Kenya’s Nakuru County located within the Great Rift Valley is one of the popular tourism destinations counties in Kenya together with Nairobi and Mombasa. The county is known for the famous flamingos and its exquisite safari attractions that make it a top on the list destination for most tourists visiting Kenya.
About 2 to 3 hours’ drive from Kenya’s capital Nairobi, the county is endowed with unique landscapes, vegetation, natural features, bird life and wildlife that make this place a safari paradise. The county has a lot of attractions that one can see on their visit to the county anytime of the year and below we highlight some of these many attractions. It’s important to note that these are just some of the attractions; the county has many more that cannot be exhausted in one article.
- Lake Nakuru
The soda lake that is in Lake Nakuru National Park is one of the major attractions in Nakuru. This lake is famous for hosting thousands of flamingos that cover the lake’s shores pink; these birds are on the lake’s shores all year round and they make a beautiful scene on the lake. The lake also hosts other birds like pelicans, African fish eagles and others. Lake Nakuru is found in Lake Nakuru National Park in Nakuru County.
- Lake Nakuru National Park
Lake Nakuru National Park, one of the premium parks in Kenya is found in Nakuru County.
The park on top of housing the famous lake Nakuru, is home to over 400 bird species and over 50 animal species that live both on lake Nakuru and in the park’s savannah lands. The park is a Rhino sanctuary harbouring over100 Rhinos in one place together with the Rothschild’s giraffe. Some other bird species include African fish eagles, pelicans, Rüppell’s vulture, Slender-billed greenbul, Schalow’s wheatear, Shining sunbird, Slender-billed greenbul and many others. The animals in the park include buffaloes, cheetahs, impalas, waterbucks, baboons and many more, Kenya’s Nakuru County.
The park is also known for its unique landscape that is comprised of raised ridges, which ridges offer amazing view points for birding, game viewing, sightseeing, picnicking and photography.
- Lake Naivasha
Known for the unmatchable boat ride safaris in the county, this fresh water lake is a must visit when you’re in Nakuru. Boat rides on this lake’s beautiful waters give you an opportunity to enjoy the lake’s waters and the cool breeze as you watch the several bird and wildlife that make their life on the lake.
The surrounding of the lake also has a couple of scenic views that will leave you breathless.
- Crescent Island
This Island on Lake Naivasha is a unique place to be at. The Island is home to numerous animals that include wildebeests, zebras, giraffes and others. People take boat rides to this Island for picnics, game viewing and just to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Island and Lake Naivasha.
- Hell’s Gate National Park
Though the name suggests otherwise, this park is not hell, its actually one of the most serene parks in Nakuru; endowed with uniquely shaped rocks and water gorges that spring out of the earth, this park is simply beautiful. The park has two volcanoes with volcanic plugs that go through the earth and connect to hot springs. The park is also home to several mammals that include elands, hartebeest, buffaloes, gazelles and others and about 100 bird species that include swifts, vultures and many more.
The main activities done in this park are rock climbing, horseback riding, game viewing, hiking and many others, Kenya’s Nakuru County.
There are also exciting wheelbarrow races that happen annually in the park.
- Olkaria Hot Spa
The Olkaria Hot Spa has hot water heated by the earth that visitors to that spa like to relax in. A visit to this Spa is adventurous experience that in not for the faint hearted.
The Olkaria hot spa is in close proxy to Hell’s Gate National Park.
- Lord Egerton Castle
The love castle built by Lord Maurice Egerton in the colonial era is a beautiful design of art sitting on a well scaped piece of land; the place gives its guests a feel and taste of the elegant living of the past century and an ambient surrounding. A tour in this castle is refreshing and also informative as you learn about things of the ancient past.
- Mount Longonot and Mt Longonot National Park
Mt Longonot National Park surrounds Mount Longonot. Mt Longonot is an extinct volcano that offers great hiking experiences up the mountain’s crater. The park of course is famous because of the mountain but it’s also home to the several animals that make their life around the famous mountain slopes; the animals include zebras, hartebeests, giraffes and others.
The most done activity in this park is hiking and other activities are game viewing, nature walks and photography.
- Eburru Ecosystem
The ecosystem consists if the Eburru forest and mount Eburru among other things. The most popular thing about this ecosystem is the Ol Donyo Eburru peak which is the highest peak of Mount Eburru, Kenya’s Nakuru County.
Visitors to this ecosystem experience a hike to the Ol Donyo Eburru peak and the forest that has indigenous trees which harbour several animals like baboons, buffalos, bushbucks, waterbucks and others.
This magnificent lake, though not popular it’s a bird hub with beautiful surroundings that offer scenic views for its guests. The lake shores are occupied by a conservancy that has about 10000 animals that include Rothschild’s giraffe, buffalos, zebras and others.
- Prehistoric Sites
Hyrax Hill and Kariandusi are the main Prehistoric Sites in Nakuru. The Hyrax Hill was discovered in 1927 as the Kariandusi was discovered in 1928. Both these sites offer great historic elements in their peculiar museums.
- Menengai Crater
Menengai Crater is an extinct Volcano and the largest volcanic crater in the world. The crater offers some of the most scenic views of Nakuru and the surroundings and a hike to the crater is purely memorable.
Activities on the lake include hiking, camping, biking, picnics and others.
