One day in Lake Nakuru National Park: rhinos, Baboon Cliff and Makalia Falls

Lake Nakuru National Park is compact enough to explore in a day, but there is a lot to see: rhinos on the shore, giraffes in the acacia woods, pelicans on the lake and the view from Baboon Cliff. This plan assumes you stay in or near Nakuru and have a vehicle with a driver-guide.

The plan at a glance

• 6:30: Enter at the Main Gate as it opens
• 7:00: The lake shore for rhinos, buffalo and birds
• 9:30: Baboon Cliff viewpoint
• 11:00: The acacia woods for giraffes
• 12:30: Picnic at Makalia Falls
• 14:30: The eastern side and Lion Hill
• 17:00: Leave the park

Early morning: the lake shore

Be at the Main Gate when it opens. The first hours are cool, the light is soft and the animals are active. Head for the open grassland along the shore, where white rhinos graze, often in small groups, alongside buffalo, waterbuck and zebras. Scan the water for great white pelicans and, if they are around, flamingos.

Mid-morning: Baboon Cliff

Drive up to Baboon Cliff on the western side of the lake, one of the few places where you can get out of the vehicle. The view takes in the whole lake, the shoreline forest and the hills beyond. Keep food out of sight: the baboons that give the cliff its name are bold.

Late morning: the acacia woods

The yellow-barked fever trees on the lower slopes are where Rothschild’s giraffes browse, and where leopards are occasionally seen resting in the branches. Drive slowly and look up.

Lunch: Makalia Falls

In the south of the park, Makalia Falls pours over a rock cliff into a pool. It can dry to a trickle in the dry seasons and roars after rain. There is a picnic site nearby, so bring a packed lunch from your hotel.

Afternoon: the eastern side

Return along the eastern side of the lake, past Lion Hill. Lions are most often seen resting in the shade in the middle of the day and becoming active again in the late afternoon. Black rhinos are shy and keep to thicker bush, so ask your guide where they have been seen recently.

Tips

• Park fees are paid electronically; bring a card or mobile money.
• Stay in the vehicle except at the marked viewpoints and picnic sites.
• Bring binoculars, a warm layer for the early start and plenty of water.
• Read our guide to Lake Nakuru National Park and the best time to visit.