Naivasha, Kenya

According to allcitycodes, Naivasha is a relatively small city in the Rift Valley province, located 100 km northwest of Nairobi, halfway between the capital of Kenya and Nakuru. The vast majority of tourists visit these places to spend time in one of the nearby national parks: Longonot or Hell Gate, as well as admire the stunning sunsets on Lake Naivasha.

Leading ornithologists of the world often come to the city to watch the birds, which are inhabited by more than 400 species. However, this pleasure is also available to ordinary tourists. The main thing is to find a good guide.

How to get there

Transfers can be booked from Nairobi Airport to Naivasha. A trip in a comfortable car for up to 5 people will cost 10,000 KES. Extreme lovers will appreciate the trip on the national Kenyan mode of transport “makutu”. This is a small minibus, an analogue of Russian minibuses, the untidy appearance of which can immediately scare an inexperienced traveler. But a trip on it from Nairobi to Naivasha will cost only 400 KES. Prices on the page are for April 2021.

In the city itself and the surrounding area, it is best to travel by taxi or rented car. There are no rental offices in Naivasha, but they are in nearby Nairobi. The average cost of renting a golf-class car in the capital: from 10,000 KES.

What to watch

As already noted, tourists come to Naivasha to primarily visit the Longonot and Hells Gate National Parks. The latter received such a frightening name because of two massive rocks of bright red color, which serve as a kind of entrance to the valley of geysers. The park is best explored on foot or by bike. The cultural center of the Masai people is also located here, where you can see how the locals perform traditional dances and songs, make jewelry.

For neighboring South Sudan, Naivasha has become a symbol of peace. In 2005, an agreement was signed here that ended the bloody civil war.

In addition to natural attractions, tourists like to visit the Lake Naivasha Club. This colonial-style complex was opened in 1937 and was initially used as a staging post for amphibious aircraft flying from South Africa to the UK. Later it was converted into a hotel. Today the club offers apartments in cottages scattered over 0.12 sq. km of green lawns.

The city has a good selection of cafes and restaurants offering both European and national cuisine. Of the Kenyan dishes, you should definitely try antelope steak, elephant stew, crocodile fillet with banana salad, ostrich roast in fruit sauce gravy. Among the dishes more familiar to Europeans are game baked in dough, buffalo steak, stewed veal. Rice and beans are served as a side dish.

The streets of Naivashi are strewn with many small shops and souvenir shops. Here you can buy jewelry made of bone and semi-precious stones, African masks, interior items, national clothes. The main thing is not to forget to bargain.

Due to the mild climate and the presence of a lake rich in fresh water, a huge number of farms and plantations are scattered around Naivasha. Mostly flowers, strawberries and asparagus are grown here. And local farmers also breed rare varieties of tulips, which are then sent to the Netherlands. Numerous giraffes and zebras are not at all scared off by the neighborhood with people, so it is not uncommon to see a herd going to a watering hole against the backdrop of city houses.

Practical Information

Naivasha is a small town, which, nevertheless, has good hotels. Average cost of a night in a three-star hotel: 8000 KES. Many tourists settle in the suburbs, renting a villa or bungalow. Depending on the level of service, the price for this type of housing varies from 5,000 to 15,000 KES per day.

It is essential to get vaccinated against yellow fever before traveling to Kenya.

Naivasha, Kenya

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