Lake Nakuru
Lake Nakuru Overview
Lake Nakuru national park is spectacular. Has been a blazing sea of pink flamingoes. Millions! Their intense fuchsias bursting against the lake’s shores which perfectly contrasts with the pink flamingoes make lake Nakuru bountiful.
There has been a decline of flamingoes at the lake for years but the presence of waterfalls, acacia trees, and euphoria trees make the lake magnificent. This makes it a must-visit destination
The lake is full of other birds. Cormorants, pelicans, kingfishers, ostrich, herons, eagles,s and storks are spread all over. The scene here is busy, bountiful, and full of color.
This, however, makes the beginning of what you expect. The wildlife is in abundance. They are easily accessible and hence easy to view just like other premium parks such as Masai Mara national reserve
Lake Nakuru has some endangered species such as the Rothschild giraffe along with white rhinos along the shores of the lake. The park is also a sanctuary for Kenya’s largest population of black rhinos.
The wildlife viewing here is observing the park’s zebra, giraffe, hippos, vervet and Columbus monkey, waterbucks, and hyena. That is not all. Large predators are also present here. Animals such as lions, cheetahs, and leopards are also found in the lake Nakuru national park.
Moving through the park’s dense acacia forest, you can easily spot impala and waterbucks feeding themselves. Don’t be surprised to see the world’s largest snake. The pythons are seen hanging on the woodlands loosely. This should not scare you at all. These creatures are not poisonous and hence can’t attack you but, they’re capable of swallowing a whole animal down their throat.
Those who have visited the lake will attest to the park’s beauty with its rich topography of hills, grasslands, and forests. There are several vantage points from which you can enjoy the clear view of the lake. A visit to lake Nakuru is truly rewarding.
Lake Nakuru Location
Lake Nakuru national park is located about 165 km from Nairobi in rift valley province and 250 from Masai Mara national park. Lake Nakuru national park is relatively near to Nairobi for a one-day trip if you don't have a budget and a lot of time for a two days safari. Lake is a two-hour drive from the city. 27% of the park is composed of the Lake Nakuru waters. The lake is 2km north of Nakuru town at a grid reference 0’19’- 0’24’S/36’04’- 36’07E and covers 4900ha which is 9km long and 5.5km wide at an altitude of 1758m above sea level. The park was expanded over the years to 188km2. The lake Nakuru ecosystem comprises of the lake, surrounded by bushy and wooded grassland without paying extra charges
Weather and climate in Lake Nakuru
Lake Nakuru national park has a subtropical highland climate. The climate is characterized by cool temperatures, moderate rainfall, and distinct dry and wet seasons.
The average temperature at Lake Nakuru ranges between 12°C and 28°C (54°F and 82°F) throughout the year. The warmest months are January to February, while the coolest months are July to August.
The wet season in Lake Nakuru national park is from March to May, with heavy rainfall and occasional thunderstorms. Another wet season occurs from October to November, which is also characterized by moderate rainfall. The dry season occurs from June to September and from December to February.
Dry season
The dry season starts in June and all through to December. The weather conditions are sunny with temperatures ranging to 25° Celcius.
January and Feb are the driest months with temperatures going up to 28° Early mornings are always chilly with temperatures of up to 9°
Wet Season
Lake Nakuru gets cloudy over the day but never rains all day. The temperatures are pleasant for game drives in the afternoon but mild in the morning. March and April are the wet seasons and May mark the end of the rainy season.
Lake Nakuru Wildlife
Most big safari animals are found in lake Nakuru national park except elephants which you will find at Amboseli national park in large numbers. Black and white rhinos are predominant here since there is a rhino sanctuary. . One is more likely to see; white rhinos, African buffalos, Rothschild giraffes, zebras, impalas, black rhino, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, waterbucks, hyena, jackals, hippos, pythons, lions, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs and colobus monkey.
Birdlife here is imminent. Lake Nakuru is the best destination for birding since over 500 bird species live here. it is no longer the major host of Flamingos since most of them have migrated to other lakes, but you will always be treated to a lot of bird species including large flocks of pelican and cormorant’s types of birds which are large fish predating birds. Thousands of little grebes and white winged black terns are frequently spotted as long as stilts, avocets, yellow-billed pelicans, marabou storks, hamerkops, fish eagle ducks, and some European winter of the migrant waders. The best time to visit the park for birders is from November to April. This is the breeding season and many birds are in full plumage. This is also a good time to tick off extra species as migrants from Europe and North Africa are present as well.
For a good animal viewing experience, it is advisable to visit during the dry season otherwise during the wet season spotting is difficult since there is plenty of grass and other vegetation hence they are scattered all over.
Best time to visit Lake Nakuru
Lake Nakuru is open year-round. You can visit any time of the year. The roads here are also relatively good hence it is possible to do game drives even during the heavy rains when other parks are not accessible.
The best time to visit Lake Nakuru, however, is during the dry season, particularly from December to February and June to September when the park has high concentrations of wildlife. The wet season, on the other hand, is not the best time for game viewing due to the high grass and dense vegetation, but it can be a good time for bird watching as migratory birds come to the park during this time
Attractions in Lake Nakuru
There are a lot of things to do in lake Nakuru national park upon your visit. Here are
Birdwatching.
Lake Nakuru is the major hotspot for bird viewing. It has a dense population of over five hundred bird species.
You can nourish your eyes with beautiful flamingoes, pelicans, shining sunbird, falcons, long-tailed widowbird, grey-crowned crane, and many more along its shores. Did you know male birds are more beautiful than females? Some and many other facts are discovered at lake Nakuru.
Viewpoints.
Being located at the heart of the rift valley, there are so many viewpoints at lake Nakuru such as the Lion hill, Baboon cliff and Out of Africa where you can stand and watch over the beautiful landscape of the rift valley.
Game drives
These drives provide wildlife viewing experiences close to the wildlife species such as the white rhinos, leopards, lions, giraffes, hippos, impalas, waterbucks among others. These game drives take place at different times of day which provides unique experiences during safaris at this destination.
Hiking
This another activity that takes place as tourists visit the viewpoints around the national park
Bird watching
is another interesting activity that is carried out because of the various bird species which can be seen in the different birding spots around the park.
Lake Nakuru Safari
Visiting lake Nakuru is always rewarding. We have various short trips to lake Nakuru and safari packages that you will always choose and treat yourself to an unforgetful experience.
