Eldoret had been playing tricks with my mind for some time and thus, it seemed like the only way to end the mental games was to visit and explore it. We thus left Nairobi and headed to Eldoret, which is the capital of Uasin Gishu county. Though we had planned to only visit Eldoret area, Elgeyo Marakwet seemed to want to show off and indeed we had lots to explore.
1: Elgeyo Marakwet
Driving through this area was a beauty and we managed to traverse four of its constituencies. The general scenery composed of hills and valleys and we had to slowly drive on the winding roads. It offers various attractions and sceneries in its different constituencies.
a)Kerio Valley:
This area offers great aerial viewpoints of the area and thus I highly recommend you make a stop over here.
Visit Fluorspar Mine
I learnt about this place as a young girl, thus it was interesting to actually visit the place. Fluorspar is a mineral that is used in the making of ceramics, chemicals among others. Looking at the deep craters left after excavation will leave you wondering how the trucks even get out. It was fun to also see large anthills as well as the general mining environment.
Kimwarer Viewpoint:
I enjoyed the place as the weather was good and the scenery truly beautiful.
b: Iten:
This region is known as the Home of Champions, as it is the area that most long distance marathoners hail from. It has thus become the training ground for marathoners both local and international. It prides itself with great weather, high altitude and perfect terrain for training.
Kolol View point:
This area is amazing as it not only gives you an aerial view, but also allows one to enjoy the winding roads. It was interesting watching most vehicles struggle to get up the hill and then navigate the winding roads. People can also have a picnic here as they look into the valley below.
c)Keiyo South
This area is truly a scenic area. From the hills, to the winding valleys and the overall green vegetation all over. It was also great seeing lifestyle of the communities here, with some engaged in farming. It was however sad to see several areas had trees cut and we saw people burning charcoal.
Transport:
We took public transport from Nairobi to Eldoret. In Eldoret, we then hired a taxi that then also ended up being our tour guide for the whole area and beyond to Elgeyo Marakwet, Keiyo South, Kerio Valley, and Iten.
We truly had an amazing time venturing into this area. The amazing scenery, the very friendly people as well as discovering areas I had never heard of was great fun. My major challenge that I think the county government can assist is, to educate or expose the communities living here on what is available for visitors as well as themselves to enjoy. Those we met seemed to have no idea yet, locals are the best marketing tool for any area. While here, our new friends suggested we venture into the neighbouring town of Kitale and indeed it was well worth the trip. A trip that started off as Nairobi-Eldoret, ended up being Nairobi-Eldoret-Keiyo South-Kerio Valley-Iten- Kitale-Kakamega-Kisumu-Nairobi. For more of the adventure on this trip, check out:
Kitale: http://wangechigitahi.co.ke/kitale/
Kakamega: http://wangechigitahi.co.ke/kakamega/
Kisumu: http://wangechigitahi.co.ke/interesting-kisumu/
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