Tourist Activities in Nakuru city

Lake Nakuru National Park

Moving under the forest, the yellow acacia trees seems like an endless journey into space but suddenly you arrive on the sandy shores where prehistoric rhinos roam freely and the lake’s blue waters are dotted by tens of thousands of pink flamingos – all on a background of the biggest euphorbia forest in Africa in the horizon, is a truly breathtaking experience. It may sound like a fantasy, but in Lake Nakuru National Park it is a reality. Seeing the huge congregations of pink flamingos is probably the biggest draw of Lake Nakuru National Park

Lake Nakuru National Park was first gazetted as a bird sanctuary in 1960 and upgraded to National Park status in 1968. Lake Nakuru itself is 62 km2 in extent and the park surrounding it is 188 km2. Situated only 2 and 1/2 hours drive from Nairobi, and due to the lakes extraordinary natural beauty Lake Nakuru National Park is a popular stop over on most safari itineraries, and a visit to Lake Nakuru can easily be combined with a visit to Lake Naivasha and/or Lake Elementeita.

The ecology of Lake Nakuru

In 1990 the alkaline lake was designated as a Ramsar site and the foundation for the food chain is the tiny cyanophyte spirulina platensis supporting huge numbers of lesser flamingo. The Spirulina Platensis consists of spiral-formed cell chains and to survive and reproduce the algae needs strong sunlight for the photosynthesis, high temperatures and high concentrations of carbon and phosphor.

Lake Nakurus alkaline water supports the tiny spirulina algae which is the main source of food for the thousands of flamingos and the reason for their pink color. Also the lakes alkalinity makes the shore all white from soda deposits.

In average the flamingos consume 162 tons of algae per day. The only type of fish in the lake (Tilapia Grahami) feeds on the algae just as the flamingos do and the fish are most numerous around the freshwater streams feeding the lake, which is why the pelicans are most often seen foraging nearby these streams. The approximately 27,000 birds (Pelicans, herons, cormorants, eagles etc.), consume about 5,000 fish a day, and so the spirulina not only is the basis for the flamingos but also the algae becomes the main source of nutrients for the whole ecosystem of the lake. Since 1951 Lake Nakuru has dried up four times but was flooded in 1961.

The flamingo birds

The lesser flamingo is specialized in foraging on microscopic organisms like spirulina platensis. The bird can often be seen with its head in reversed position, making the upper beak act as a small shovel skimming the upper few cm of the water. Like the whale’s baleen, the lesser flamingo has lamellae to filter the water inside its beak, holding back the appropriate size food. The flamingos upper beak is triangular in shape and fits perfectly into the lower beak. Inside both beaks have lamellae consisting of up to fifty fine hairs.

The tongue being quite thick and meatful, lies in a groove inside the lower beak, producing the effect of a pumping piston. When the tongue is pulled back, water is sucked into the beak and when the flamingo squeezes the tongue outwards again, the lamellae will automatically be elevated, holding back the algaes in the beak. The tongue will then transport the algae further down the throat in a continuous action, happening 17 times pr. second. With an approximate population of about 300,000 flamingos in lake Nakuru, the bird will be responsible of consuming about 180,000 kg of algae every day. While the lesser flamingo feeds on algae the greater flamingo feeds on small invertebrates – insects, crustaceans, mollusks and worms.

Patterns of migration

The patterns of migration of the flamingos are quite mysterious and sometimes they depart on long journeys at night between the different alcaline lakes in the Rift Valley and so you can never be sure at which lake they are to be found. As a rule of thumb, they never breed in Lake Nakuru though, preferring lake Bogoria or lake Magadi in the south of Kenya as the best place to build their mud-nests in which they can lay their egg (female flamingos have never been recorded to lay more than one egg) and raise their chicks.

Animal species in Lake Nakuru National Park

Apart from being one of the major feeding sites in Kenya for both lesser and greater flamingo, the park boasts another 450 species of birds and 56 species of mammals including white and black rhino, lion, giraffe, huge herds of buffalo, baboon, waterbuck, impala, warthog and many others. The park is also known to be one of the best places in Kenya to see leopards and it is the only place in the country to find the beautiful Rothchilds giraffe. Another characteristic animal in the park is the waterbuck – often standing alone or in small groups between the trees or on the shore of the lake. As their name indicates, they are only found close to water, making a lake environment like Nakuru the perfect spot to thrive for them.

