Two weeks ago I got to go on a KWS fam trip to Lake Nakuru. The Kenya Wildlife Service has organized the trip for travel and tour operators and bloggers. I was really excited about the trip. I had not been to Lake Nakuru for about 10 years. I spend a lot of time in Naivasha but for some reason Lake Nakuru had not been on my list of places to go to hang out. This trip changed that – I am definitely going back soon.
First I almost got left. The letter apparently said we were leaving at 7 but I think I read 730. So when Ngendo called me to ask me where I am and I was almost being left I huffed and puffed to get there. Thanks to Ngendo I didn’t miss out on one of the most exciting trips I have taken this year. Thank you Ngendo.
We were welcomed at the Park by the Senior KWS management and team. We got an overview of what happens at the park. Did you know Lake Nakuru is very famous for its birds and I don’t mean flamingos? The park is home to over 400 species of birds and about 56 different species of mammals. Lake Nakuru National Park is both a Ramsar Site and Important Bird Area (IBA). It also hosts one of the largest concentration of Rhinos in the country.
The senior Warden told us that the buffalo were too many in the park so they would be translocating families of buffaloes. They would be then left with more of the young who haven’t started breeding and the older ones. So there will be a translocation event starting this month taking almost 2 months. This is the kind of thing that will be a tourist attraction. If you are interested book your accommodation and check it out. This is the stuff you can tell your children about.
There is something about the park that appealed to me from the beginning. I don’t know whether it was the beautiful views or it was just the fresh air and the beautiful lake. We went first to the site where the old offices where. About 2 years ago there was so much rain that the area flooded and the administrative buildings were flooded. Apparently the water level went back to its original levels. The water never receded so they had to build new offices up at the top of the hill and abandon the old offices. They also moved the main entrance as well.
We then went to the lake where we saw very many flamingos. There have been rumours that all the flamingos left after the flooding but it is not true. There are still very many flamingos to be seen. I saw many on the lake with some Zebras nearby.
We then went to the Baboon cliff where you can enjoy the view.
There is a waterfall at the park. Something I didn’t know. The water levels were not that high because it hadn’t rained so the Makalia falls were not thundering. The waterfall was still a great spot to check out. The KWS painter though needs to work on his spelling though.
We saw some animals along the way.
As part of our tour we visited three accommodation properties. The Flamingo Hill Tented camp, Lake Nakuru Lodge, and Sarova Lion Hill.
The Flamingo Hill Tented camp was my favourite, I think because of the artistic way they have done the place. It is the only tented camp and was fully booked and I could see why. This is a place I would love to stay. The staff were so friendly and I felt like I was at home. The tents are beautifully made up, and they looked very comfortable.
Lake Nakuru Lodge is also a great property. Unfortunately we reached there when it had just started raining and we were running out of time. I would have loved to get a chance to check it out. It looked like a great place to stay.
Sarova Lion Hill did not disappoint. I have read so much about the place and seen pictures and I have always wanted to go visit. We were welcomed with a cup of tea and settled for a few minutes to enjoy the view of the lake. It has the best view of the lake. Sarova Lion Hill also has some great rooms. Sarova Lion Hill is also a place I will have to go back to. The sunset is breathtaking.
We then went to supper at a hotel whose’s name I forget but it had some great food and of course electricity to charge our gargets which had run out of battery after taking very many pictures.
What KWS Nakuru would like you to know is that they are open for business. I want to tell you that you will never regret the trip. It is an awesome place, very beautiful. The scenary alone is worth driving there for. It is a great place to relax and see some beautiful animals. Because of the time we went we did not get to see some game which come out at night. We did manage to see a lion hiding out, white Rhinos, giraffes, a lot of buffaloes and many beautiful birds.
It is possible to do night game drives within the park at a cost of KSHS 2,500 per person plus security fees of KSHS 4,000 (for two armed rangers). This is on top of the normal park entry fees. Prior arrangement with park management is necessary.
Tembea Kenya and tembea KWS parks.
