Lake Nakuru National Park
Lake Nakuru National Park is one of the premium parks in Kenya that travellers influx every year. Lake Nakuru National Park is surrounded by wooded, bushy grassland and Lake Nakuru, and is a paradise to birders. Lake Nakuru National Park is located in Central Kenya and is about 140km northwest of Nairobi in Nakuru district. The park was first a sport shooting area for birds in the 1950s until it was gazetted as a national park in 1968. Lake Nakuru, which makes the large part of the park, is about 40 square kilometres with the park itself covering a total area size of 188 square kilometres. Lake Nakuru Park has many established viewpoints from which the park can be seen extensively.
Lake Nakuru Park is indeed a paradise worth a visit by any traveller on an African safari. Lake Nakuru National Park is home to 400 species of birds including 5 globally threatened species, more than 50 mammal species and well over 500 species of plants. The park is however most famous for the abundant pink flamingos that grace the lake. Among the mammal species that travellers are sure to see while on a safari in Lake Nakuru Park include rhinos, African buffaloes, the Rothschild giraffes, zebras, Impalas, various monkey species, waterbucks, among so many others. The most common animals in the park are the lesser flamingos, hippos, jackals, hyenas and pythons while the hard to see include lions, leopards, black rhinos, cheetahs and colobus monkeys. The various water bird species that can be found in the park include among others hammerkops, marabou storks and the yellow-billed pelicans. All these can be encountered through different activities in Lake Nakuru National Park.
Activities in Lake Nakuru National Park
There are various activities in Lake Nakuru that travellers can do to explore the park and enjoy its beauty. Below are the top activities in Lake Nakuru National Park that travellers can take part in;
Game viewing
Game viewing in Lake Nakuru is a great way to fully explore the park and see most of the park’s wildlife like large herds of buffaloes as well as thousands of flamingos. Game viewing can be done either in the morning or in the evening, or even all day long for those travellers interested during which they could have a picnic along the way in some of the most beautiful and scenic areas of the park.
Camping
Camping is an adventurous activity that can be done in the park, with various camping sites available. Travellers interested in camping in Lake Nakuru Park are advised to prepare adequately.
Bird watching
The Park is designated an Important Birding Area in Kenya with well over 400 species of birds roaming the park. Having an experienced bird guide is great for you will see more species. Carrying binoculars is also advisable.
Picnic
Picnicking is a wonderful activity that travellers can do while in the park. Travellers can carry their packed lunches and spread their materials in some very scenic places in the park, and get to enjoy views of landscapes and inhabitants of the park.
Other activities in Lake Nakuru that travellers can do include photography as well as nature walks.
Best time to visit Lake Nakuru
The Park is basically a sub-humid to the semi-arid area most times of the year. This makes it possible to visit the Park throughout the year. The best time to visit Lake Nakuru park however is during the months of July to December and January to March. The rest of the months are considered wet-though it is not guaranteed that the others cannot receive rainfall.
How to get to Lake Nakuru
The Park can be reached by both road and air, depending on the preference of a traveller and the time available to spare. By road, Lake Nakuru is about 156km from Nairobi city and travellers get to travel North West from the city to the park. The commonly used route into the park is the one that takes travellers through the main gate which is 4km from Nakuru town. The other route could be through the Nairobi-Nakuru road at the Lanet gate. Travellers coming from Masai Mara National Park can access Lake Nakuru via the Nderit gate. Getting to Lake Nakuru by road is very rewarding to travellers with the wonderful views of the Great Rift Valley and the scenery. The park can also be reached by air from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Naishi airstrip inside the park.
There are various accommodation facilities in and around the park that travellers can stay in while on a safari. These lodging options cater for all ranges of travellers from luxury, mid-range and budget options.
The Park is a great place to visit while on a Kenya safari to relax while viewing the various wildlife in the park including the beautiful pink flamingos. The national Park is a perfect spot for picnicking and photography, thus advisable to include on your Kenya safari. Get in touch with a reputable and knowledgeable tour operator to help you plan for one of your most memorable Kenya safaris.
