The hook
A shallow soda lake in the floor of the Great Rift Valley that can turn pink with vast flocks of flamingos, ringed by a park that is one of Kenya's best places to see rhinos.
01Why it's worth it
The Great Rift Valley slices through Kenya, and its floor holds a chain of lakes, several of them shallow, alkaline "soda lakes" that feed spectacular birdlife. Lake Nakuru is the famous one: in the right conditions its shores throng with flamingos, hundreds of thousands of them at times, staining the water pink, alongside pelicans and countless other birds. It is important to be honest that the flamingo spectacle is unpredictable, as the birds come and go with water levels and salinity and can be largely absent, but the surrounding national park is a reliable draw in its own right, being a fenced sanctuary and one of the better places in Kenya to see both black and white rhinos, along with lions, leopards, and Rothschild's giraffes. Nearby, the freshwater Lake Naivasha offers boat trips among hippos and a walk-with-wildlife island. The Rift lakes make an easy, scenic complement to the big savanna parks.
02How to experience it
Do game drives around Lake Nakuru for the rhinos and birdlife, and enjoy the flamingos if they are present, without banking on them. Combine it with a boat trip and walking safari at nearby Lake Naivasha. It slots neatly between the central highlands and the Maasai Mara.