Lake Nakuru National Park Kenya

Lake Nakuru National Park Kenya – Kenya wildlife safari holidays

Lake Nakuru national park Kenya – “A beautiful wildlife haven” On the floor of the Great Rift Valley, surrounded by wooded and bushy grassland, lies the beautiful Lake Nakuru National Park. Visitors can enjoy the wide ecological diversity and varied habitats that range from Lake Nakuru itself to the surrounding escarpment and picturesque ridges. Lake Nakuru National Park is ideal for bird watching, hiking, picnic and game drives.

General national park information.

Lake Nakuru National Park is one of Kenya’s two Premium Parks, and is a bird lover’s paradise. It surrounds Lake Nakuru, located in the Central Rift Conservation Area in the southern rift valley region of Kenya. Originally protected as a bird sanctuary, this park hosts over 400 bird species, including 5 globally threatened species, and is an important stop on the African-Eurasian Migratory Flyway. This park was also the first national Rhino sanctuary and hosts one of the world’s highest concentrations of the Black Rhinoceros

Birds of Lake Nakuru .

Globally threatened species have been recorded here, namely Madagascar Pond-Heron, Lesser Flamingo, Pallid Harrier, Greater Spotted Eagle, Grey-crested Helmet-shrike along with large congregations of Greater Flamingo, Black-necked Grebe, Little Grebe, Great White Pelican, Yellow-billed Stork, African Spoonbill, Black-winged Stilt, Grey-headed Gull and Gull-billed Tern.

The lake is internationally famous for its healthy populations of the globally threatened Lesser Flamingo, numbers can reach 1.5 million at times, though drastic and unpredictable fluctuations occur. Undoubtedly Nakuru is a very important feeding site for this species; attempts by flamingos to breed here have not been successful. Other waterfowl have increased considerably in numbers and diversity since the introduction of fish in 1961. At times Nakuru is a major feeding ground for the Great White Pelican, which nests on rocky islets in nearby Lake Elmenteita and moves to Nakuru daily to feed. Large numbers of Palearctic waders winter at Nakuru or use the site on passage, and Nakuru has been a key site in the eastern Rift Valley flyway.

The park is a sanctuary for the Black Rhino and White Rhino, the latter introduced from South Africa.

Rothschild’s Giraffe was also introduced into the park in 1977. The rare Ethiopian Large-eared Roundleaf Batis resident. Other large mammals, some recently reintroduced, include African Lion, Cape Buffalo, Leopard, Black-and-white Colobus Monkey in the forest, the Common Eland, Steinbok, Impala, Chandler’s Reedbuck, Dikdik in the bush-land along with the Rock hyrax and the Klipspringer on the cliffs and escarpment.

Wildlife of Lake Nakuru .

Lake Nakuru National Park is one of Kenya’s finest national parks. Flanked by rocky escarpments, pockets of acacia forest and at least one waterfall, the park is a beautiful year-round destination. Home to black and white rhinos, leopards, hippos, giraffes, lions and buffalo

How to get to Lake Nakuru national park?

Roads:The park has a tarmac road connection with Nairobi, a distance of 156 km north west of Nairobi on the main A104 road. The most commonly used route into the park is via the main gate, 4 km from Nakuru Town Centre. It is also possible to enter the park from the main Nairobi Nakuru road at Lanet Gate. The Nderit Gate is used by people accessing the park from Masai Mara or Elementaita.

Airstrips:The Naishi airstrip services the park for tourism and KWS activities.

Park Roads:The park has an adequate and well serviced motorable roads that make most parts of the park accessible.

Park Gates:The park has three gates, Main Gate and Lanet Gate that link the park with the Nairobi-Nakuru highway and the less used Nderit Gate.

Where to stay Lake Nakuru national park.

-Sarova Lion hill game lodge.

-Lake Nakuru Lodge.

-Flamingo hill tented camp.

-Kivu Resort.

-Claire de lune moonlight hotel.

-Sarova woodland Hotel and spa.

Best time to Visit Lake Nakuru national park.

As a result, the flamingos have moved to other lakes in the Rift Valley.Best Time June to March is best for general wildlife viewing (Little rain)High Season July to March.