Nomad issue #24

ROAD TRIP
ROAD TRIP
Faith Kanja sets off on an
action-packed seven day
road trip with the Kenya
Tourism Board, covering
places such as Karura Forest,
Limuru, Aberdares National
Park and Diani.
PHOTOGRAPHS FAITH KANJA
Our seven day trip
organized by the
Kenya Tourism Board
encompassed a circuit
around parts of Central
Kenya and South Coast.
We were in to discover
some of Kenya’s hidden
treasures that make for good weekend
escapes. All set with two 4x4 touring
cruisers, we were ready to explore the
country.
We had begun the day’s activities by
taking up the famous Heritage Tour offered
by the Sarova Stanley Hotel. Throughout
the tour, I felt as though in a museum of
sorts, taken back in time through the rich,
authentic history of Nairobi’s first luxurious
hotel. Did you know that the hotel’s Thorn
Tree Cafe traces its roots to one of Nairobi’s
first makeshift post offices? The “Tree Mail”
was a centrally placed acacia tree that
allowed travellers to pin mail onto its trunk!
Sarova Stanley is a historical charm and
definitely has a story to tell.
The adventure kicked off at Karura
Forest, which is one of the largest urban
gazetted forests in the world. It is a
very convenient recreational facility for
individuals and families to take up trail
biking, running, walking and dog-walking
within the marked nature trails. There are
also scenic waterfalls and caves to see,
open fields to enjoy some ball games, a
tennis court as well as picnic sites. Visitors
can also spot a few animals within the forest
such as monkeys, bush bucks, bush pigs,
various bird species, some reptiles among
others.
After spending our first night at
Brackenhurst, I was excited about our
second day. I was hoping to escape the mist
but the rain and cold persisted. However,
being an adrenaline junkie, the activities
lined up for the day had me excited. The
Forest in Kereita is a superb outdoors
facility offering a myriad of activities such
as ziplining, mountain biking, archery,
horse riding, paint-balling, foot-golfing and
camping. Few skids and falls during the trail
biking added to the fun.
We were in for a long drive from Limuru
to the Aberdare Country Club in Nyeri
where we spent our second night. The
country club is set within its own wildlife
sanctuary and as such it was delightful to
spot baboons, antelopes and peacocks while
heading to the dining area for breakfast.
The lush gardens and cozy cottages set on
a hill made it an ideal country getaway
destination. The beauty of the property was
very evident as one overlooked the Aberdare
Ranges to the west and Mount Kenya to the
east. I wished to have spent more time there
but we had an early day planned out.
Majority of the trip was characterized by
rain and it was therefore not surprising to be
met by a fallen tree only a few kilometres
into the Aberdare National Park. A few
animals did not shy away from crossing
into our driveway but I felt intimidated by
the massive size of the buffaloes. Huge
canopies, forested gorges and massive open
moorlands are characteristic of this park,
making it an ideal location for mountain
scenery photographers. As we drove up
the hilly terrain, it was interesting to spot
different types of vegetation that kept
varying with the altitude.
I was mostly drawn by the intriguing
waterfalls situated inside the Aberdares. We
visited the Chania Waterfall, Magura Falls
and Queen’s cave. The majestic falls have
a way of making one feel like a miniature
being. For a moment I lost myself in the
calming sounds of the falling water. The
Karuru Falls are the largest and most popular
falls inside the Aberdares but we were not
fortunate to visit them on that day.
Having spent a full day at the park, it
was time to hit the road again and head
to Nanyuki. We checked into Maiyan
Villas where we would spend the next two
nights. I was eager to catch a glimpse of
the mountain upon waking up but it was too
cloudy. Even while heading towards Timau
for our day’s excursion, we were still not
lucky to spot Mt. Kenya. Nonetheless, my
mind was set on exploring the Ngare Ndare
Forest. The Forest is set between the Borana
and Lewa conservancies and it was therefore
intriguing to see a number of fallen trees
thanks to the elephants. Ngare Ndare is
popular for its azure pools that form beneath
its three main waterfalls. People can plunge
into one of the pools and enjoy a nice swim.
In addition, there’s a 500 metre long canopy
walk. It however took a lot of convincing for
some to take up the scenic walk that’s set 40
feet above the ground.
We were treated to an impromptu
lunch at the Fairmont Mt Kenya Safari
Club. I must admit this was one of the most
beautiful properties I have been to. The
hotel is situated inside the Mt Kenya Wildlife
Conservancy which provides visitors with
access to animals inside the orphanage.
We woke up to our final Day at Maiyan
Villas. Checkout was at 10:00am giving us
enough time to walk around the property.
Each villa has a heated plunge pool and
jacuzzi and varying room suites. The resort
also has a number of ball game courts,
offers biking, boat rides as well as horse
rides. To properly wrap up the central circuit,
we were treated to the majestic views of the
Mountain over breakfast.
With all our heavy clothing packed
very far down our bags, we were set to
welcome the coastal leg of the trip. We took
a connecting charter flight from Mt Kenya
Airstrip to Wilson Airport before proceeding
to Ukunda Airstrip. Upon arrival, we checked
into the Swahili Beach Resort where we
would spend the final three nights.
The coastal circuit tour kicked off with a
visit to the Shimba Hills National Reserve,
which is Kenya’s home to the endangered
sable antelope which inhabits the wooded
savanna in East and Southern Africa.
There are few animals in the game reserve
hence the main attraction is the Sheldrick
Waterfall and Nature Trail. We had to trek
downhill for 2.5km in order to get there.
Our ranger guided us down a trail which
was dotted with mud, canopies, ants and a
river crossing. Part of the trip’s highlight was
removing our shoes to cross over (luckily no
crocodiles). The ground was very slippery
and I really hoped I would not slip into
the mud. Upon arriving at the waterfalls,
everyone dashed to the water like little
children.
We later headed to Shifoga (Shimba Hills
Forest Guides Association) Cultural Village
where we got to learn about the Mijikenda
Culture. There’s a lot of conservation being
done by the Forest Guides. We were taken
through the ‘Kaya’ model and got to also
witness an exorcism ritual take place. This
was a nice twist to our coastal adventure;
one without the beach.
Our scheduled visit to Wasini island
and the Kisite Mpunguti Marine Park was
cancelled due to bad weather. Despite it
raining all day, we had a superb time at
the Swahili Beach Resort. This wrapped up
our activity packed expedition around the
country. Wonderful memories were made
and beautiful gems were discovered. Kenya
is indeed a magical country. Get on the road
and get exploring!
NOMAD MAGAZINE 2019 41