Scenic Lake Nakuru is Kenya’s 3rd most popular national park. It offers good wildlife viewing with four of the Big Five present. The small park doesn’t support elephants, but rhinos are particularly easy to see. Lake Nakuru NP’s main feature is a large, shallow lake, which was famous for big flocks of flamingos. However, since 2012, conditions have become unfavorable for the flamingos and most have moved to other Rift Valley lakes, however, large flocks can still be seen here.
Flamingo (Greater and Lesser) and other water birds including a variety of terrestrial birds numbering about 450 species in total.
Mammals: 56 different species including white rhinos, waterbuck, etc.
View-points: Lion hill, Baboon cliff, and Out of Africa
Hills: Enasoit, Honeymoon, Lion hill ridge, etc
Waterfalls: Makalia
Unique vegetation: About 550 different plant species including the unique and biggest euphorbia forest in Africa, Picturesque landscape and yellow acacia woodlands.Cycle with rhino event every September yearly
“A beautiful wildlife haven” On the floor of the Great Rift Valley, surrounded by wooded and bushy grassland, lies the beautiful Lake Nakuru National Park. Visitors can enjoy the wide ecological diversity and varied habitats that range from Lake Nakuru itself to the surrounding escarpment and picturesque ridges. Lake Nakuru National Park is ideal for bird watching, hiking, picnic, and game drives.
June to February: Dry season
Pros:
It is sunny and dry, but it rarely gets hot
Short grass and few water sources make animals easy to spot
Cons:
The park gets very crowded and good sightings tend to attract a lot of vehicles
March to May: Wettest Season
Pros:
Less crowded and low season rates may apply
The park is green, the skies are clear, and there are lots of flowers
Newborn animals can be seen
Wildlife viewing is still fine in the Wet season as the park is fenced and animals can’t move out
Best time for bird watching with migratory birds present
Cons:
April can be very wet and rain might interfere with your game drives
The grass is long and animals are more difficult to spot
Lake Nakuru can be visited throughout the year, but wildlife viewing might be more difficult in April and May, which are the wettest months. At this time, rain might interfere with your game drives and the grass tends to be very high making animal spotting more difficult.
Best Time: June to March is best for general wildlife viewing and the best time to visit the park little rain is experienced during this period
Most big safari animals are present in Lake Nakuru NP with the exception of elephants. The park is known for its populations of black and white rhino. The white rhino is particularly common, and different groups can be encountered throughout the day. Hippo, waterbuck, Burchell's zebra, and Thomson's gazelle are common on the floodplains. Sometimes predators like Leopard and Lion may be spotted.
The relatively high altitude of the park makes the climate slightly colder than might be expected this close to the equator. Temperatures are quite mild though, and consistent year-round. Daytime temperatures are pleasant in the mid to upper twenties, although it is much cooler at nights. Warm clothing for early morning game drives is a necessity. The wettest months are April and May. The rest of the year is relatively dry with some rain throughout.
Giraffe
Elephant
Zebra
Hippo
Leopard
Buffalo
Hyena
Lion
Cheetah
White Rhino
Black Rhino
Wildebeest
Wild Dog
Giraffe
Elephant
Zebra
Hippo
Leopard
Buffalo
Hyena
Lion
Cheetah
White Rhino
Black Rhino
Wildebeest
Wild Dog
Lake Nakuru offers good wildlife viewing throughout the year, but the rains might interfere with your game drives in the wettest months, April and May. Although there is great birdlife at the lake, conditions in recent years have become unfavorable for flamingos, which used to be a real attraction here. As a result, the flamingos have moved to other lakes in the Rift Valley.
Best Time: June to March is best for general wildlife viewing and best time to visit the park (Little rain)
High Season: July to March (The park gets very busy)
Low Season: April to June (The park is less crowded and low season rates might apply)
Best Weather: June to March (Little rainfall)
Worst Weather: April to May (Wettest months)
Lake Nakuru offers good wildlife viewing throughout the year, but the rains might interfere with your game drives in the wettest months, April and May. Although there is great birdlife at the lake, conditions in recent years have become unfavorable for flamingos, which used to be a real attraction here. As a result, the flamingos have moved to other lakes in the Rift Valley.
The pleasant days are usually sunny but do not get too hot. It rarely rains, although don’t be surprised if there is an occasional shower at any time. It is recommended to wear warm clothing on early morning game drives.
There are many overcast, cloudy days in the Wet season, but it rarely rains all day. Showers after lunch are typical. Temperatures in the afternoon are pleasant at around 27°C/81°F. Early mornings are a bit milder at 11°C/52°F. April is the wettest month, and by May, the rainfall is already subsiding.
Lake Nakuru is a very safe park to visit. Security within the park is high, and there is no cause for concern when staying here. It is located next to the small town with the same name. However, one should always be cautious when walking around any towns in Kenya without a guide. See ‘cities and other urban areas safety precautions’ for further information.
Several vaccinations are required before a trip to Kenya. Lake Nakuru is a shallow soda lake in the Rift valley and malaria is a big concern here. Precautions should be taken seriously. Apart from bringing antimalarials, the use of mosquito repellent and covering up exposed skin in the evening is highly recommended.
The relatively high altitude of the park makes the climate slightly colder than might be expected this close to the equator. Temperatures are quite mild though, and consistent year-round. Daytime temperatures are pleasant in the mid to upper twenties, although it is much cooler at nights. Warm clothing for early morning game drives is a necessity. The wettest months are April and May. The rest of the year is relatively dry with some rain throughout.