Is Lake Nakuru Worth Visiting? Kenya Lake Nakuru National Park
Is lake Nakuru worth visiting? When you start planning to visit a Kenyan Safari, one of the destinations on bucket list might include a visit to Lake Nakuru National Park, although it’s a small national park and long hour distance from the capital ‘’Nairobi’’ you will end up wondering about scenic landscape of Lake Nakuru National Park.
Lake Nakuru is just worth visiting if you have not visited Masai Mara first or any other larger parks, because Lake Nakuru national park is a small park which can be viewed in about 3 hours visit. It will unreal encounter if you visit it after spending more days in Masai Mara or in one of the other larger national parks like Amboseli, Tsavo among others and the long drive taken to access the park may not be with it for you.
Below are prons and cons that will help someone to prove out if this park is right for you;
Visit Lake Nakuru Before Vising to the other Parks
Lake Nakuru National Park, being a smaller park but worth visiting before adventuring to bigger national parks such as the Masai Mara. On visit to Lake Nakuru you will also have a good experience of the wildlife you expected to see at the Mara and then create a sense of expectation for the days ahead.
It is worse, if you choose to visit this park after being in the Mara for several days and the few hours you will spend there you will feel like a waste compared to how long would it be to drive up to Lake Nakuru from the Mara.
Is it worth to spend more time at the Mara or share it with Lake Nakuru
If you are excited in between more time at the Mara vs visit to Lake Nakuru, we recommend you go for the Masai Mara. You will enjoy more attractions and an extra night on safari to Mara. The reason has to why I have said so because the long drive from the Mara to Lake Nakuru will mainly comprise the road distance and nothing rewards to see along the way. In the end you just spend about 3 hours in Lake Nakuru National Park that doesn’t work out after having spent about 5 hours on the road to reach there.
Attractions of Lake Nakuru National Park
Black and White Rhino
Lake Nakuru national park boost with both the black and white rhino. This once makes it an attractive safari destination due to these rare and endangered species. Rhinos here are commonly seen in wide open woodland of Lake Nakuru national park.
Flamingo Species
The park is truly a birding destination, although the population of flamingos has been decreased there over the year. But now, the park is one of the tourist’s places in Kenya where you can spot them. Due to the thousands of the flamingos in Lake Nakuru national park has made it a popular destination, paradise for birders and bird lovers this could be your right location on Kenyan Safari.
More so, Lake Nakuru national park is close to Hell’s Gate national park just two-hour drive away from the park. If we compare 5-hour drive taken to get to Lake Nakuru from Masai Mara and Hell’s Gate seems quite near.
Hell’s Gate national park offers with a beautiful gorge that provides amazing and challenging hike, is worth visiting when combined a visiting Lake Nakuru as well.
Views of Rift Valley on your way there
The drive taken from Nairobi to lake Nakuru national park, you will gain more with great views of the Great Rift Valley and having a chance to stop at one of the many viewpoints on the escarpment. The most highlight view of the Rift Valley is from the vantage point.
Cons of Lake Nakuru National Park
Lake Nakuru national park is much smaller than many of the bigger parks such as Masai Mara, Amboseli. The park can be viewed with in a single day making it less attractive to visitors who want to spend more days in one safari destination/park.
Won’t get to see all the big5
While at Lake Nakuru don’t expect to see all the big five few will be seen here like the endangered Rhinos, leopards and lions.
Complaints about the Accommodation Facilities
Number of visitors who visits Lake Nakuru National park have complained about the quality of lodges within and around the park. It would have been a good idea to check first if the accommodations can work for you before booking your rooms there. All in all nakuru stands out as much as other top kenya travel destination such as masai mara , Amboseli national park, Tsavo east and Tsavo west, Samburu national reserve among others.
