LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARK

Location:

The 199 km2 National Park is just 3 km south of Nakuru town in Central Kenya, 140 km northwest of Nairobi. It was established in 1960 as the first bird sanctuary in Africa and the alkaline lake itself is fringed by swamp, and surrounded by dry savannah. The park is in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya.

Attractions:

There is a wide variety of wildlife including the bats, colobus monkeys, spring hares, otters, rock hyraxes, hippopotamuses, buffalos, waterbucks, leopards, lions, hyenas and giraffes, but the most popular reason for visiting is the wonderful sight of hundreds of flamingoes in the Lake itself. At one time there were thought to be around 2'000'000 flamingoes here, about one third of the world's entire population, but the numbers have diminished in recent years.

The best viewing point is from the Baboon Cliffs on the western shores of the Lake from where again you can have a closer look at the baboons. There are also more than 450 other species of birds here. The park has also established a special rhinoceros sanctuary which contains 35 black rhinoceros and 10 white rhinoceros in an enclosure, secured by electric fencing to deter poachers. In 1974, the endangered Rothschild giraffes were introduced from the Soy plains of Eldoret where they have bred successfully. Leopards are occasionally spotted here. There is also a fall referred to as Makalia Falls, an alternative source of water for the animals within the park.

How to get there:

From Nairobi to Nakuru, the journey takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes or even three hours through the Nairobi - Kisumu road, passing through Elementaita and the outskirts of Naivasha town. This is one of the easiest parks to visit being just outside Nakuru town. You will need to be in a vehicle though you are allowed to get out at the lakeside.