Month: March 2016

Ooh God of all creation Bless this our land and Nation…as a little child in primary school when we sang the national anthem it was all about obeying the rules and following the regulations,  we sang  without much attachments..

So when did My passion for this great love start? Don’t remember exactly, perhaps my longest journey as a child was when I was 6yrs, the one I can vividly remember. I was at My Grandmas House during the school holidays and she decided to go visit her son –My uncle- to receive her new born grandson and she took me with her, I was very excited as it meant lots of play time with my cousins and also to go by BUS yeaah! It was big then! I was already imagining the tales I will have when the school re-opens. Wherever we were , people, then,  believed ‘ni mwisho wa dunia’[end of the world] nowadays it’s a journey of 3hrs at most from Nairobi and from my village in Muranga its about 2.5hrs. I mean, if you were sent somewhere and Overstayed you would be asked;  kwani uli-iendea Meru? [were you fetching it from meru?]hahaha.

You can Imagine the childlike excitement I had..mmmh, so the day came we departed a day before to my aunties place in Muranga town so that we can be able to catch an early bus at 0500hrs as they were only two buses to Meru and no its not Riakanau Mburi na Mirio hehe… [rumored carried goats with their feeds they don’t die of hunger on the way] it had an English name can’t recall Cleary…when we boarded the bus my grandma might have recognized my excitement and gave me a window seat I counted trees passing hehe ….watched landscape got bored but kept looking; from the heat of Muranga to Kirinyaga, Embu the corners were hair raising to chogoria …and past this place the landscape changed to something That awed  me, at one particular instant I had an AHA moment I remember  seeing one small tall Hill, very tall, must have been an anti-hill and I kept wondering whats that and I started pestering grandma about it and she was too tired to even look she just said it’s a hill, mind you, by this time it was 1600hrs later in the Bus, the heat, congestion …only me I guess was fully awake.  From that moment on all I could think about was that small Taaaall Hill, even when we got to my uncles place that’s all I could talk about, even when I got back That’s all I could talk about and because  the bus couldn’t stop I vowed when I grow up I shall go back and view the hill, as a child it marveled me. Years later I still go to Meru and can’t find my Hill sob! sob! And am still going this April to rebrand this destination and visit a few hidden gems I better find my Hill then…Hehehe!  Watch out for my April Blogpost and find out….

This Journey stirred my curiosity. It ignited my passion of; what else is there?  I fell in love with Geography, history, literature etc, was on every club that concerned Nature and wildlife, every trip, but never at one moment thought of it as a career, I mean I come from a family inline of teaching and Doctors so it was automatic that’s where I was going to end up, well, Fate had a different  path for me a very passionate and enlightening path….If I was to be renamed I guess my maiden name would be Nyaguthii [traveler] hehehe.. Guess what! I am still traveling some destinations more than once but different experience every time that’s How Magical, My Kenya  is.

There is a reason why famous people choose to invest and visit Kenya on regular basis; movies have been shot in this magical lands, documentaries aired, international reality shows done in our wilderness who would not be passionate about my Land Kenya?

As a tourism Destination you would be spoilt for choice, from our pristine white sandy Beaches voted among the best in the world, our grassland savannas which have hosted Big Cat Diaries for long now and one of the 7wonders of the world- the wildebeest migration, take time and visit the ‘Last Wilderness”  Meru National park a very remote park dissected by 13rivers and full of wildlife and Birdlife, visit the valleys of Hells gate and get to know why the name…Hike MtKenya and get to see some very breathtaking lakes and geographical formations , the Jumbos of  Amboseli,  get down to some history of Man-eaters of Tsavo, try the Northern Kenya dubbed cradle of Mankind and experience raw culture, Rare wildlife,  etc. Most of the attractions in Kenya are well documented on the internet, But , if you are looking for this great passion I have, you will need to get off your car at some point, engage a local and let them narrate a few folklores, we have a lot for almost everything. Do some chakacha in the Kenyan coast, lengua kiuno..sakata kabisa [bellydance], Dive with the dolphins, jump high with the Maasai if you are a Man and lucky to jump the highest you get to take all the girls Home lol!, take time with the locals and experience their way of life, cook and try some of their foods, herd cattle with them for a day, go fishing in Lake Victoria, join bullfighters in western Kenya come prepared and make sure your shoes are jig friendly , this guys can dance and shake their shoulders,  I still haven’t figured this dance.. Paraglide in lift valley and enjoy the landscape in Kerio Valley its out of this world, this are just, some of the activities that can add value to your safaris and what better way to make memorable moments than Experience??

My passion for this great Love of mine goes even beyond,  try our music and you will know my rhythm, my people are very friendly, hospitable and patient they will teach you how to dance the Kenyan way be it the traditional or Modern dance…when you plan to visit, leave your worries and come open minded..Kenya will waooh you! By now am sure you have captured my vibe, my Passion about This great love of mine…Am still exploring with excitement and am not stopping anytime soon, the thrill, the sights, the sounds….ooh how I love you Kenya!

