The breathtaking scenery of Lake Nakuru National Park
Lake Nakuru National Park is located about 150 kilometres from Nairobi and is one of the most scenic and popular Kenya’s national parks. Surrounded by a picturesque escarpment and ridges, wooded and bushy grassland, and a big euphorbia forest, the large and shallow lake is the park’s main attractions, which was famous for big flocks of flamingos.
Unfortunately, our guide told us that since 2012, the lake’s conditions have become no longer favourable for the flamingos, and most of them have moved to other Rift Valley lakes. Despite that, lake Nakuru boasts an exceptional birdlife since more than 400 different bird species have been recorded here, and it’s still possible to see big flocks of pelicans and variable flocks of flamingos.
Besides, once merely a bird sanctuary, the Lake Nakuru National Park is also a national rhino sanctuary and the best place in Kenya to see protected black and white rhino. It also features hippo and waterbuck, big herds of buffalo, the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe, Burchell’s zebra, Thomson’s gazelle, hyena, baboon and different species of monkey. If you are lucky, Lake Nakuru is the best park in Kenya to spot the tree-climbing lion. We spotted an abundant range of wildlife during our game drive, including one black rhino and six white rhinos, but the thing that stroke us most was the breathtaking scenery of the park.
Where to sleep in Lake Nakuru National Park
The main gate of the park is only a few kilometres from Nakuru town. Here, you’ll find a good range of cheap accommodations. We slept at the Kivu Resort (half board). Alternatively, you can also sleep inside the park at Lake Nakuru Lodge, Sarova Lion Hill Lodge, or camping in one of the several campsites (some of them have no facilities). If you decide to camp, remember to take with you drinking water, picnic items and camping equipment.
How to get there
Lake Nakuru is usually visited during a 5/6 days tour that includes Masai Mara, Lake Naivasha and Hell’s Gate National Park. Anyway, you can also visit the Park on a daily trip since it’s only 150 km from Nairobi. In case, you can quickly look for a tour using the web platforms Viator and GetYourGuide that offer several trips managed by local tour operators. Lake Naivasha is 90 km away, and Hell’s Gate NP 20 km furthermore whereas Masai Mara is 250 km. Click here to see our itinerary and information about Kenya.
When to visit Lake Nakuru National Park
It’s possible to visit the park throughout the year, but it’s better to avoid the wettest months of April and May since the rain could interfere with your activities. Take in mind that the Park could also be very busy during the high season from June to September.
Entrance fee
The entrance fee for non-resident is 60 USD.
2 Comments
Hi! thanks for the useful information! Do you think it is worth visiting Nakuru lake only having 6 days to spend in Kenya?
Hi Kevin! We suggest visiting Nakuru too. It’s really worth a visit! You can link it with Naivasha lake and Hell’s Gate NP.