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The Great Rift Valley Lakes
Lake Nakuru - 'home to the greatest ornithological sight in Africa'
A mere 2 hours drive from Nairobi is one of the most beautiful parks in Kenya.
This is the Lake Nakuru National Park, situated on the outskirts of Nakuru town to the North West of Nairobi.
Before I delve deeper into the splendours of this arena of diverse flora and fauna let me give you a brief intro to Nakuru- Kenya 's fourth largest town and the capital of the rift valley province. Having started as a railway station on the Kenya-Uganda railway at the turn of the 20th century, Nakuru is a cheerful agricultural town with a great vegetable market. Reputed to be the ‘small Nairobi', this town has good infrastructure with an abundance of facilities that offer useful services like banks, cyber cafes and government offices. The social scene is vibrant for families and couples alike, or even alone for those of you who like to pamper yourselves without interruption, once in a while.
Activities
I must admit that my favorite activity was a game drive through the park. Public transport goes right upto its gates, though you would then need to find alternative transport to move around the park in. No walking here- wild animals are in plenty! Alternatives are tour vans and self-drive vehicles- either your own or hire one with a guide who will give you all those extra tidbits of information. Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has generally provided their buses from Nakuru town weekly at a fair rate for anyone without transport. Instead of paying at the gate a KWS smart card is required for entry. This takes only 7 minutes to obtain from the Nairobi headquarters, and offers you access into six major national parks. Alternatively you may get a temporary one at the park gates. The entrance fee is extremely fair, and on some public holiday weekends the fee is waived all together.
NB: Park entrance fees went up 1st July 2011 to kshs. 500 (citizens) / kshs. 1,000 (residents) Usd 75 (non-resident) adults, kshs.200 (citizen) / kshs.500 (residents) / Usd 40 (non-resident) children. Children are 3 - 18 years old.
From April to June and November to December the non-resident rates are Usd 60 (adult) and Usd 30 (child).
Yellow barked acacia - a favourite with leopards which makes it difficult to spot them
And now to the game drive. I remember my first time driving into the park. I was awestruck- to put it mildly. “I can't believe I have lived in Kenya all these years and never seen this!” You see, by the time I was visiting Lake Nakuru I had traveled to a vast number of other places inland, so this came as a pleasant surprise for the following reasons.
First, animals may be seen almost immediately you drive in, peeking out from amidst a forest of tall yellow-barked acacia trees. From graceful and lithe antelopes like impalas and Thomson's gazelle, to the ugly, temperamental buffaloes, then there's the very common Common Zebra, and Rhinos that have found a sanctuary here. If you're lucky, a leopard will proudly stretch out along a branch in a way that only cats can do, letting you view her sleek form. And for the grandest spectacle, as you near the lake, let your eyes feast on the pink splendour spread out before them. Picture this- waves of pink plumage sprinkled with white fluff beyond which is a blue spread of shimmering waters and in the distance, green hills rising gently out of the water. Such scenery demands that you drive at no more than 30km/h because there is just too much to see. Even better, you may drive right upto the lake's edge (not too close though in case you get stuck), and get out to view these magnificent Lesser and Greater flamingoes up close. It's amusing to watch the males strut around the females trying to get their attention, gyrating their necks in a strange dance accompanied by all these squawking sounds.
 
The park signs give clear indication of sites to visit within the park as well as distances to them. Sites such as Makalia Falls where you may get out of your car and have a picnic by the cool waters, baboon cliff that offers a great vantage view of the entire lake, and if you want to stay within the park then choose either the higher priced lodges like Sarova Lion hill and Lake Nakuru lodge, or the very affordable KWS Naishi house that houses upto 8 people- everything provided from sofas to bed linen to gas cooker- so that all you need bring is food to cook.
Did you know?
The name ‘Nakuru' is derived from ‘Nakurro', the Maasai word meaning a ‘dusty place'. |
Baboon cliff - drive to the top for a great view of the park
The scenery and variety of wildlife will surely keep you busy for most of the day, especially if you are a nature lover like I am. If you really want to get the inside stories on the wildlife here then you may hire a KWS ranger for the day. It's fascinating to watch animals in their natural habitat- the giraffe stretching out its long tongue to pick the tender inner twigs, while a zebra stands proudly nearby, having just cleaned its coat- its black and white stripes stand out among the rest- and it sure knows it! Stay in your vehicle, don't make unnecessary noise to startle the animals, and you can watch them for ages. This activity is good for those who enjoy slow-paced, quieter times…
The white specks in the centre are remains of a viewing shelter used by the founding president of Kenya to watch flamingoes
…while those of you who prefer the bustle of night-life and noisy places will be happy visiting the following venues.
Summit Resort
 Summit Resort just outside the park gates has both family entertainment during the day, as well as a vibrant night scene with great music and crowds. Other clubs with similar night offerings include Club Dimples and Traveller. Entrance fees are reasonable, and the nyama choma juicy.
Do note however that you may not re-enter the park after 6p.m. So if you choose to stay the weekend in the park lodges then you'll still be entertained by the in-house troupes. Otherwise those staying in the town hotels like Merica, Midlands, Stem Hotel, Bontana and Hotel Kunste can choose to stay out till the wee hours of morn. Every hotel has different offerings so do investigate before you book so that you get whatever service you seek. For instance Merica hotel has a state-of-the-art gym, so if you enjoy being pampered in a massage parlour and then having a session in the steam bath then by all means- spoil yourself!
Kipkopey nyama choma
When in Kenya do as the Kenyans do - we love eating roast meat (nyama choma)!
Kipkopey is about 30 minutes drive before Nakuru and offers some of the juiciest goat meat you'll ever eat, with accompaniments like ugali, mukimo, kienyeji, kachumbari - all must have delicacies.
Accommodation rates and images
Other Rift Valley Lakes:-
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