Nakuru County is home to Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha some of the Rift Valley soda lakes. Lake Nakuru is best known for its thousands, sometimes millions of flamingos nesting along the shores.
The surface of the shallow lake is often hardly recognizable due to the continually shifting mass of pink. The number of flamingos on the lake varies with water and food conditions and the best vantage point is from Baboon cliff.
Also of interest, an area of 188 km around the lake fenced off as a sanctuary to protect Rothschild giraffe and black rhinos.
Other sites of interest around Nakuru include Menengai Crater, an extinct volcano 2,490m (8,167 ft) high. The views of the crater itself, as well as the surrounding countryside, are spectacular.
Hyrax Hill Prehistoric Site, discovered by the Leakeys in 1926, is considered a major Neolithic and Iron Age site. The adjoining museum features finds from various nearby excavations.
The second largest surviving volcanic crater in the world, the Menengai Crater is 2,242 meters above sea level at its highest point. The crater plunges 483 m down from the rim and the summit is accessible by foot or vehicle 8 km from the main road. The mountain is also surrounded by a nature reserve.
Nakuru town is located 160 km North-West of Nairobi – Kenya’s capital; and is the fourth largest urban center in Kenya after Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.
A Kenya tour to Nakuru takes you to an altitude of 1840m above the sea level and it is within the region of the Great Rift Valley whose formation gave rise to a unique natural structure.
Nakuru town is sandwiched between Lake Nakuru National Park to the south and the Menengai crater and its associated volcanic landscapes to the North. Further to the North East of the town is the Bahati Escarpment forming the western fringe of the Aberdares Escarpment.
Nakuru lies between latitudes 0° 10′ and 0° 20′ and longitudes 36° and 36° 10′; some 1840 meters above sea level, and with a temperate climate averaging about 28° C.
Located in the former Rift Valley Province of Kenya, about 165km from Nairobi, Nakuru is an agriculturally-rich county blessed with various tourist attractions such as craters and lakes.
Nakuru borders seven counties; Laikipia to the north east, Kericho to the west, Narok to the south west, Kajiado to the south, Baringo to the north, Nyandarua to the east and Bomet to the west.
It covers an area of 7496.5 square kilometers. The name Nakuru means ‘a dusty place‘ in the Maasai language – in reference to frequent whirlwinds that engulf the area with clouds of dust.
Nakuru County is home to 1, 603, 325 people (male – 50.2% and female – 49.8%), according to the 2009 National Census. It is a cosmopolitan county, with its population originating from all the major tribes of Kenya.
The Kikuyu and the Kalenjin are the dominant communities in Nakuru, making about 70% of the county’s population. Both communities are mainly engaged in farming, livestock rearing and trade business.
Other communities such as Luo, Luhyia, Kamba, Meru and Kisii are also present in Nakuru County especially in the urban centres. Majority of these people migrated here for business and employment. The government is the main employer in the county.
Tourist Attractions in Nakuru
Lake Nakuru
one of the Rift Valley soda lakes, which forms part of the Lake Nakuru National Park. The park is famous for the vast numbers of flamingoes that can be seen foraging in the shallow lake. The park also has many wild animals that can be seen during a Kenya safari.
Menengai Crater
This is a dormant volcano. Small fumaroles and steam vents can regularly be observed within the forested caldera from above. The second largest surviving volcanic crater in the world, it plunges 483 m down from the rim and the summit is accessible by foot or vehicle 8 km from the main road to Nyahururu. The wood-covered crater ground is a nature reserve.
Hyrax Hill Prehistoric Site
Discovered by the Leakeys in 1926, is considered a major Neolithic and Iron Age site. The adjoining museum features finds from various nearby excavations.
Hell’s Gate National Park
Hell’s Gate National Park covers an area of 68.25 square km and is situated in the environs of Lake Naivasha about 90 km from Nairobi. The park is 14 km after the turnoff from the old Nairobi-Naivasha highway.
It is characterized by diverse topography and geological scenery. It is an important home of the lammergeyer. Hell’s Gate has two gates that are used by visitors – the main Elsa Gate and the Olkaria Gate. The latter also serves the Olkaria Geothermal Station that is located inside the National Park.
Attractions include game viewing, raptor nesting in cliffs, spectacular gorge walks, hot springs, scenic landscape, the Geothermal Station, Maasai culture. Wildlife here include eland, buffalo, lion, giraffe, zebra, leopard, impala, Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelle, klipspringer, rock hyrax and Chanler’s mountain reedbuck
Elementeita Badlands
The Elementeita Badlands, also known as the Otutu Forest or Ututu Forest, is a lava flow in Kenya that covers approximately 9,000 acres (36 km2). The area was previously covered in thick dry-land forest characterized by cedar trees, (Juniperus spp.), and Leleshwa bushes (Tarchonanthus camphoratus).
