Reviews of Lake Nakuru (From 12 Acclaimed Safari Experts)

Expert

Lizzie Williams –

ZA

Visited: Multiple times

Lizzie is a reputed guidebook writer and author of the Footprint guides to South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

26 people found this review helpful.

Rewarding game-viewing, even on a short visit, combined with great lake views

Overall rating

4/5

Wildlife:

Bush Vibe:

Scenery:

Birding:

Lake Nakuru’s compactness and varied landscapes are instantly likeable, and it’s ideal for first-time safari-goers and families (even with small children). On my last visit, waterbuck, impala, buffalo and Rothschild's giraffe were right on the roadside, and I’ve often spotted leopard lounging (unusually) during daylight in the giant yellowwood acacia, and in the southern flat area, lions stretching out in the sun and the odd rhino taking a stroll on the lakeshore. The lake itself though has recently changed considerably; once dominantly a soda lake that famously attracted thousands of flamingos, heavy rains and floods in the Rift Valley since 2012 have swelled it to such an extent that some of the game-driving tracks and campsites have been submerged (even Main Gate has moved to higher ground). But while Lake Nakuru’s environmental character has altered a little (and the flamingos have largely flocked elsewhere), thanks to more fresh water, animal numbers are flourishing and are easily-seen. It certainly won’t be wild enough for some, but is easy to navigate and a game-viewing circuit only takes about three hours – even by taxi or on a game drive booked at the gate. My top tip is to take a picnic and admire the new shapes and colours of the lake from the lookout at Baboon Cliffs.

26 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Expert

Ariadne van Zandbergen –

ZA

Visited: Multiple times

Ariadne is a renowned African wildlife photographer whose work is featured in many well-known guidebooks and magazines.

20 people found this review helpful.

Rhinos in the mist

Overall rating

4/5

Wildlife:

Bush Vibe:

Scenery:

Birding:

If you expect to see the flocks of flamingos, which are Lake Nakuru’s claim to fame, you’ll likely end up disappointed. Due to rising water levels, the flamingos have moved to other Rift Valley lakes and this might well be a permanent situation.

Lake Nakuru is still a special place. Due to lower salinity levels of the water, the birdlife is better than ever, with big flocks of pelicans stealing the show. Watching these comical birds taking off and landing on the water never fails to entertain me.
The yellow fever tree forest tends to be shrouded in mist rising from the lake in the early morning and this is a magical setting for a game drive. Elephants are absent, but black and white rhino and the rare Rothschild’s giraffe have been re-introduced and all but the black rhinos are easily seen.

Contrary to most parks in East Africa, Lake Nakuru, which is remarkably close to Nakuru town, is totally fenced and the town is visible from many places within the park. So, this isn’t much of a wilderness experience.

20 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Expert

Philip Briggs –

ZA

Visited: Multiple times

Philip is an acclaimed travel writer and author of many guidebooks, including the Bradt guides to Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa.

10 people found this review helpful.

Lake Of Birds And Land Of Rhinos

Overall rating

4/5

Wildlife:

Bush Vibe:

Scenery:

Birding:

This smallish park, one of the few in Kenya that’s fenced in its entirety, may be a little lacking in wilderness character, but it has traditionally been included on a high proportion of safari itineraries for two main reasons: flamingos and rhinos. Historically, the more important of these attractions is the million-strong aggregations of flamingo that often frequent Lake Nakuru’s shallows. However, this is an erratic phenomenon, and strongly dependent on the water level and alkalinity being suited to the algae upon which the birds feed, for which reason flamingo numbers have generally been very low since 2019. Fortunately, Nakuru still supports exceptionally high densities of both species of rhino, which have been introduced here because it is relatively easy to monitor for poachers. The larger and more peaceable white rhino is probably seen here more easily than it is in any other East African national park; good places to look for it include the southeastern lake floodplain around Rhino Point and areas of open savannah in the park’s far south. The smaller, crankier and more secretive black rhino tends to stick to thick acacia woodland, where it is quite common, but often challenging to locate. Other wildlife likely to be seen in Lake Nakuru National Park includes the localised Rothschild’s giraffe, and plentiful buffalo, zebra and waterbuck. On our most recent visit, in 2024, we had several excellent sightings of leopards and tree-climbing lions around Rhino Point. And even without flamingos, this small national park – listed as a Ramsar wetland and Important Bird Area – supports a remarkably diverse and exciting avifauna, with impressive flocks of great white pelican the stars of a bird checklist that includes more than 450 species.

