The Main highway between Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city and Nakuru, Kenya’s fourth largest city is a relatively small stretch of road and a mere 3-4 hour bus trip, but there are days worth of things to see and places to visit. So don’t hurry to the safari park just yet – here are a few ideas to get started:
Lake Naivasha and town
A good place to start is Lake Naivasha. There is a chance to spot some wildlife as the lake is home to a wealth of hippos. In fact, if you happen to camp overnight at the lake there'll no doubt be huddles of people crowded in silence around the lake shores hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the country’s deadliest mammals – responsible for killing more people than any other in Kenya. There have also been reported sightings of crocodiles in the lake, which is more than enough to put you off swimming in its waters. The attractiveness of Lake Naivasha to tourists comes from its reputation for being incredibly temperamental with the capacity to abruptly change from calm clear waters under clear blue skies, to suddenly choppy, murky waters hoarded with hippos.
It is one of Kenya’s most mysterious sites for sure. It isn’t essential however, to spend a considerable time at the lake. It can be seen in a day with plenty of time for a walk around Naivasha town where there isn’t a whole lot to see but certainly worth a stroll round. Some cheap and cheerful restaurants and accommodation can be found in the town. Catch a matatu (mini-bus style public transport) and travel an hour up the main highway into Kenya’s capital city Nairobi. Only do this if there is ample time however, as tourists shouldn't ever arrive into Niarobi after dark especially if new to the city.
It is of course possible to lodge overnight at the Lake, the most well known camp is Fisherman’s Camp which has its advantages such as frequent matatu shuttle buses linking you with the town and the main highway. Fisherman’s camp has good facilities too it must be said. However, there are nicer camps at budget prices which are definitely worth considering too. Consult The Rough Guide or Lonely Planet guide for details.
Gilgil town
The Rough Guide doesn’t rate Gilgil as one of Kenya’s top tourist attractions. An hour down the road from Naivasha toward Nakuru, Gilgil is a great place to break a journey and grab a bite to eat. The town has a distinct soundtrack of jingly-jangly African pop music which can be heard from the highway over the sounds of speeding cars, trucks and matatus. There is a large community of street-boys in Gilgil with which British charities work closely helping them to run their own businesses, prevent disease and quash the common but harmful addiction to glue. A crowd of boys will be waiting by the roadside with their bicycle taxis to take people into the town for a few shillings. Many of these boys will speak English and will recommend a good café. Eating in Gilgil will not be aimed at tourists so anyone not keen on sampling the local stew or oogali might just want to buy a bottled soda drink and buy a snack from the supermarket! There is a post office, bank and some internet access here also.
The Old Road toward Nyahururu
By breaking the journey in Gilgil, there is the option to get back on the road in a number of ways. The lesser used, Old Road offers some amazing sights which you would otherwise bypass. The Old Road winds toward Nyahururu and out of Gilgil past its huge cemetery which marks the small town’s incredibly violent history as the site many Mau Mau attacks. In Contrast the road also bends by a community of sickeningly huge houses which are the homes of British Ex-Pats and white Kenyans many of whom frequent the Gilgil Country Club – a whites only club and one of the last of its kind.
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