African buffalos are easily spotted in Lake Nakuru National Park in Kenya

Another large animal that roams the forests along the wide shores of Lake Nakuru is the African buffalo. Buffalo are the heaviest species within the Antelope family (Bovidae) with males achieving a body weight of up to 800kg and females up to 750kg. The buffalo is often characterized as one of the most dangerous animals in Africa and the reason for this is its sometimes shrewed and cunning behaviour. The manager of Marsabit Lodge call them “criminals” because the buffalo sometimes sneak up behind people to attack them. Hunters often speak in awe about the buffalos amazing stamina and even after having been shot with a bullet in the heart, a buffalo can still run a surprisingly long distance to attack the hunter before it collapses.

Lake Nakuru National Park is famous for its many white rhinos that roam the park and the lake’s shores. The populations of rhino have been severely declining all over Africa during the past 30 years and many places in Kenya there used to live many rhinos – both white and black but nowadays they are hard to come across most places.
Even in the Masai Mara one has to be lucky to see a black rhinoceros or hook-lipped rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis). Black rhinos with their finger-like lips are adapted to feed on trees and bushes, easily camouflaging its huge body behind branches and leaves, whereas the white rhino is adapted to feed on grass. Its broad snout (thereof its name which is a derivate of Wide – not white) – is basically designed as an effective lawncutter, and therefore the white rhino is much easier to spot on the open plains but still a rare sight in most parks, exept in Lake Nakuru National Park where the tall fence protects it from poachers.

Baboons are African and Arabian Old World monkeys belonging to the genus Papio, part of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. There are five species of baboons and they are actually some of the largest non-hominoid members of the primate order; only the mandrill and the drill found in western and central Africa, are larger. Baboons are ground dwelling or terrestrial and are found in open savannah, open woodland and hills across Africa. Their diet is omnivorous, but mostly herbivorous; yet they eat insects and occasionally prey on fish, shellfish, hares, birds, vervet monkeys, and small antelopes if they can catch them. But baboons can be surprisingly fast. At the campsite in the Park they are often bold enough to run close by people and grab some food.

Even lions live in lake Nakuru National Park though they are relatively few and not so easy to spot. Except the above mentioned elephants, Lake Nakuru National Park – on top of being a world class birding paradise it has the whole range of big African wildlife and it is one of the best places in Kenya to spot the most beautiful but also most elusive predator in kenya – the leopard!
Lake Nakuru National Park is known as one of the best places in Kenya to spot Leopards. The leopard is one of the rarest and most elusive animals in Africa, but Lake Nakuru National Park offers the visitor quite good chances to spot one.

Best Places to Visit in Lake Naivasha Kenya

The best places to visit in Naivasha are along the south and west side of the lake with a few hidden gems further afield, like the delightful Hippo Point and sublime Loldia Eburru as seen below;

Under The Swahili Tree

The Karen institution, under the Swahili Tree, also has a divine lakeside spot in Naivasha. Depending on where the water lies (the lake rises and falls with the seasons) Under The Swahili Tree, Naivasha is a part-time floating restaurant surrounded by calm lake waters. There is no better spot on Lake Naivasha to watch the sun go down as the location faces west, and the sunsets are magnificent, particularly when accompanied by the house cocktails, which are 2 for 1 during sunset. Under The Swahili Tree has a compact menu, which changes frequently. During my last visit, we enjoyed sour sweet Tamarind Wings and plump feta and coriander samosas to start, and then tucked into chicken curry, burgers, ribs and freshly caught Tilapia from the lake. Under The Swahili Tree, Naivasha attracts a good crowd of locals and tourists, with its all-inclusive informal setting on the Eastern side of the lake.

Camp Carnellys at Lake Naivasha

Carnelly’s has the wonderful Lazybones café/ restaurant along the shores of the lake, with bandas and a campsite. It’s probably the best camping in Kenya for novices as there is an electric fence keeping hippos away from the tent, hot showers, good toilets and, of course, the wonderful restaurant on site.

The entire property sits under the shade of fever trees, where colobus monkeys and woodpeckers flit through the trees, giraffes amble past and hippos laze in the shallows. It is probably the best place in Naivasha for a boat tour. Touring the lake in a motorized kayak watching hippo families and incredible bird life is a total must-do if you haven’t been to Naivasha before.

Hells Gate National Park

Hell’s Gate National Park is so beautiful. The Lion King based their interpretation of Africa on this park, its towering crags, deep riverine canyons, acres of savannah, obsidian caves, hot springs and volcanic activities make this small park a hit with photographers and nature enthusiasts. It’s one of the few parks in Kenya where you can cycle or walk freely. Hell’s Gate National Park has no elephant, lion or leopard, so hire a bike at the gate and spend your day meandering through the scenery.

