72 HOURS IN NAIVASHA

And if travel is like love, it is in the end mostly because its a heightened state of awareness in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity and ready to be transformed. That is why the best trips like the best love affairs never really end… Pico Lyer.

After a very long period trying to plan for a trip to Naivasha and failing terribly, my stars finally aligned during the Easter holidays 2018. To most people, especially those who live in Nairobi, Naivasha maybe a cliché destination but I had only been there once during my university days and it rained half the time so I didn’t enjoy my trip or explore as much as I would have hoped to. I was also younger and not as passionate about travel and nature as I am now.

There is a lot to see and do in Naivasha so how do you fit it all in? Here are just some of the things you need to do during your 72 hour-long Naivasha adventure.

FIND A CHILL SPOT BY THE LAKE

After coffee at the cutest café near the Naivasha bus terminus, our host arrived and took us to Buffalo resort, a simple yet beautiful spot at the shores of Lake Naivasha. The plan was to go for a boat ride possibly to crescent Island but we couldn’t since we got in late and there were hippos everywhere. The view from the shore was amazing, the sunset was a little underwhelming but we had fun taking photos, playing around and finally settling down for a drink. We chose to sit outside to take in the view which as it turns out would be rewarding even after night fall. Imagine sitting outside at night, out of nowhere a dazzle of zebras casually strolls by followed by 2 giraffes and a herd of buffaloes which does not exactly go away but rest under a nearby tree…such was our treat at the buffalo resort. It was a classic Shakespeare ‘on a night like this’ moment (Merchant of venice kids would get this). We had so much fun making new friends, reconnecting with old ones and generally just being in the moment.

We later checked in at our hotel, Southern Lake Junction Rocky Resort which was all shades of gorgeous with unique architecture and furniture. The staff were also super hospitable and friendly.

VISIT HELL’S GATE NATIONAL PARK AND OLKARIA GEOTHERMAL SPA

We went down for brunch at around midday in the most beautifully curated garden setting I have ever seen and later went on an excursion to Hell’s Gate National Park. On our drive through Hell’s gate, we enjoyed the expansive ranges, spotting a few wildlife here and there but the most outstanding feature for me was Fischer’s tower, a 25 m volcanic plug named after Gustav Fischer, a German explorer who visited the gorge in 1882/1883. It is an excellent spot for rock climbing and an instructor is always available but we had other plans for that day.

I liked the drive through but I was more excited about getting to the Ol Njorowa gorge, a 24 km stretch of pure natural magic. Our taxi driver got us a good deal on a guide to take us through. If your negotiation skills are not that good you are bound to be overcharged and it gets worse if you are a foreigner. The first part of the hike was a little scary as we were going down a steep valley with a lot of water. We had to remove our shoes to navigate the treacherous terrain but interestingly our guide was like a magician…his shoes never came off and never got into the water!

The walk through the gorge was both intimidating and exciting but we made it to the end despite the scary stories of people who have lost their lives there as a result of flash floods. The last stretch was a super tough climb where we had to use some ropes to pull ourselves upwards but the view was amazing and so were the gift shops at the top which were surprisingly fairly priced. We got ourselves quite a number of beaded items which we get at triple the price in Nanyuki!

Walk though the gorge

Everyone here had their own photographer but they posed for mine.

The other part of our day took us to another side of the park, Olkaria geothermal spa, the biggest natural spa in Africa! If I was in high school I probably would have been interested in learning more about the science behind the electric generation using steam but my focus was the swimming pool which lived up to all the hype I had been seeing on social media. I loved the feel of the water on my skin so much that I almost cried when the whistle went off to mark the end of swimming hours! It was another opportunity to sit and be in the moment so we did not take any photos here.

Since we were such balls of energy after the spa treatment, we concluded day 2 at the Delamere miniature golf (also no photos).

Views on the drive to Olkaria

MOUNT LONGONOT-A MEMORABLE HIKE

Day three was the most memorable both for the experiences and the lessons learnt. We set out early and by 9.00 Am, we began our climb although it heated up pretty quickly after that. By the time we got to the first rest area I was literally dying. I was out of breath and I felt like my heart was somewhere between my chest and my head…talk about hard hiking lessons!

I was determined to get to the crater in the hope that the view would make me forget all the pain and loss of breath on my way up. I had to occasionally walk in reverse which weirdly made me feel better and also gave me a chance to enjoy back view. The last 50 meters were the most trying and hilarious since I had to crawl my way up with my friend’s voice in my head telling me how awesome the view from the top was. We made a few friends and took some cliché photos at the sign which if we had read we would know we had a pending 7.2 km hike.

When we thought the hard part was over

We made it to the summit, Kilele Ngamia, took some more photos and felt like the kings of the world since it was our first ever summit. From here we could see hell’s gate and Lake Naivasha.

Shortly after beginning our descent, I fell and broke my tooth but since there was nothing much I could do at that point we sat, took a few selfies, enjoyed watching hawks flying about. It would have been great to sit and rest and wallow in self-pity but we had to keep going. 5 hours later, we made it back to base.

You would think our day would end here but we still had the energy for a bit more of exploration around before calling it a day.

SAY GOODBYE

Most of day four was spent at the hotel garden in denial that we had to go back home.

DOWNSIDE

Sadly like almost all places i have been, litter is a big problem at lake Naivasha, Hell’s gate and Mt Longonot national park. I was appalled by how casually people dispose plastic bottles despite there being designated litter points. I have said it on this blog before and I will say it again… KWS needs to ban single use plastic from the parks. That is the only way to beat the plastic menace

The lake has also receded significantly , illegal fishing is the order of the day and some tourist get too close to wildlife especially the hippos which not only endangers them but also the hippos. Remember when a Chinese tourist was mauled by a hippo and KWS hunted it down later and killed it? Those are the kind of situations that should never happen. I always advocate for responsible tourism. Be a conservationist in your own little way and you will be surprised how much difference it can make.

SNAPSHOT

1. Mt. Longonot is 2,776 meters above sea level. That is 3.1 km walk to the crater and 7.2 km round the crater so brace yourself for a 15 km walk (took us 6 hours) 2. Both Hells gate and Mt Longonot national parks are KWS parks that have a cashless system at the gate so make sure you have your card or Mpesa for ease of payment. 3. Olkaria geothermal spa is part of the Hells gate national park therefore you need to pay the park entrance fee and an additional 400 to access the swimming pool.

We had amazing amazing days in Naivasha away from work and everyday challenges.Thank you Nyakio for letting me take you on this adventure with me.Thank you David for being an excellent guide and thank you Rocky resort for being a little piece of heaven on earth on our short stay at Naivasha. We will definitely be back soon.

until the next adventure,

Keep the travel and conservation spirit alive.

Mukuhi Wanjohi