Lake Nakuru National Park
Like other popular tourist destinations in Kenya, Lake Nakuru National Park receives tourists yearly. For an amazing adventure, it is advisable to visit Lake Nakuru National Park during the wet months but doing otherwise has its taste of adventure too. These months have a good rainfall pattern which makes it easy to see animals as they crowd the lake to drink water.
How to get to Lake Nakuru National Park
Getting to Lake Nakuru National Park is very easy as the park is situated in central Kenya about 150 kilometers northwest of Nairobi city in the Rift Valley province. You can choose to use either air or road means of transport.
On road transport, you drive from Nairobi to Nakuru town, and from Nakuru town, it is a drive of 4 kilometers and also it is easy to connect from destinations like Masai Mara National Reserve to Lake Nakuru for a safari.
For a unique view, air chartered flights are offered from Nairobi International Airport and Wilson Airport landing at Naishi airstrip situated inside Lake Nakuru National Park.
Where to stay in Lake Nakuru National Park
In Lake Nakuru National Park, accommodation is from many lodges open to all visitors in the park for a safari, These lodges are situated near and in the proximity of the park and they are dedicated to offering you a home away from home.
They include the Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge, Flamingo Hill Tented Camp, Lake Nakuru Lodge, the Cliff Nakuru, Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodges, Sarova Woodlands Hotel, Langas Relax Inn Nakuru, and many more.
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