Things to Do in Nanyuki While on a Short Vacation
Before we sink our teeth in the meat of Things to Do in Nanyuki, lets have a recap of year 2020 in Review.
The year 2020 has been a steep learning curve for many. It’s the year World Health Organisation announced the COVID-19 Pandemic. The last time we had a pandemic of global proportions is on the year 1918, at the advent of Spanish Flu. 102 years removed, has revealed that there hasn’t been sufficient institutional memory globally on how to deal with such a calamity.
100 years is equivalent to four generations – where children, parents and grandparents have no recount of a similar experience. All said, it’s been helter skelter on most part, from governements, scientific institutions and even at individual levels.
One of the most researched topics during this period is breathing. The American black lives matter, did contribute to the topic, over and above what Covid-19 has taught us about Breathing.
Increasingly more and more people have become aware of the need to breathe. In a recent advisory by Center for Disease Control – Camping and outdoor activies have been classified as having the least risk in spreading Corona Viruses. It’s actually recommended to go out in the woods and breath fresh air away from congested places in the City.
As of this writing, Nairobi has a population of approximately 6,400 people per square kilometer. A place like Laikipia Plateau has a population of 54 persons per square kilometer. It’s these rural places where people are less populated; and therefore naturally social distanced that one will want to plan their weekend getaways.
A Road Trip to Nanyuki
Nanyuki is about 3 hours from Nairobi along the A2 highway. The A2 highway starts as Thika super highway going throught the former central province counties. The first major town one will pass by from Nairobi is Thika. The A2 later goes through Murang’a County at the end of thika road dual carriage at Kenol.
As soon as the dual carriage ends at Kenol, the road continues as a 2-lane – a road with one lane in each direction, divided by a double yellow line. The next major intersection is the Makutano Junction. It’s at this junction that that the Mount Kenya circuit starts. On your right is the road to Embu, Chuka in Tharaka Nithi and onwards to meru.
A2 road persists through Kirinyaga county, Nyeri county all the way to the equator marker in Nanyuki, Laikipia. If you continue with the A2 road past Nanyuki, there is the Meru – Isiolo Junction. It’s at this junction that the Embu road at Makutano goes full circle to rejoin the A2 road. It’s this circuit that goes round Mount Kenya on a 290+KM circumference.
The roads at Chuka in Tharaka Nithi have gorges, bends, rifts and ridges that will have you holding your intestines – especially if driving through for the first time. For our trip to Nanyuki we shall use the Karatina, Kiganjo route. A relatively, pretty safe route with clear vision through and through.
Destination Laikipia
At the equator marker, it’s where you find the first welcome sign to Nanyuki. You can have a stop here for an experiment on the Coriolis effect and the formation of a vortex to differentiate North and South Pole.
Cedar Mall is an upcoming mall in Nanyuki – currently occupied by FoodPlus, coffee shop like Java, take away foods like KFC.
It’s at this mall you want to take a coffee and some take away sandwiches as you will need them when we go hiking in the woods and lush forests of Ngare Ndare.
How about hiking throught he woods, streams and natural trails to a falls with natural swimming pool?
Hotels in Nanyuki
Several groups do Ngare Ndare Hiking as a day trip. But why waste all the fuel on a 6 hours drive return before you sample more of what Nanyuki has to offer?
After a tiresome hike at Ngare Ndare, there is no need to hit the road to Nairobi at night. It’s your turn to experience steam bath, good food and a relaxing bed at a 5 star boutique hotel – Falcon Heights Hotel
More Places to Visit in Laikipia
After a steamy and relaxing night at Falcon Heights Nanyuki. You’ve had your breakfast and eventually checked out. It’s time to consider a visit to Mount Kenya Animal Orphanage or OlJogi Wildlife rescue center. This way you can get to see some of the recovering animals receiving care in a sanctuary.
Morever, if you are upto to it, why not go a for a full game drive at Ol Pejeta Conservancy. At Olpejeta you will see 100s of animals in a short drive, more than you would ever see in a combined ten visits to Nairobi Park.
Nanyuki or Laikipia at large has been marketed as destination that is only affordable to who is who. Here at Begin North Adventures we are breaking up that norm to make Laikipia a destination affordable to everyone.
Furthermore, as we avered in the earlier paragraphs, travelling and adventure is soon going to be a basic right of existence. We all deserve a chance to breath prisitine air that may not have been breathed before.
Reach out for a safari package to Nanyuki.
