Lake Nakuru National Park will provide you with one of Kenya’s best known images - thousands of flamingos carpeting the top of the water. The birds not only move back and forth feeding, but occasionally will take flight in the most spectacular show as they paint the sky with colour. Because of the lake’s abundance of algae, huge numbers of flamingo are attracted to it. Scientists believe flamingos consume more than 100,000 kg of algae per acre of surface area every year.
However, Lake Nakuru has more than just flamingos. It is also an important sanctuary for Rhino. Both Black and White Rhino are found here, and often seen resting under acacia trees by the lake shore. The park also abounds with other game, as there are huge herds of waterbuck, zebra, buffalo as well as the endangered Rothschild Giraffe and more. The park also boasts large prides of lion and one of the best opportunities of seeing leopards in Kenya.
Lake Nakuru is approx 150km northwest of Nairobi and encompasses one of the Rift Valley Soda Lakes. Even though the lake itself changes size from 5 to 30sq km due to weather, the overall park is still 188 sq km in size, so its inhabitants are well protected.
Lake Nakuru National Park is worth a stopover on the way back to Nairobi after seeing Masai Mara.
