Lake Nakuru National Park

Lake Nakuru National Park is a unique nature reserve in Kenya which is only 3 hours away from the capital. Indeed, its proximity to Nairobi is an advantage as it allows for a safari to Lake Nakuru as a day trip. It lies south of Nakuru, in central Kenya, and is protected by a national park. 

Lake Nakuru National Park was established in 1967 and covers an area of 188 km2. It is at an altitude of 1,758 meters. Over 400 species of birds live here, including black rhinos (which have been reintroduced after extinction). In addition, Lake Nakuru is one of the lakes in the Great Rift Valley. It is an alkaline lake that hosts about 1 million pink flamingos. 

Indeed, unlike other reserves in the country such as the Masai Mara, Amboseli or Tsavo, Lake Nakuru is home to a multitude of bird species. And especially flamingos, the emblems of this park!

Rich birdlife and wildlife

You can see many species of birds at Lake Nakuru, such as pelicans, herons, storks, etc … And of course, what is particularly famous for this park: flamingos! In fact, these birds are numerous because the aquatic and saline environment is conducive to the proliferation of life. These include; microorganisms, crustaceans and algae – the principal source of food for these birds.

If you have the opportunity, it is better to go to Lake Nakuru around June / July.  In fact, this is the ideal when you will be able to observe more flamingos. Consequently, do note that July also corresponds to the wildebeest migration period at Masai Mara.

Many other animal species are indeed present in this park. And in particular two: the Rothschild giraffe and the rhinoceros. This species of giraffe is distinguished by the color of its tasks which are darker than those of other species. Finally, it is very easy to find animals in the park since the area to animal ratio is very small.