Lake Bogoria National Reserve

Lake Bogoria National Reserve is about 80 km north of Nakuru town in the Great Rift Valley. Formerly known as Lake Hannington, this is one of the most beautiful of the Rift Valley lakes and the only constant alkaline habitat in the Rift Valley. It is a shallow soda lake that was established as a National Reserve in November 1983.

The reserve covers the whole lake and its surroundings. It is a geological wonder, with jets of steam and boiling water shooting out of geysers and fumeroles indicating the sort of volcanic activities that created the Great Rift Valley a very long time ago. The lake is the best place in Kenya to see the greater kudu, which lives on the western shores of the lake. It is, however, the flamingos that have made Lake Bogoria famous.

The lake provides a major feeding site for migrating lesser, and greater, flamingos. Promenading the shoreline in shifting lines of pink and white, they can be seen scything their beaks to and fro to sift the algae from the water. Some stand on one leg, others chug through the water like ducks, or upend and kick their shocking pink legs in the air – and all murmur, honk and mutter in incessant dialogue.