ecoAfrica Travel Africa > Kenya > Lake Nakuru
game lodges African safaris wildlife tours wildlife tours explore Africa safari destinations

Lake Nakuru safaris, lodges and wildlife tours

Nakuru in Kenya is one of the alkaline Rift Valley lakes and a fantastic bird sanctuary, its shores populated at certain times by one million or more Greater and Lesser Flamingoes.
  • RAMSAR (Wetland of International Importance) site
Thousands of flamingoes at Lake Nakuru
Lake Nakuru travel infoGorilla Encounter

 Itineraries
- wildlife trips compiled by experts
 to introduce you to Africa's untamed ecosystems
 
Lodge trips Lodge trips (4)
Experience a selection of one or more well-appointed lodges in wildlife sanctuaries where the focus is on guided game viewing activities.

Tented trips Tented trips (4)
Spend nights in Meru-style tents en suite, in permanent camps with a central boma for meals. Days are spent exploring the ecosystems.

Overland trips Overland trips (7)
Traverse various African regions or countries with a group of adventurers in customised overland trucks, with experienced guides.

Lake Nakuru travel info

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.

Seasons
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.

Wildlife
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,

Precautions
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.

back to Lake Nakuru top


copyright ecoAfrica Travel 1997-2004 all rights reserved | terms | links