Rift Valley
Lake Nakuru
A compact, fenced Rift Valley park, and one of the more dependable places in Kenya to see both black and white rhino.
Overview
Lake Nakuru is compact, fenced, and set on the floor of the Rift Valley. It offers an unusually productive safari in a relatively small area. Above all, it is a rhino park: both black and white rhino are present, and it is one of the more dependable places in Kenya to see them.
Landscape
An alkaline lake ringed by fever-tree forest and euphorbia, with wooded escarpments behind it and viewpoints overlooking the basin.
Wildlife
Black and white rhino, Rothschild’s giraffe, buffalo, waterbuck, lion, and leopard, which are sometimes seen resting in the trees. Great white pelicans are also present in large numbers.
On flamingos
Nakuru’s flamingo flocks once defined the lake’s public image, but rising water levels altered its chemistry and many birds shifted to other Rift Valley lakes. Flamingos still return in varying numbers, but they should not be presented as a guaranteed reason to visit.
Activities
Game drives, rhino viewing by vehicle, escarpment viewpoints, and birding.
When to go, and why
Lake Nakuru works well throughout the year. Drier months usually make the tracks easier and can draw more animals toward the lake edge.
Sample experiences
A full day here as the link between the Mara and northern Kenya, rather than a hurried stop. Late afternoon at a viewpoint above the lake, with the Rift Valley opening below.