Lake Nakuru National Park

I saw the White rhinos very near! Also is a place to watch flamingos, ask before if they are closer to watch, because in some cases they are far.

What an amazing experience!

I am Kenyan born, i currently live in Kenya and i believe Lake Nakuru is truly one of Kenya's crown jewels. It is home to 4 out of the big 5 (rhinos, lions, leopards, buffalos) as well as a number of other herbivores including impala's, gazelles, antelope, bushbuck, zebra, giraffe and many smaller carnivores including hyenas. The birdlife is brilliant too as it is a prime site to view thousands of flamingoes on the lake shore.
The scenery is great too, you can get amazing photographs of the lake surrounded by windblown acacia trees, especially on a rainy day.
The park is not very large, hence the wildlife are quite condensed enabling one to spot many animals on a single game drive. I recommend going for an early morning (6.30am- 9.30am) and an evening drive ( 3pm-6pm).

There are several luxurious hotels both within the park and outside the park, namely Sarova Lion Hill and Sopa lodge Lake Nakuru, as well as secure public campsites managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service.

Access to the park is by a well maintained tarmac highway (A104) from Nairobi to Nakuru town. Inside the park 4x4 vehicles are necessary especially in the rainy months (April, July, August) although the rain can be unpredictable as well. I recommend hiring a 4x4 safari vehicle/ safari van with a driver as the park roads can be confusing for newcomers. Van drivers also have communication via radio with other safari vehicles.

Park entry fees and further information can be obtained from the Kenya Wildlife Service website:
http://www.kws.go.ke/

Scenic

My first time to visit Lake Nakuru National Park was in 2012. It is rich in wildlife and vast scenic beauty. I didn't get to see the entire park due to time but will definitely come back so I can explore some areas like the Makalia waterfalls, which I didn't even know existed. You definitely need a good tour guide so as not to miss such spots and plenty of time on your hands. I also feel good binoculars and a great camera are a must if you want to immortalize such moments.

Few Rhinos and the flamingos have gone.

Lake Nakuru was very unique - this was the only park we visited with a lake as big as Nakuru. We saw a diverse range of animals, and the flamingos, storks and other water fowl were beautiful. The lunch we had at the lodge inside the park was very nice and it overlooked the lake, providing for a very relaxing and scenic meal. We stayed at Kigio Wildlife Camp while we visited the Lake, and that was a very nice location. We were able to take a nature hike, and walked amid a family of giraffes one afternoon - that was truly memorable!

Did Not Live Up to The Hype

We had researched the Lake Nakuru National Park before our safari, and were particularly keen to include it in our itinerary to get that National Geographic picture of vast amounts of flamingos wading along the shoreline. Unfortunately, we were met by a rising waterline covering an expanse of dead trees, morbidly picturesque in their own right, but a sad indication of how things are no longer what they were. We did see a small number of flamingos, some pelicans and other water birds.

The park itself is situated close to Kenya's fourth largest city, and is adjacent to a number of private farm lands. Fence lines were clearly visible making the area feel rather confined and did nothing to hide the fact that this is a purpose-built wildlife sanctuary. The roads/tracks within the park did not offer as good a view of the wildlife as at other parks/conservancies... but, from the animals' perspective, maybe that is not a bad thing!

Flamingo disappointment aside, during a late afternoon game drive, we encountered a variety of wildlife including a Giant Spitting Cobra as it crossed the track in front of us, a small herd of Rothschild Giraffes, several buffalo, zebras, a small herd of Eland, a giant tortoise, Impala, two Dik Diks, and four White Rhinos wandering the through the bush and grasslands.

Because of the paucity of the park's main attraction the previous day, the next morning our driver/guide returned to the lake where we did see more flamingos than the previous day, but still much less than expected. We were, however, treated to an audience with a lone White Rhino at very close quarters.

It is difficult to judge a place having stayed only one night, but Lake Nakuru National Park was probably our least favourite of the five conservancies/national parks we visited on our safari. It would be wrong to judge it on wildlife alone (although it would have scored fairly well based solely on that), but the rising waterline and dead trees mean that the days of witnessing flamingos in vast quantities appear to be few and far between. I applaud the park's purpose and am delighted that it protects so many species of animals. However, from a wildlife viewing perspective, its proximity to adjacent farm lands with visible boundary fences make it feel too confined and therefore often lacking "bush vibe". And so, whilst I would not discount Lake Nakuru National Park from a safari itinerary, I would advise against having such high expectations.

The best place for the White Rhino.

At lake Nakuru the population of Flamingoes depends on the water level. As of Oct 2015 the water level was high and so the population was quite low. We could not see a "pink sea" but we did spot the Greater and Lesser Flamingo along with Pelicans, stilts and cormorants. The highlight was spotting the White Rhino which we did not manage to see anywhere else!

Flamingos, of course, but also rhinos and baboons and an orange-headed blue lizard (probably a Kenya Rock Agama).

Amazing!

Lake Nakuru was wonderfull and the organitation also was great!! I have a good memories about that trip! And all team are very simpatic!!