Life Time Experience. Review on Nakuru

Lake Nakuru National Park is approximately 160 kilometers from Nairobi. One can take a day tour from the capital Nairobi  or as part of a circuit taking in the Masai Mara or Lake Baringo and east to Samburu. It takes about three hours from Nairobi city. We preferred to stay in Nairobi and make a trip to Nakuru. We started around 7 in the morning by a typical safari vehicle with driver cum guide Patrick. Lake Nakuru is on the edge of the town of Nakuru lies north of Nairobi. This park is about 2km from Nakuru. We reached there on a rainy day. Three hours travel was through some beautiful hilly road.

The lake declared as a National Park in 1961. At present covers about 188 sq. km. The lake Nakuru, water is highly saline and inhabited by Birds, water mammals mainly hippopotamus and clawless otters while the other part of the park supports a large number of other African animals. The park is a sanctuary of Rhinoceros and the Giraffe. The park declared a rhino sanctuary in 1983 and received white rhinos from South Africa. Nakuru sanctuary has both black and white rhinoceros.White rhinos are peaceful unlike black one. Black rhinos normally does not venture outside the deep forest so could not locate one.

Events during the trip inside the park: -

The lake is world famous as greatest bird spectacle on earth for Pink Flamingoes whose numbers may be more than a million in a normal day and maybe two in season. It’s amazing and difficult to believe our own eyes. In fact we were spell bound for sometime. An American couple set on the mud kept watching for sometime and after sometime realized where they are. We never ever saw such a fantastic place in life. We could see Pelicans either relaxing on the ground or floating on the water. Flamingos are very noisy creatures… one million birds making noise, can you believe. Unforgettable Moments.

Flamingos *feed on the abundant algae, which thrives in the warm waters. There are two types of flamingo species: the Lesser flamingo with deep red carmine bill and pink plumage which has a bill with a black tip. The Lesser flamingos dominate in number. But flamingo are not the only attraction, there are two fish eating birds, Pelicans and Cormorants. The lake is rich in other birdlife. According to our guide there are over 300 resident species on the lake and in the surrounding. Waterbuck are very common and both the Kenya species are found here. Other animals are Zebra, different varieties of deer, buffalo, lion and leopard.  According to Patrick, park also has large sized python snakes(can be seen crossing the roads or hanging from trees) – we could not see one.There are no Tigers in African Jungles. **Park authorities does not maintain or have any elephants just to safe guard nearby city, Nakuru.

White rhinos roam around the grassland for grazing. We could locate many. On the way we could see three sleeping in a very strange manner. So, I was thrilled to take photograph. But they did not like it and one moved a little to get up… Patrick drove way like mad. This guides understand the park and its creatures better so drove way like that and as a result all of us received minor injuries(better than getting killed).

We continued our trip without any first aid. A huge gang of baboons were busy eating something from the grass. We could see huge numbers of Deer. Population of wild buffalos is quite large.We stopped to take photograph of a huge one but boss started moving towards us and Patrick the safe guide, was quick to start moving at a reasonably good speed but this time we escaped without injuries.

There are resorts inside the park. Patrick took us to a resort which is almost at the other end of the park. Food is expansive but good. Indian dishes are also available.

On the way to the resort for lunch we could see a pair of lions in very funny posture. We never knew that lion can climb trees. Lioness was on a tree looking at a zebra as if it would jump on the zebra. Few safari vehicles with visitors were parked nearby and every one was waiting for something to happen. all cameras ready to shoot the event . but seemed to be a trained lioness. Spared his friend the zebra … The king was relaxing on the ground pointing the legs towards the sky.Very lazy characters but recognized as The King of the Jungle.

*The park receives high number of visitors. More than 100, 000 every year, of which a significant numbers are foreigners. It was a life time experience. I recommend anyone to visit that place if you are around that place.