Lake Nakuru National Park
This small area is your chance to see rhino and big cats as well as pelicans and pink-hued masses of flamingos
Lake Nakuru is a Rift Valley soda lake that’s high in mineral and algae content. It’s a must if you’re interested in seeing feeding flocks of the two species of flamingo, and huge great white and pink-backed pelicans. If you’re not going on safari to Laikipia’s Lewa and Ol Pejeta conservancies, then Lake Nakuru is your chance to see rhino, both black and white. It’s also a good place to see Rothchild’s giraffe, and there are big cats in the form of lion, leopard and cheetah. Any nature or bird lover would enjoy Lake Nakuru even though it’s a relatively small fenced area just outside Nakuru town. The lake was used to create a sanctuary for rhino and other wildlife during the height of the poaching years.
Lake Nakuru is within Kenya’s southern and south-western circuits – a great stopover linking Nairobi with the Masai Mara Reserve if you’re driving. You can also fly there en route to the Mara or Amboseli. There are lodges and camps inside and outside the park, which could be used as a base to explore Lake Naivasha and the Mau escarpment.
