Kenya – Wangechi Gitahi Travels

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11 places you must visit in Nairobi

By Wangechi Gitahi

Nairobi is the Capital City of Kenya. It is a beautiful city that I am proud to have been born, brought up in and currently also residing in. Unlike what one may envision of a Capital City, Nairobi is not all but a Concrete Jungle. It provides various offerings both for the locals and visitors to enjoy, when you explore. The things to do in Nairobi are unlimited, but the below are my top 11 places to experience while in Nairobi. 1) The Nairobi National Museum I love visiting Museums as they are a bottomless well of knowledge, that you/I can take a drink from. Kenya is home to several Museums and I will be sharing my experience in all the ones I have explored. The Nairobi National Museum is located along Kipande road, but most people refer to the road as Museum Hill. It is home to lots of…

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Seventh Nairobi International Cultural Festival

By Wangechi Gitahi

When I found out that the Seventh Nairobi International Cultural Festival was being held on the 8th of June 2019, I hived off the date on my calendar. For the last two years that I knew about it, my diary and their calender have always clashed, but this year I wanted us to be insync. The festival is hosted annually by the National Museums of Kenya, providing a platform for citizens of all countries represented in Kenya, to present, share and engage each other on all facets of their culture ranging from music, dance, cuisine, handcrafts and fashion. The event was held at the Nairobi National Museum and was Free for all attendees. It was indeed an exciting Festival with lots of funfair and engaging experiences for all in attendance. The first element of the festival that welcomed me to the grounds was this painting of the Kenyan flag, that…

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Life as a traditional Turkana lady

By Wangechi Gitahi

I saw him from across the room and I smiled at him, even though I had only seen him from a far on my last visit to Turkanaland. He seemed to sense my gaze and looked in my direction, a beautiful smile breaking from his lips, revealing white sparkling teeth. He rose and walked towards me, eyes locked on mine as if daring me to turn away. The last time I saw him, I didn’t get adequate time to look at him, learn his features, see him in his element or learn who he really is. No way was I going to let this chance pass me by and so I gawked, unashamedly. When he stood before me, I was impressed by his firm strong handshake, his confident gaze, his pronounced physical features and I noted he had a cute parting between the teeth on his lower gum. He greeted…

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Eliye Springs Resort- The pearl of Eliye Springs

By Wangechi Gitahi

Eliye Springs Resort is located in Eliye Springs also known as Ille Springs in Turkana county, Kenya. When I ventured into Turkanaland as part of a solo backpacking mission, I was overwhelmed by how beautiful it is. I think I can best liken the area to an oyster. From the outer shell, it seems to be made of hard bare rock, that has been exposed to harsh conditions for a long time. If you are bold enough to touch it, rub its shell and be bold enough to open it up via exploration, you will be met with beautiful pearls in various forms, shapes and sizes. For more on my “Oyster” experience, check out: http://wangechigitahitravels.com/the-best-kept-secret-that-is-eliye-springs-turkana/ and http://wangechigitahitravels.com/my-homecoming-to-turkanaland/ As I hardly knew much about the area, I was psychologically prepared to sleep in the open space, as I had done in my younger years-the joys of youth :-). However, as we drove…

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The best kept secret that is Eliye Springs, Turkana

By Wangechi Gitahi

I am elated to say that the beauty that is Turkana, is one of the best kept secrets I have ever discovered. I shared part one of my “Homecoming to Turkana” http://wangechigitahitravels.com/my-homecoming-to-turkanaland/ and yet, Turkana continued to unravel more of its secrets to me. Move closer, and let me share with you part two of my “Homecoming to Turkana” which was experienced in Eliye Springs. Eliye springs is best described as a beach paradise. Turkana is home to part of Lake Turkana and unlike the Marsabit side which is rocky, Eliye Springs side is all sandy beaches by its shores. A visit to Turkana Land would be incomplete without venturing there so go on, visit. There is so much to experience and engage in. 1: Boat rides I discovered that Lake Turkana has Central Island NationaI Park found on it, which is a UNESCO Heritage Site. It has three active…

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My homecoming to Turkanaland

By Wangechi Gitahi

Turkana county also referred to as Turkanaland and is believed to be the “Cradle of Mankind”, due to it being home to the remains of the most complete, early human skeleton ever found in the world. The skeleton is believed to be between 1.5 to 1.6 million years and is referred to as “Turkana Boy” or “Nariokotome Boy”, after the location it was found in. Growing up, I heard so many negative things about my “home” -drought, poverty, bandits, cattle rustling, food aid-the list is endless. Instead of scaring me off, it left me with a burning desire to “one day visit”, see, explore and experience the region for myself. Surely I told myself, it can’t be all dark and gloom, there must be something nice, beautiful, a silver lining in the cloud and I was going to go in search of it. First forward to 2018, and for some reason, Turkana sprung to…

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The animal haven that is Amboseli National Park

By Wangechi Gitahi

Amboseli National Park is found in Oloitoktok, which is in Kajiado county in Kenya. The park is famous for being home to large herds of Elephants and like Maasai Mara National Reserve, it extends into Tanzania. The park is also famous as it is located at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, thus offering guests a look at the majestic mountain, without having to climb it. I was excited as we ventured into Amboseli National Park, as I really wanted to see herds and herds of elephants, which is what the park is famous for. Elephants are indeed interesting animals everything from having great memories, to being gigantic in size but equally as soft in nature. They tend to live in communities and everyone takes care of everyone. The head of the home is interestingly, the oldest female in the group, thus making them a matriarchal society. They have been known…

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Maralal Camel Derby

By Wangechi Gitahi

Camel Derby is an annual event that is held in Maralal town, Samburu county in August. As the name reveals, it has lots to do with camels, but there is so much more. There are various activities that one can partake in like actually racing atop a camel, to running, bike racing, cultural integration among others. There are also parties that happen during the four day event and you can also take a tour around the place. Camel Race : This is the highlight of the festivities and includes both local and international riders. Most of those who take part in it seemed to be amateurs who then had guides to lead the camels. I however noted that most if not all the competitors were foreigners.The other locals like myself seemed content with watching and cheering them on, no way was I going to race atop a camel. We watched…

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Fun Times in Machakos

By Wangechi Gitahi

Machakos is located about 63km from Nairobi and thus an easy location to get away to. The area is dominated by the Akamba community, and it is generally a semi-arid place. The below are activities I have engaged in severally whenever we visit. 1. Visit Machakos Peoples Park This is a popular public park that is indeed a joy to visit. The landscaping at the park makes it a beauty to look at and walk through, it has great scenery and a nice quiet place to picnic or relax. The paths are well demarcated to ensure people keep off the grass as well as having several activities people can engage in. From Machakos town, it is about 1.5km and thus one can either walk or use a tuktuk. I have engaged in the following while there and highly recommend them: a) Zip lining: I was excited when we stumbled upon…

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Kakamega-Famous for the Crying Stone

By Wangechi Gitahi

Kakamega is a town found in Western Kenya and is 110km from Eldoret. My main enticement to visit this area was to see the famous Crying Stone. I had heart a lot about this mythical stone that cried all year round, yet, it was no where near a river. To make the story even more weird, it was said have flowing water from atop a stand alone rock, I had to investigate. Crying Stone: There is no longer a “Crying Stone” but a “Former Crying Stone”, sorry to disappoint you. It seems to have grown up, stopped crying and now all that is left is a majestic stone with streaks of former tears. I was informed that it had stopped crying and that its tears had dried up years ago. I was greatly disappointed to have travelled all this way only to discover this. I wondered why the “net sphere”…