Beautiful lakes and rhinos in Kenya
The reserves Lake Naivasha and Nakuru may not be the most popular in Kenya, but it doesn’t mean that they aren´t interesting. You won´t see the same wild life variety that you can see in Maasai Mara and Amboseli, but you can have a good time, enjoy the beautiful view of the lakes and even spot some animals that you might have missed in the other parks (the only rhinos I saw were in Nakuru)!
If you have only a couple of days to do a game drive in Kenya, I would recommend visiting Maasai Mara and Amboseli. But if you can afford staying a bit longer, then why not visit Nakuru and Naivasha reserves?
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LAKE NAIVASHA
Lake Naivasha is a beautiful and big lake, located North West of Nairobi, at the Great Rift Valley. It´s 1,890m above the sea level, and it has an area of 139 km2.
It´s a pitty you can´t swim in the lake, as its fulfilled with hippos! But a cool thing to do there is to a boat safari, to explore the area. Another good option is to rent a bicycle and to cycle around the lake (the bike rental costs 300 rands/hour – Sep/16).
Hell´s Gate National Park is the place for doing a game drive in the Lake Naivasha area. A famous spot to be visited there is the Joy Adamson House/Museum, where the movie Born Free was shot.
The Crater Lake, in Naivasha area, is something not be missed. It´s a small lake inside a volcano crater, where you do a walking safari! It was really cool to be able to see zebras, antelopes, pumbas and giraffes, walking nearby them!
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LAKE NAKURU
Nakuru is a small lake, not far away from Naivasha, which was famous for its pink flamingos – it had so many that the lake even looked pink! Unfortunately the water level of the lake became so high in the last years, and the flamingos have migrated somewhere else since then. It´s a shame that nowadays you can see just a few of them there.
The way to visit Nakuru Lake is doing a game drive through the reserve. It doesn´t have lots of wild life, compared to the main parks in Kenya (Maasai Mara and Amboseli), but the good thing is that it´s not crowded with people. Also, what I liked about Nakuru is that there I finally saw the amazing rhino, the only of the big five that I couldn´t spot at the other parks!
I did a half day game drive in the Nakuru reserve during the 7 days tour I did with Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris – to read more about the whole tour, including the safaris in Maasai Mara and Amboseli, check this post here.
Bloggers tip: you can stay at the Lake Naivasha area and visit Nakuru Lake, it takes about 1h30 driving from there.
A place not to be missed there at the reserve is the Baboons Cliff, a viewpoint with a beautiful view of the lake.
GETTING THERE
Naivasha and Nakuru are not far away from Nairobi. You can go there by public transportation (matutu), it´s cheap and takes about 2h to get there.
I visited both lakes in a 7 days tour, that I did with Kenya Walking Survivors Safaris. The transportation, accommodation, meals and guide were included in the tour.
SLEEPING
There are lodges in both reserves (Nakuru and Naivasha), but you can also stay in campsites or hotels. I stayed at Carnelley´s Camping, at Naivasha Lake.
It´s a very good place, they have many options of accommodation, from tents to rooms and private chalets, with shared bathrooms. The restaurant is awesome, beautifully decorated, with inviting couches and delicious food.
It´s located just in front of the lake, with beautiful views of it.
How about you? Have you already been to Nakuru or Naivasha Lakes and have some cool tips about them? Or do you plan to go there and do you have some doubts? Share your ideas leaving a comment here!
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Planning your trip:
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