In addition, Wild Jasmine and Boophone are also found. The land belongs to Njenga Karume, who bought it from Arthur Cole in 1980. Cole had bought it from Digby Tatham-Warter (famous for his role in the Battle of Arnhem) in 1968, as grazing land of low potential.
The land is unsuitable for either small scale cultivation or cattle ranching as it is covered in thick bush growing from the profusion of lava boulders.
The Kigio Wildlife Conservancy
The Kigio Wildlife Conservancy is a protected Conservancy near Gilgil in the Great Rift Valley of Kenya. It is owned and operated by the local community. The conservancy, which covers 3,500 acres (1,400 ha), is located between Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha.
It was originally a cattle ranch owned by white settlers. After buying the ranch, the local community decided that there could be more revenue from Eco-tourism. Fees now provide income to the community and help cover the cost of maintenance.
Several organizations have provided funding for infrastructure and conservation including Tusk Trust, Born Free Foundation and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
The Kigio Wildlife Conservancy contains diverse habitat including short grass, Leleshwa shrub, euphorbia woodlands and riverine woodlands. Almost 100 indigenous plant species are protected in the conservancy.
There are over three hundred bird species including what is said to be the World’s largest population of Grey-crested Helmet shrikes. There are about 3,500 head of large mammals, up from about 100 head in 1996.Grazing animals include buffalo, eland, impala, water buck, Grant’s gazelle, Thomson’s gazelle and zebra.
Other species include hyena, leopard and hippo, caracal, aardvark, aardwolf, honey badger and spring hare. The endangered Rothschild Giraffe is also found here. The last giraffe in the region was killed by poachers in 1996.
Nightlife in Nakuru
Nakuru is one of the most happening spots in the all of Kenya, and there are many wonderful places to visit when it comes to the Nakuru nightlife. There are all sorts of clubs and bars you can visit, including:
Dimples Disco
Dimples disco is a small club that’s lively on the weekends. This club is located at the west end of Kenyatta Rd, near the roundabout. It is an upstairs building and leads directly in.
Mahogany
Directly across the hall from Dimples Disco is a bar called Mahogany. This place is perfect for listening to the latest tunes, shooting pool and eating nyama choma, more commonly known in the west as barbeque.
Millennium
One of the best places to get barbeque in the middle of a club is a place called Millennium. Millennium is a barbeque during the day and a dance floor at night.
This dance floor is mostly outdoors and has three separate bars and four different pool tables. This place seats about a hundred people comfortably, however, during the weekends, the place is usually packed with at least triple that number.
Coco Savana Disco
If you’re interested in going to a fancier up to do club, then the Coco Savana Disco is what you’re looking for. This area is meant for the more well to do and wealthy of the young.
Taidy’s
Taidy’s is both a restaurant and a party joint. This place includes a night club, which has become increasingly popular with the youth. At night this place becomes a night club, a dance floor and a bar.
Tickles
Tickles is a simple bar located above the Piranha restaurant. This is a bar and a disco. Thanks to the fact that it’s close to a restaurant, if you’re hungry for some real food, you can just go right over there.
Summit
Summit is a new recently opened bar and night club that’s become one of the more popular joints in the area. It gets natural aesthetic appeal from the fact that it’s located directly adjacent to the Lake Nakuru national park.
This place has garnered popularity from the fact that it’s both aesthetically pleasing and affordable. Unfortunately, the sound system doesn’t do much and the DJ doesn’t have popular reviews, but on the other hand, the place is known for its charm and the down to earth cooking that it offers its patrons.
Club Eclipse
The best hung out joint in town, the home of soul ,old skul, and latest techno music accompanied with delicious menu and superb rooms .This is where comfort meets excellence located along kanu street opposite langa langa hospital the best hung out joint in town, the home of soul ,old skul, and latest techno music accompanied with delicious menu and superb rooms .This is where comfort meets excellence
Samba Kitoko Restaurante, Pub en Discotheque
The leading entertainment spot in nakuru offerin fun to different categories of ages from youths to the aged with its restaurant with cool rhumba music and ample atmosphere and underground world class discotheque kitoko is the place to relieve your stress well interior design good sound en music beautiful sits, tables en lounge, attractive lighting system lovable