What is special about Lake Nakuru National Park?

What is special about Lake Nakuru National Park? Safaris tour in Kenya that focus on wildlife, camping, or bird watching safari in kenya would not be complete without a visit to Lake Nakuru. It is widely known that Lake Nakuru National Park is home to hundreds of larger and lesser flamingos. It is ideally situated for a day trip or a stopover during a circuit tour, being 156 km west of Nairobi on the outskirts of Nakuru town. The drive takes around two hours. Lake Nakuru to Masai Mara and Lake Nakuru to Amboseli, for instance, are both rather close, so you can stop here during a Masai Mara & Amboseli safari. Lake Nakuru merits its own one-night tour. To see additional nearby destinations including Menengai Crater, Lake Elementeita, Mount Longonot National Park, and Kariandusi Archaeological Site, you can extend the tour for three or four days.

Lake Naivasha, Crescent Island, Olkaria Hot Spa, Kigio Wildlife Conservancy, Hyrax Hill Prehistoric Site, Kariandusi Prehistoric Site, Crate Lake, and Ol Donyo Eburru are some of the exciting kenya safari destinations to visit in Nakuru. Lake Nakuru National Park has a surface area of approximately 188 square kilometres and is a very modest when compared to other Kenyan national parks, but don’t be fooled by its size. Its ecology is varied and includes forests, rocky ridges, savanna grassland, and a lake. It is safeguarded by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. You should think about going to this excellent park, which is run by the Kenya Wildlife Service, while you’re in Kenya.

The Mau Forest Complex is the source of the Njoro, Makalia, and Nderit rivers, which feed Lake Nakuru, a shallow alkaline lake. It is referred to as “the greatest bird spectacle on earth” because of the sheer number of pink flamingos that adorn its shoreline. Lake Nakuru Flamingos are of two species, greater and lesser flamingos, with the latter being the majority. Examine the two birds’ beaks closely to tell them apart. The lesser flamingo has a deep red nib, whereas the greater flamingo has a pink beak with a black tip. More than 450 bird species, like as pelicans, cormorants, herons, African spoonbills, glossy ibis, storks, and many more, can be seen during a Lake Nakuru safari. The lake serves as both a nesting habitat for white pelicans and a vital foraging location for flamingos, which visit this area in search of algae.

Lake Nakuru

The park itself is the second major draw when going on a safari to Lake Nakuru. More than 50 kinds of wild animals, including four of the big five, can be seen during a game drive across Lake Nakuru National Park. You can anticipate seeing hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, and wild cats in addition to lions and leopards. Large herds of grazers, including as zebras, giraffes, impalas, and other creatures like baboons and velvet monkeys, can be found in the park. The majority of the giraffes at Lake Nakuru National Park are Rothschild giraffes, which were imported western Kenya as part of a conservation initiative after the state discovered that the species’ pace of decline was concerning.

The majority of the giraffes at Lake Nakuru National Park are Rothschild giraffes, which were imported from western Kenya as part of a conservation initiative after the state discovered that the species’ pace of decline was concerning. Additionally, the park serves as a crucial breeding and protection location for black rhinos, who are endangered. Since their introduction in the 1980s, black rhino populations have steadily increased. They eventually appeared to outnumber the park’s carrying capacity, so the state implemented a plan to move some of them to other locations including the Ol Pejeta, Borana, and Solio Conservancies.

The largest euphorbia forest in Africa is found at Lake Nakuru. The lake is surrounded by marshes and alkaline swamps. The surrounding area changes to savanna grassland, with golden acacia trees in the higher elevations and plains wildlife visible.

Key places to visit at Lake Nakuru National Park

Viewpoints

There are vantage places at Lake Nakuru National Park where you may see the lake and its surrounds. One of these vantage sites is Baboon Cliff, which faces the lake below and is situated at a height at one end of the park. A great place to observe or take pictures of the millions of birds in the lake is Baboon Cliff. The name of this vista comes from the huge baboon families that reside there. Out of Africa and Lion Hill provide further perspectives. Because of the greater gradient, Out of Africa is not as popular. Nevertheless, it provides expansive park views and amazing photo ops, so you shouldn’t pass it up when on a Lake Nakuru Safari.

Makalia Falls

You have the opportunity to go on a short walk to the Makalia Falls, which are situated at the park’s far southernmost point. When the Makalia River fills up during the rainy season, the Makalia Falls, which rise 33 feet from a high rock, is a sight to behold.

Lake Nakuru picnic areas

On a day safari in Lake Nakuru National park, you can eat lunch in the approved picnic spots of Lake Nakuru National Park. One of the most beautiful locations is Makalia, which is close to Makalia Falls. The baboons will keep a careful eye on your lunch. Another interesting location for a picnic is the Baboon Cliff. There are picnic tables and restrooms, and a nature route goes to the cliff. Pelican and Acacia are two other picnic spots in the park.

The Best Time to visit Lake Nakuru National Park

You can visit Lake Nakuru at any time of year because it is generally considered an all-year park. However, it should be noted that the alkalinity of the lake plays a major role in the development of the algae that the flamingo consumes. Heavy rain lowers the water’s alkalinity, which results in less algae. Consequently, there are less birds in the lake during these periods as the birds may go to other soda lakes like Lake Elementaita and Lake Bogoria. It is recommended to visit outside during the long and short rain seasons, when there are plenty of birds, usually from January to March or July to October, if your main reason for visiting is to see or take pictures of the sea of flamingos.

The park is adaptable, and Kenya safari visitors who take a Lake Nakuru safari during a period when there aren’t many flamingos will be more than satisfied because of the plains wildlife and other birds.