What is special about Lake Nakuru? Kenya wildlife Safari Great Rift Valley tour in central Kenya must include a visit to Lake Nakuru National Park. Witness one to two million lesser and greater flamingos plunge their bent bills into the lake’s warm, alkaline water to harvest their favourite meal, which is particular algae that are abundant in this unusual water area, during certain seasons. Since its creation in 1961, the park has become known across the world as an environmentally valuable area, earning designations as an Important Bird Area and RAMSAR Site.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lake Nakuru is a component of the Great Rift Valley Lake System. The park’s 73 square miles (188 square kilometres) feature the lake as well as grassland, woods, and wetlands. The Makalia Falls are located at the park’s southernmost point. The park’s most notable fauna consists of 450 bird species and 56 animal species. Taking a tour to Nakuru Park with a knowledgeable guide provides a chance to observe and interact with some of East Africa’s most valued animals in a stunning and natural environment. Along with pelicans, herons, storks, and other wading birds, the lake itself is often speckled with the pink hues of flamingos.
You can notice the African fish eagle’s characteristic brown, black, white, and bright yellow colouring as it flies six to eight feet on wings in search of the juicy flamingo carcass. The African pygmy kingfisher is the most colourful bird in that lake. This insectivorous bird is only five inches long, and it is one of the smallest members of the kingfisher family, but its amazing plumage more than makes up for its little size. Beyond the lake lies a world of plains species, woodland dwellers, and other creatures of all sizes. The park is surrounded by an electrified fence since Lake Nakuru has become the biggest refuge for three species.
The white and black rhinos and the Rothschild’s giraffes that are randomly spotted during game drives have been spared from the threat of poaching in Kenya and other parts of Africa. Today the animals are one of the park’s most sought-after and elusive animals, the leopard, will provide Kenya wildlife safari visitors to seeking an adventurous Kenyan safari much to write home about. Though hard to locate, the spotted carnivores are usually seen lounging in the trees of the acacia woodlands located far from the lake.
As it glides on wings six to eight feet long, you can observe the characteristic brown, black, white, and bright yellow colouring of an African fish eagle searching for the meaty carcass of flamingos. The African pygmy kingfisher is one of the vibrant birds at Nakuru Lake. The colourful plumage more than makes up for the diminutive size of this insect-eating bird, which is only five inches long and one of the smallest in the kingfisher family.
On a game drive beyond the lake, You will discover a world of forest inhabitants, plains wildlife, and other species, both big and small. However, Lake Nakuru National park is a popular kenya safari tour destination National park is a popular kenya safari tour destination because of three species and that is the reason why the park is surrounded by an electrified fence. The Rothschild’s giraffes and white and black rhinos that you see in the park have been saved from the threat of poaching in Kenya and other parts of Africa. Kenya wildlife Safari visitors to Lake Nakuru National Park and looking for an exciting Kenyan safari will have plenty to write home about when they spot the leopard, one of the park’s most coveted and elusive animals. These spotted carnivores are difficult to find, although they are typically seen relaxing in the acacia trees that are tucked away from the lake’s edges.
During your game drives in the woodlands, you might spot vervet monkeys and colobus. Enjoy seeing these monkeys, but stay away from standing underneath them because they are known to eat untidy, which helps spread trees and other forest vegetation. Some of other common animals in the park are ; Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles, impalas, waterbucks, reedbucks, buffalos, and hippos. Some of these prey animals are constantly under the watchful eye of lions, golden cats, rare wild cats, striped hyenas, and other highly elusive predators.
The Best Time to visit Lake Nakuru National Park
Kenya safari visitors from all over the world flock to Lake Nakuru to see the masses of pink flamingos, but the population varies according to the lake’s alkalinity; higher precipitation levels lower the alkalinity, which means there is less algae for the birds to eat. This may cause majority of flamingos to temporarily move to other nearby soda lakes in Kenya, like lake Bogoria and lake Natron in northern Tanzania. Your best bet is to schedule your flamingo-watching tour of Lake Nakuru during the dry-hot season, which is January and February.
Although there is no guarantee that you will see a large number of flamingos, most of the birds feed and nest at the lake that provides the most algae depending on seasonal rain variations. Despite the fact that there are fewer flamingos outside of the nesting and feeding period, Nakuru Park offers a variety of other wildlife that will guarantee you an exciting wilderness vacation with kenya wildlife safari tours. During the long dry season, the animals tent to congregate around the few freshwater sources making them easier to spot especially on game drives. Another benefit of the dry season is that there are less mosquitoes, which makes travelling to Kenya more comfortable. The cool-dry season, which runs from July to October is the season which unusually brings high levels of rainfall to the Nakuru region compared to other parts of Kenya. Migratory birds come in October and stay until April as Europe cools. The brief rains often begin in November and continue throughout December.
The main months for the long rains are April and May. The long rainy season begins in late March and lasts until June. Since the animals are unable to drink from the soda lake of Nakuru because of its high alkalinity, the precipitation revitalises the grasses and pools to produce fresh rainwater sources. Fauna is typically more dispersed throughout the park during this time of year, but some of the animals may be giving birth during the rains, so you may see foals and calves that are only days or even hours old as they learn to survive and thrive in their new world.
The year-round temperatures at Lake Nakuru National Park are moderate, however the evenings can get chilly. We advise you to pack additional layers of clothes, like a jacket, jumper or fleece, to make sure you can comfortably participate in the morning, afternoon and evening events. It’s also a good idea to pack a poncho if you want to travel during the rainy seasons. Throughout the year the room rates vary depending on the season and the number of visitors. Late summer is the busiest time of year for family safaris because of the Great Wildebeest Migration, which occurs in Masai Mara National Reserve from August to October, and the fact that many kenya wildlife safari visitors combine their safaris to Lake Nakuru Park National Park with holidays such as Christmas, New Year’s, and Easter are peak seasons.
