Lake Nakuru
Fenced, close, and the most reliable place in Kenya to see both black and white rhino.
Photograph: · CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Why people go
Nakuru is a small fenced park two and a half hours from Nairobi, which makes it the standard first or last night of a Kenyan itinerary. It is not wilderness in the same sense as the Mara, but it is the best rhino insurance in the country.
Both black and white rhino are resident and are seen on most drives. Rothschild’s giraffe, waterbuck and buffalo are all common, and the lake itself still draws flamingos in numbers when the water level and salinity suit them.
Its real value is logistical: an easy half-day that turns a travel day into a game-viewing day.
What you will actually do
- Black and white rhino on most drives
- Rothschild’s giraffe — one of very few remaining populations
- Flamingo flocks when the lake conditions allow
- The closest real park to Nairobi — 2.5 hours