Nakuru

The town of Nakuru itself offers little, although it has some fairly pleasant places to stop on a trip for something to eat. Its main attractions are those which lie around it, particularly Nakuru National Park and the Menengai Crater.

Lake Nakuru, and the national park which bears its name, are well known for one particular sight - flamingos. Although not nearly as common as they once were when there were an estimated two million at the lake, both lesser and greater flamingos can still be seen. They started moving to other lakes in the 1970s for a variety of reasons, and return in large numbers mainly during very dry seasons. White pelicans seem to have taken over and can be seen in large flocks. About 400 species of birds are present around the lake, making it great for birdwatching (like many other places in Kenya).

Lake Nakuru is fed by three rivers, but there is no outlet so the mineral content of the lake has drastically increased over time. Due to this, the plant life in the lake consists mainly of algae, which serves as a food source for many of the birds. Also present in the lake is a species of tilapia, which was introduced to control the resident mosquito population but also serves as a food source to the many fish-eating birds of the lake.

Hippos are present in the lake, although not in great numbers. Rothschild's giraffe have been introduced into the area, as have some of the big cats. A black rhino sanctuary has also been built and offers the chance to see what are quickly becoming rare animals. All together, the park contains over fifty different species of animals, both large and small.

Menengai, an extinct volcanic crater, is just south of Nakuru and qualifies as one of those "why not see it while you're there" sights. The crater is massive (about 12 kilometers across and 500 meters deep) and covers about 90 square kilometers. It was also the site of a 19th century battle between Maasai factions in which hundreds are supposed to have died. In fact, "Menengai" is Maa (the Maasai language) for "place of the corpses," a name supposedly derived from the battle.