Sometimes, being able to travel may require you to be spontaneous. Well this is only possible if your budget allows. Waking up one day and wanting to visit places that are not known, going to places that are off the beaten track, having experiences that are not documented anywhere, All these things make you an explorer. They also help improve your courage, patience, attentiveness, knowledge and overall happiness (true story). To travel is to live. Whenever the topic of travelling comes up, majority have Mombasa, Naivasha, Nanyuki, Nakuru and Maasai Mara in mind. There is much more that our #magicalkenya has to offer. This can only be experienced when we shift our minds from the traditional attractions and get ready to become adventurous. #TravelWithEliud and let’s discover the uncharted Kenyan treasures. The West of Kenya is off the beaten track. When visiting the Western part of Kenya, the Great Rift Valley View Point, Hell’s Gate National Park, Lake Nakuru National Park and Mt Longonot are attractions that you will definitely come across. Fortunately, most of us have been to these places because of their close proximity to Nairobi. A second and third visit however, never hurt anybody. From Nakuru, let’s use the most scenic route since our sole mission is to discover. We’ll head towards Marigat and pass through Kabarak and Mogotio. We will make a brief stopover at Mogotio Equator tourist center (right at the equator), where a guide will revisit the geography we studied in high school. Marigat is a dry area which experiences low rainfall. The main activity here is pastoralism, and a few of them practicing bee keeping. They have the best natural honey in Kenya and one can simply grab themselves a jar or a couple along the highway to take with them back to Nairobi.. There are sisal plantations as well that can be seen in this area. According to a local resident, the area experiences highs of up to 40 degrees Celsius. Within this dry area lies Lake Bogoria National Reserve. It covers the entire Lake Bogoria and some land around it. Lake Bogoria National Reserve is a beautiful place with a pink cloud of flamingoes and of course the geysers that it’s very well known for. Some years back, the geysers used to shoot up as high as 10 metres. However, due to high water levels, most sources have been covered. Driving along the lake offers breathtaking views. It is quite hard to spot animals here because they hide away from the scorching sun. But then again, I think flamingoes here steal the show. The most interesting part is that you can carry eggs and actually boil them at the geysers. Lake Bogoria Spa resort is less than a kilometer from the gate of the park. It’s a great place to stop for lunch or for an overnight stay if one so wishes. This is the best hotel around this area. It has an ambience and feel that makes you forget the scorching climate. We now bid Lake Bogoria goodbye and head back to Marigat. Buying honey here is inevitable. From Marigat, we use Kabarnet Road. Our final destination should be Eldoret Town. A few kilometers on this road and the vegetation starts to change. Green comes back to life. This area is characterized by hills and valleys. It has a lot of hills which makes the roads wind and curve. The sceneries you see on this road are beyond amazing. We then drive on through the scenic Tugen Hills for about 38 kilometres and get to Kabarnet town. From Kabarnet, it’s downhill all through Kerio Valley National park. Before getting to the foot of the valley, we come across Chebloch Gorge. This is a gorge on Kerio River which has a bridge reinforced by concrete and old colonial steel beams. The bridge offers an upheaved perch that enables people to view the gorge. About 20 meters below the bridge is a muddy brown, crocodile-infested water body of the Kerio River. According to the boys we met here, they compete with crocodiles for the mud fish and catfish, which are seasonally abundant. The experience is not complete until the dare devils exhibit their skills. The boys here charge approximately 200 bob per person at a group rate to dive 3 times each. Watching this would make your heart stop if you are not mentally prepared. To make the matters worse, you can hear them whistling when on free fall signifying how comfortable they are. A few kilometres from Chebloch will start an uphill journey on the spiral road network leading all the way to Iten Town. From here, fantastic views of Rimoi game reserve are evident. People can stop here for a few pictures as well as sunset shots. Eldoret Town is only 38 kilometres from here. If you want to call it a day, a lot of accommodation options are available, such as Poa Place, White Castle and Sirikwa Lodge. I highly recommend Sirikiwa Lodge, having had the chance to stay there an experience their congenial services and facilities. This is an adventure that will take a whole day to complete. It allows you to pass through 4 counties, that is Nakuru, Baringo, Elgeyo Marawet and Uasin Gishu. The experience you get is wonderful and the memories you carry with you are to be treasured for a long time. Gather a few friends and #TembeaWestern and Rift valley.
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AuthorEliud Ndungu, a part-time adventure travel blogger who’s been exploring his motherland-Kenya for over 4 years ArchivesCategories |