A visit to Nyahururu left me wondering if the town is in Nyandarua or Laikipia county well still in dispute..this name Nyahururu still puts a smile on my face as a friend from faar-away cant pronounce it, she keeps saying Nyururu….hehe. The name means a windy or stomy place. Initially it was called Thomson Falls after the famous explorer who named The falls on Ewaso Ngiro a Tributary of Ewaso Nyiro river near the town.

This town grew mainly because of the railway line passing here and many Indians had invested in shops though they later left it to the locals. The journey to Nyahururu from Nairobi Passes you through Naivasha-Gilgil- Olkalou and some rural towns as interesting as their names.. its such a scenic journey with a wonderful view of Aberdare Ranges..

I Have traveled this road many times before both for fun and Family Occasions, but this time round it was very interesting as  I was accompanied by a very informative Guide, a native of this region. The lands are very futile and farmers here plant potatoes and Maize on Large scale, there are also flowers farmers, Cabbages and carrots too. Milk processing is also a big business around this area.

Our overnight stay was at Thomson Falls Lodge and it was such a memorable moment; we were welcomed by Kikuyu traditional dancers and the Tfalls team outdid themselves with their Hospitality.

ABOUT TFALLS LODGE;Thomson’s Falls lodge was built by Joseph Thomson, after he discovered the Thomson’s Falls. Joseph Thomson was the first to reach the falls in 1883 and named them after his father. Joseph was a Scottish geologist and naturalist who was also the first European to walk from Mombasa to Lake Victoria in the early 1880’s.The 72 m( ft) scenic waterfall on the Ewaso Ngiro river which drains from the Aberdare mountain range, is located in Nyahururu, Laikipia, at 2,360 m, also known as the highest town in Kenya. The area was originally a part of the indigenous forest surrounding the famous falls which to date is a home to many animals like the Columbus monkeys and various bird species. This was a haven for Thomson who decided to settle here and went ahead to construct a sprawling cottage facing the falls. The main house was brick cottage sprawled on the beautiful manicured lanes which has been maintained to date. After the discovery of the amazing falls, the place begun to receive many guests and Sir Thomson figured that he could not accommodate them all in his house, so he came up with the idea of building cottages within his compound to accommodate the large influx of guests at a small fee.

Most of his guests were white explorers and game hunters who were fascinated by the beauty and the stories of the falls and also used to flock Laikipia during the game hunting season.. In 1931, he built a total of 32 self contained cottages round the main house, which can still be seen to date. The idea picked up and the lodge grew every year as more guests visited the amazing Thomson’s fall. After many years of the lodge changing ownership, the cottages still remain to date and the various managements have done their best to retain the originality of the place. The cottages still maintain the colonial era feel but a few additions have been done like modern beds and wifi in the rooms. The main house over the years has been converted into the main restaurant, bar, reception and the main kitchen on the ground floor, with the administration block taking the upstairs space. You can still find artefacts, paintings and the original wooden floors put up by the founder, Mr. Joseph Thomson in the main building. To date a large pepper tree, planted by the immediate management that took over from Sir Joseph, stands in the premises as a reminder and in honour of the famous European. Thomson’s Falls Lodge has grown to be the major lodge in the whole of Laikipia and its environs Nyandarua among others. To date the Lodge receives and accommodates guests from the founder’s family who visit the falls every July without fail and spends at least a month at the lodge while visiting and enjoying other tourist attractions that have come up over the years. The falls by itself attracts visitors from all over the world. The colourful birds, the nature trail to the base of the falls and the traditional dancers by the falls are among the activities found here. Among other attractions nearby are the Hippo sanctuary, which is a kilometre away from the lodge, Aberdare National park, Solio ranch and the famous Ol Pajeta Conservancy, all a haven of the big five. Game drives to these attractions can be organized by the lodge or your travel agent.

However, the below attractions kind of won my Heart ,Lake Ol Bolossat, the only lake in the former Central Province, is an internationally recognised habitat for birds [IBA], with 180 species of birds. It is also home to 15 species of animals including hippopotamus. The lake is a popular destination among lovers of birdlife

The other is,  Marmanet forest  a must visit when you are in this area and you have time as its a walking tour. we had the hon our of the game warden showing us this forest which is under CFA and has a lot of   Birdlife and Indigenous trees, its also a habitat of  Elephants and the rangers guide you in watching them as they graze, the landscape is also gorgeous and you can also visit waterfalls but I must warn you even descending Thomson falls is a walk in the park. Amazingly the locals who are the custodian of its borders still walked in this forest without worry.  I must say it was soo fulfilling watching this animals. This tour needs someone who is relatively fit but worth every penny. Well,  every good thing has an end and when we got back to the hotel every joint was aching we must have walked for like 4hrs nonstop and some slopes were steep we enjoyed our Karaoke night at the hotel with the resident DJ before calling it a night. we still had the energy lol!

The following day after departure we decided to check the New Upcoming Panari Nyahururu Resort A huge project just across the Falls although not completely done it sure going to be a beautiful resort with lots of activities incorporated will sure tell you more once its fully operational….Your next Holiday in Nyahururu don’t , just rest in the hotel , Explore, you now know what to do in Nyahururu…