Hell’s Gate has a fabulously scenic canyon through which you can hike. Used as a location for many films (see it in Tomb Raider) the walls have been carved by water over millennia and twist and turn deep through the rock. The hike can be done without a guide, but it is better to pay the local Maasai to take you through.

Crescent Island Sanctuary at Lake Naivasha

A moon-shaped curve formed from the rim of a sunken volcano. Crescent Island is a teeny slice of land that rises to a peak that has 360-degree panoramic views over the lake and towards Mount Longonot. Packed with many animals, this is a heavenly place to spend a few hours in Naivasha. There are no predators on the island, so it’s safe to walk around (be mindful of buffalo and hippo). Crescent Island personifies the peace and tranquillity of Naivasha. It heroes the beauty of the ecosystem, allows you to spend time with the wildlife in their natural habitat.
Sanctuary Farm

This is now somewhat smaller than it used to be thanks to the rising lake, but it still commands over 400 acres of wildlife conservancy. Sanctuary Farm is an excellent place to ride horses in Naivasha. Horse riding at Sanctuary Farm allows you to ride alongside zebra, giraffe, impala, gazelle, waterbuck and other animals.

The wildlife is less afraid of the horses, so you can get close to them without scaring them off. If you aren’t keen on riding, then you can hire bikes, go on a guided walk, or even take a nighttime game drive in one of the open-top safari vehicles.
Accommodation is available at Sanctuary Farm in 4 cottages and 2 campsites. Sanctuary Farm has rebuilt their onsite restaurant, so it’s a good option for an inexpensive overnight in Naivasha. One of the best places to stay in Naivasha, right next to the lake waters and close to the animals.

The Ranch House Bistro

This Ranch sits to the west of Lake Naivasha on the banks of Lake Oloiden, a tiny lake adjoining the Naivasha water. The boutique restaurant serves food from its garden on a pea-green lawn overlooking the water. The service can be a little hit and miss, but the location cannot be beaten. As part of the Oserengoni Wildlife Sanctuary, you have the opportunity to take part in a two-hour game drive during your visit.

The Oserengoni Wildlife Sanctuary has the odd lion and leopard, as well as topi, zebra, giraffe, gazelle and the ever-present hippo. The drive to the west of the lake can add half an hour to your journey, but it’s one of the best places to visit in Naivasha to escape the crowds.  
Olkaria Geothermal Spa
Olkaria Geothermal Spa sounds glamorous, but it’s just a hot swimming pool with water heated by the volcano. it’s also an interesting option for a rainy or cold day in Naivasha and if you have kids, they will love it.

Crater Lake 

Crater Lake is an emerald green lake huddled in the crater of an extinct volcano. There is a tented camp and restaurant at the lake where you can have lunch and an icy pool where you can swim, but visitors come to the lake to hike to the top of the ridge and marvel at the views. The lake is in a wildlife sanctuary noted for having a large population of colobus monkeys. Note that it’s a steep walk from the camp at the top to the lake and the pool at the bottom.
Elementaita Weavers/ Fired Earth Pottery / Victoria’s Farm Shop

The Farm Shop is stocked with local, organic food; jams, pates, wine, meat, bread and baked goods. Next door Elementaita Weaver’s produce rugs, cushions and placemats in rainbow colours woven by hand. Fired Earth Pottery sells handmade items painted with animals, insects and local patterns formed into plates, bowls and jugs etc. Impossible not to bring something home with you. This serves as an idyllic stop for every visitor to Naivasha.

Mount Longonot & Longonot National Park 

Mount Longonot is a dormant volcano located 20 minutes southeast of Lake Naivasha, Kenya. It is only sleeping, having last erupted 140 years ago. You can hike to the rim of the volcano and walk around the crater edge. A 13 km hike, takes you around for five hours. The path is populated with animals, and the views across the rift and Lake Naivasha are hugely rewarding. The major attraction of Mount Longonot National Park is the Volcano. Its towering presence, lofty cliff edges and gentle wildlife are camera-worthy.

Naivasha Yacht Club

Naivasha Yacht Club is not an option for everyone as it’s a members-only club. If you can find yourself a member and wrangle an invitation, it is an utterly sublime little island on the lake. A sailing club first and foremost, it’s also a fabulous place to sunbathe on the lakeshore and swim with hippos (yep, it’s possible). If you don’t sail, you can take a paddleboard or kayak out on the still lake waters. There is a huge clubhouse with fully stocked kitchen facilities. Naivasha Yacht Club is about sailing, or kicking back and relaxing.