I always assumed people who went on African safaris had a lot of money. When you google safaris, whether in Tanzania, Botswana, or South Africa, the price seems to always be a minimum of $3000 (and that’s on the low-end). African safaris also seem to be a time-consuming venture, and since I had just finished climbing Kilimanjaro, I wasn’t sure if sitting in a jeep and camping outside for several days on end was what I was up to. I was searching on GetYourGuide, my go-to site for tours, trying to find a way to see animals in Kenya without breaking the bank, or taking 5 days of my time. I saw a one-day tour for the magical Lake Nakuru, and without hesitation, I booked. Here’s what it was like.
Pickup (& Distance) From Nairobi
Lake Nakuru is only about a two-hour drive from Nairobi. It is 160km from Nairobi city center, or about 99 miles. Because the tour will start early to ensure visitors see the animals early in the morning, expect a brutal pickup time of about 5am. I stayed at Inks Hotel which was located right in the city center. There is very little I would recommend about staying at this hotel, unfortunately. I’ll save that post for another time, but it was one of the worst (and yet most interesting, and looking back, hilarious) hotel experiences I’ve ever had. I would, however recommend any of the following hotels:
- Hemingways Nairobi for luxury
- Sankara Nairobi, Autograph Collection for mid-range
- The Boma Nairobi for budget
My driver was in the lobby by 4:30am despite the pickup saying at 5am, and luckily, I was ready to go. We stopped and got a coffee and some pastries, and off we went.
The Drive To Lake Nakuru
The drive was calm and peaceful, although, my driver, Paul, warned me there would be a few security checkpoints along the way. He said, since I was alone, it might look strange that he was with me as women traveling alone in Kenya is apparently quite uncommon, so we were to say we were married if any of the police officers asked. I did not love the idea of lying to local authorities, but I did love the idea of trusting my driver who was a local and knew better than I did. Luckily, this question never came up so situation diverted. We did indeed get stopped by authorities, if my memory serves me correctly, twice along the way, just to confirm where we were headed.
I saw many zebras on the side of the road as we got closer to Lake Nakuru. It was a pretty cool feeling to be in Africa and see animals that I’d only ever seen caged in a zoo in their natural habitat. We stopped at a local shop along the way, and though I wanted to buy something (I still think about this necklace that I badly wanted), it was pretty expensive, assuming because they knew I was a tourist, so I opted out.
Arriving At Lake Nakuru
Once you arrive at Lake Nakuru, you have to get out of the car to purchase a ticket, which most likely will not be included in the price of your tour. The entry fee for Lake Nakuru comes at a steep $60 for non-residents, but even with that additional fee, it still is thousands of dollars cheaper than a traditional African safari. Once you pay your $60, you get back in the car and begin driving through the safari!
Pro-Tip: Photographing animals in the wild is very difficult. I highly recommend using a camera such as my Canon EOS Rebel T7.
Lake Nakuru Is Known For Flamingos, But…
Aside from the affordable price and the option for a single-day safari, part of the appeal was to see Lake Nakuru’s alleged most famous animal: flamingos. If you Google “Lake Nakuru,” the first images and articles that will come up are all based around the beloved flamingo. However, much thanks to climate change and therefore, rising waters, let me be the first to burst your bubble: there are NOT a lot of flamingos at Lake Nakuru. In fact, I saw maybe 40 of them total, which looked more like 15 of them thanks to the distance.
Pro-Tip: You’re going to want to bring a pair of binoculars to ensure you can actually see the animals. Many budget tours will not have binoculars included.
What Animals To Expect Instead
While the lack of flamingos might be disappointing, that’s where the disappointment ends. In my one day in Lake Nakuru, I saw zebras, monkeys, rhinos, giraffes, warthogs, gazelles, buffalo, and more. This means, in just one short day, and for a low price, I saw 2 of the Big 5. The Big 5 are Lions, Elephants, Buffalo, Rhinos, and Leopards. As mentioned, I saw buffalo and rhinos. It was a really cool, but sad sight to see so many rhinos, knowing how bad poaching is and how endangered the species is.
While all of the animals were breathtaking and majestic in their own right, my favorite had to have been the giraffes. They’re such gentle giants, and it brought tears to my eyes wondering how people can not only hunt these graceful creatures, but pay tons of money to fly to another continent to do so. It’s inhumane and cruelty at its finest. The giraffes simply were minding their own business, and to this day, I cannot wrap my head around big-game hunting.
Etiquette On An African Safari
On an African safari, there will be signs all over to remind you, animals have the right-of-way. We are in THEIR home, on THEIR land, in THEIR habitats, so they are to be respected. It’s crucial to stay extremely quiet. The drive is quite slow, and quite bumpy, and it’s important to keep a constant lookout in search of The Big 5. My guide told me that lions are often spotted at Lake Nakuru, but sadly, we had no luck finding any on the day I was there. I was so tired from having just finished climbing Mount Kilimanjaro the day prior, that I actually started to fall asleep at one point! I think I was just exhausted, but that’s how quiet a safari really is.
A Pit-Stop At Lake Naivasha
Most tours to Lake Nakuru will offer an additional stop at Lake Naivasha for an additional price. On Lake Naivasha, travelers are almost guaranteed to see hippos. Hippos are hilarious because they are known to be aggressive toward humans, despite not eating meat, meaning they literally just hate us. I respect that. Since it is an additional cost, and I was EXTREMELY broke when I went to Kenya, I sadly chose to opt out. Common activities on Lake Naivasha are canoeing and riding a boat. Instead, I ate a traditional Kenyan meal as I looked out on the lake, of course, paired with the local beer of Tusker.
So… Is A One-Day Safari Worth It?
If you are broke and limited on time, but still want to enjoy a proper safari, then hell yes, a one-day safari to Lake Nakuru is worth it. If you have more time, Lake Nakuru also offers overnight stays, and is still much cheaper than nearby Masai Mara and the Serengeti. As long as you don’t solely go to Lake Nakuru with the expectation to see flamingos like I did (and therefore, be gravely disappointed by the lack of them), Lake Nakuru is a fine option for a budget African safari.
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