Lake Nakuru National Park

Lake Nakuru national park is a national park in the Kenya established in 1961 around Lake Nakuru near Nakuru town. The park is best known for hosting millions of flamingos that nest along its shores. It is among the best national parks in the Republic of Kenya since it encompasses one of the Rift Valley soda lakes – Lake Nakuru. The park is found in the central part of Kenya on the floor of the Great Rift Valley in the northwestern direction of Nairobi.

Lake Nakuru national park is made up of woodland and grasslands which provide a home to different wildlife species. The park is reserved and managed by Kenya Wildlife Services. The national park is characterized by beautiful features and views including Lake Nakuru in which the national park derived its name and the rift valley escarpment. The landscape of the park is characterized by dense forests, steep rocky escarpments and also hills that act as viewpoints for the travellers during different park experiences like game viewing.

Attractions in Nakuru national park

Lake Nakuru

This is the common attraction in Lake Nakuru national park and it is where it derived its name. The lake is a shallow soda lake that attracts millions of flamingos to its alkaline shores since they feed in algae. Besides the flamingos, many other bird species including the native and migratory birds can be seen at the lake. Among the types of flamingos along the lake include the lesser and greater flamingos which fill the lake with their beautiful pink color.

Wildlife species

Lake Nakuru national park is a home to a wide variety of wildlife including the big and small mammals. Among these species include the leopards, impalas, waterbucks, lions, hippos, giraffes, water rhinos and many others. These species can be sighted during different park experiences including game drives.

Safari activities in Lake Nakuru national park

Tourists can indulge in a number of activities during their safari to Nakuru national park. Among these include;

Game drives

Explore Lake Nakuru national park during the activity of game drive. The drives take place through the driving trails of the park and they expose a traveller close to different wildlife species. Among the wildlife species to sight during the experience include the white rhinos, hippos, waterbucks, leopards, giraffes, impalas, lions, waterbucks, and many others. Lake Nakuru national park organizes different game drives at different times of the day such as morning, half day and full day drives.

Bird watching

With more 400 species of birds, Lake Nakuru national park is one of the birder’s paradises in Kenya. The park is known for attracting millions of flamingos along the shores of its rift valley salt lake – Lake Nakuru. Other birds to spot include; the African fish eagle, Northern puff back, slender-billed greenbul, Rufous throated wryneck, montane white eye, Ruppell’s robin chat, shining sunbird, long tailed widowbird and many others.

Hiking

Lake Nakuru national park is made up of different viewpoints including the steep rocky escarpments, the hills and the dense forests. A hike to these points provides a clear view of different park attractions including wildlife, bird species and the vegetation cover.

Where to stay while in Lake Nakuru National Park

Lake Nakuru national park is surrounded by a number of accommodation facilities which ranging in luxury, midrange and budget suites. Among these accommodations include Lake Nakuru Sopa lodge, Lake Nakuru lodge, Flamingo hill tented camp, Maili Saba camp, Mbweha camp, Sarova lion hill camp, and many others.