Lake Nakuru National Park — Rhinos, Flamingos, and the Rift Valley
Lake Nakuru National Park sits in the floor of the Great Rift Valley in central Kenya, about two hours north of Nairobi. The park is named for the shallow, alkaline lake at its centre, which has historically supported one of the world’s largest concentrations of flamingos — at peak times, two million lesser flamingos turning the lake pink from the air. Algae blooms in the lake’s alkaline water provide food for the flamingos, but the bloom cycles with rainfall and water level, which means the flamingo numbers vary considerably from visit to visit. When they are present in large numbers, it is a spectacle unlike anything else in East Africa. When they are not, the park still has excellent wildlife in every other category.
Black Rhino and White Rhino
Lake Nakuru is one of the best places in East Africa to see both black and white rhinos. The park is a rhino sanctuary — the entire 188 square kilometres is fenced — and rhinos have been reintroduced and bred here since the 1980s. There are currently over 25 black rhinos in the park and a larger number of white rhinos, and because the park is compact and well managed, sighting rates are high. If seeing a rhino is a priority for you — and the black rhino in particular, which is critically endangered with only around 6,000 remaining in the wild — Lake Nakuru should be on your itinerary.
The Rest of Nakuru’s Wildlife
Beyond the flamingos and rhinos, Nakuru has a healthy population of lion, leopard, buffalo, giraffe, waterbuck, and baboon. The forested sections of the park along the lake’s southern shore are good for leopard, which tend to rest in the fever trees during the heat of the day and are occasionally visible from the road. The Baboon Cliff viewpoint in the north of the park offers a panoramic view over the lake and is one of the best places to appreciate the full scale of a flamingo concentration on the water below.
How Long Do You Need in Nakuru?
Nakuru is a compact park — one full day of game drives covers most of it. Most itineraries allocate one or two nights, which gives you two game drives and is comfortably enough to see the principal wildlife. It works very well as a stop between Nairobi and the Masai Mara, or as part of a Rift Valley lakes circuit that also includes Lake Naivasha. Talk to us about including Nakuru in your Kenya itinerary.