Lake Nakurue lies in central Kenya, 140km north-west of Nairobi, in Nakuru District of the Rift Valley Province. It covers an area of 188 km2. Lake Nakuru was first gazetted as a bird sanctuary in 1960 and upgraded to National Park status in 1968. A northern extension was added to the park in 1974 and the lake was designated as a Ramsar site in 1990. The foundation of the parks food chains is the cyanophyte spirulina platensis which can support huge numbers of lesser flamingo. Lake Nakuru is a shallow alkaline lake surrounded by marsh - and grass-land. interspersed with rocky cliffs and outcrops, as well as stretches of acacia woodland and Euphorbia forest. The lake catchment is bounded by Menengai crater to the north, the Bahati hills to the north east, the lion hill ranges to the east, eburu crater to the south and the mau escarpment to the west. Three major rivers, theNjoro, Makalia and Enderit drain into the lake. <b>Seasons</b> January and Febuary are popular months, with a dry and hot climate, and richly abundant birdlife in the Rift Valley lakes. June to September months also experience dry weather. The rains fall mostly from March to May, and certain roads can become inaccessible. <b>Wildlife</b> You should see: Baboon, Buffalo, Bushbaby, Bushbuck, Colobus monkey, Duiker, Eland, Gazelle, Giraffe, Hare, Hippo, Spotted hyaena, Hyrax, Impala, Jackal, Klipspringer, Lion, Mongoose, Vervet monkey, Steinbok, Waterbuck, Zebra You may see: Leopard; Aardwolf; Ant Bear, Bat, AFrican wild cat, Cheetah; Civet, Dik-dik, Hunting dog, Bat-eared fox, genet, Pangolin, Reedbuck, black rhino, serval, <b> Precautions</b> Malaria area - minimize mosquito bites by wearing light, long sleeved clothing and using effective insect repellents (containing Diethyltoluamide DEET) on exposed skin. Sleep under treated mosquito netting or ensure that the doors and windows of your accommodation are screened against mosquitoes. Having a fan or air-conditioner on at night will further suppress mosquito activity. Currently, the three effective anti-malaria tablets are Mefloquine (Lariam or Mefliam), Doxycycline and Malarone (Malanil). It is still possible to contract malaria while on malaria prophylaxis. Note that Lariam may present serious side-effects - please test before you depart.