10 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Expert

Anthony Ham –

AU

Visited: October-November

Anthony is a photographer and writer for travel magazines and Lonely Planet, including the guides to Kenya and Botswana & Namibia.

6 people found this review helpful.

Lake Nakuru: Flamingos and Big Four

Overall rating

4/5

Wildlife:

Bush Vibe:

Scenery:

Birding:

Lake Nakuru ranks among Kenya’s premier parks, with fabulous wildlife-watching within a manageably compact space. During one recent short day’s safari, I saw black and white rhino (the park is home to almost 150 rhinos), leopard, lion (including tree-climbing lions) and buffalo, not to mention the highly endangered Rothschild’s giraffe (no patterning below the knees), black-and-white-colobus monkeys and abundant birdlife. Some years, vast flocks of pelicans and greater and lesser flamingos turn the lake pink. Rhinos are also often seen sloughing around in the mud close to the lakeshore. The thicker forest off the lake’s northeastern corner is where I’ve always had the most luck with leopards, while the best overall views are from Baboon Cliff. Away in the park’s far southwest, Makalia Falls is an impressive cascade of water and the quietest corner of the park. Elsewhere, my only complaint is that the sounds of neighbouring Nakuru city are sometimes audible within the park.

6 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Expert

Emma Gregg –

UK

Visited: December

Emma is an award-winning travel writer for Rough Guides, National Geographic Traveller, Travel Africa magazine and The Independent.

3 people found this review helpful.

One of Kenya’s flagship parks, famous for its flamingoes

Overall rating

4/5

Wildlife:

Bush Vibe:

Scenery:

Birding:

It’s now many years since the gigantic flocks of flamingoes which used to grace Lake Nakuru began to diminish in number, thanks to a change in the chemical makeup of the water. Even so, the image of that shimmering vision in pink remains a Kenyan icon, and it’s rare for the flocks to be absent altogether. When I visited, there was a healthy number of lesser flamingoes gracing the water, along with crowds of pelicans.

There’s more to the park than the lake – acacia woodland surrounds the water, and it’s easy to drive around looking for rhinos, giraffes and baboons. I saw a good number of waterbuck at unusually close range – the park is an excellent place to watch them as vehicles don’t seem to disturb them unduly. Just as well, as there are always plenty of vehicles here – the park is right next to the busy town of Nakuru, and very accessible.

3 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Expert

Alan Murphy –

AU

Visited: June

Alan is a travel writer and author of over 20 Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guides to Southern Africa and Zambia & Malawi.

2 people found this review helpful.

A feel good park with spectacular scenery

Overall rating

4/5

Wildlife:

Bush Vibe:

Scenery:

Birding:

Some parks just make you feel good when you are on safari – in Lake Nakuru NP, the animals almost look as if they’re smiling… It’s no wonder the park is so popular, with its dramatic Rift Valley views, rich wildlife population (four of the Big 5 – no elephants) and variety of birdlife, including great flocks of pelicans. The habitat here is really varied (woodland, savannah, mountains, the lakeshore) which makes cruising around on a safari all the more interesting. And even better is that you have a great chance of spotting rhino – or so I’m told, I never saw any.

I was lucky enough to see the famed tree-climbing lions though, one with its head poking out the top of a squat acacia and the other crouched on a lower branch. Who says lions don’t climb trees? Here they do!

The flamingos used to be a big drawcard of this park – unfortunately most departed for richer feeding grounds a few years ago, however the lakeshore is still a rich repository of birdlife, and birders have hundreds of different species to discover.

This is a park I would definitely spend more time in and I recommend a couple of days here at least.

2 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No

Expert

Christopher Clark –

UK

Visited: Multiple times

Christopher is a British travel writer and has contributed to various Fodor's guidebooks and a range of travel magazines.

2 people found this review helpful.

Kenya’s flamingo and rhino capital

Overall rating

4/5

Wildlife:

Bush Vibe:

Scenery:

Birding:

It’s less than an hour’s drive from Nakuru city centre to Lake Nakuru National Park and less than three hours from Nairobi.

The park’s main attractions are the thousands and sometimes millions of lesser flamingos that nest along its shores and strong populations of both white and black rhino, which have both been rehabilitated here. This has necessitated a fence around the entire park to help prevent poaching, and this undoubtedly takes something away from the natural feel of the place.

Rothschild giraffe were also relocated here from the west of the country back in the late 1970s and lion, leopard and cheetah are all here too, though my experience tells me that sightings are infrequent.

As with all of the Rift Valley’s soda lakes, though the flamingoes tend to steal the show, there are myriad other interesting bird species to be found.

2 people found this review helpful. Did you? Yes No