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Mt. Satima via Dragon Teeth Route, Aberdares (4001m-13127ft)
After arriving at Dragon teeth some of us proceeded for another hour and a half to get to Mt. Satima still in the Aberdares The hike to Mt. Satima got steeper and the altitude made it hard to walk. We were lucky the sun was out but it was very cold. There were a lot of water bogs and deep holes on the way. The last stretch before Mt. Satima peak was very steep and the altitude made us extra tired. Being at the peak of Mt. Satima is breathtaking since I’ve always wanted to go. But the cold breeze was too much and my hands were numb. Gloves and…
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Dragon Teeth Hike and The Twin Rocks, Aberdares
I heard of dragon teeth about a month before and I was curious to see what it was all about. It’s one of the routes with the least foot traffic in the Aberdare ranges. At least for now. We left Nairobi around 5 am and the journey up to the gate took 5 hours with 2 stopovers. I’d advise leaving earlier than 5 am for better time management. There are two access gates, Shamata and Rhino gates. Rhino gate is on Muiga side accessed via Nyeri. We got to the KWS gates around 11 am. It took a while to pay the park fee on Shamata gate. There’s another drive…
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Zanzibar Adventures
…continuation from Kenya to Zanzibar post After arriving in Zanzibar, we had to fill up a form and get our passports stamped. The only choice of transportation to your hotel or resort is by local taxis or local dala-dala (public transport). Taxi-hailing apps in Zanzibar don’t work. One problem with taxis there is they charge in dollars which is insane for how expensive they can get. We had to pay $45 down from $60 to our place. The roads are good with interesting scenery. We had booked a place called Miramont Retreat on the eastern side of Zanzibar, very affordable and right next to the beach with good free breakfast.…
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Kenya To Zanzibar (Tanzania) Adventure
Nairobi to Mombasa via SGR (Standard Gauge Railway) If you’ve ever heard of a spontaneous trip, this one was for me. My friend Belen and I decided to tour Tanzania from Kenya for a few days. But little did we know our days in Tanzania were to be completely different from what we thought. We booked a 2:30 pm train to Mombasa the day before our departure. Luckily there were a few seats left in economy class only. If you want a first-class ticket you’d better book one at least three days earlier. The journey takes 5hrs. We got to the train station 20 minutes before departure. There are thorough…
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Manguyo Falls-Aberdares Forest
Manguyo falls is a magnificent looking waterfall deep in the Aberdares forest. It is located in Kangema, Muranga county in a place called Tuthu. It took us 3 hours from Nairobi where upon arrival to Tuthu village, we picked up armed guards from Kenya Forest Service station. On our trip, we had two. We had a shuttle bus which we had to park a few meters from the starting point since the road is a little narrow. Before proceeding to cross the fence separating Tuthu village from the forest, we were introduced to two male guides. One was in his 70s and the other probably in his 60s. But don’t…
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Table Mountain Hike (Aberdares)
In the northwest of the Aberdare ranges, lies Table Mountain. It stands at an elevation of 3,817 metres. It’s a bit smaller than Rurimeria Hill but equally as challenging. We left the pickup location at International house around 5 am. The weather was warm when we got to the KWS Ndunyu Njeru Station to pick up our guide. It took a bit of time as there were two more tour companies headed for the same hike. The hike started a bit late around 10 am. After some funny exercise,we took the asphalt road that led us down a very steep dusty descend that ended at the river where we proceeded to…
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Rurimeria Hill Hike (Aberdares)
Lost Ring and Lessons learned So I went back to Rurimeria hill, which is about two and a half hours from Nairobi with a good car. We were a group of 12, the smallest I’ve hiked with so far. We left Nairobi at 5 am which was pretty warm. Upon reaching Ndunyu Njeru at around 7:30 am, the temperature was around 10 C and I couldn’t help but reminisce on how hot the weather was in the city just the day before. Rurimeria hill is 3,860m asl with an altitude of 12,670ft. It’s the third-highest Hill of the Aberdares. After picking our guide, we proceeded to the starting point, a place…
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The Mamba Village
The Mamba village is located in Langata area which is around 14 km from the central business district. The facility has several activities like a tour of the crocodile area with a guide who will give you more information about the crocodiles. You’ll first see a bask of crocodiles laying next to the pond and might miss some of them at first as they blend well with the rocks around. If lucky you might see a female nesting on her eggs with a male next to her. On the other side, they have baby crocodiles and you will get a chance to hold one if you’re up to it. Other…
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How to safely take a Matatu (Public transport) in Kenya
Public Transport in Kenya plays a huge part in the day to day life of many Kenyans. Though not always convenient on some occasions, it’s cheaper. If you’re looking for a thrill and a real Kenyan experience, a matatu ride is your best bet. These are some tips to keep in mind especially if it’s your first time to make your experience much easier. 1. Money (Have a bit of loose money) This one comes from experience, especially when using the “posh” matatus. The ones where no tickets are issued after payment of your bus fare. It’s a hustle to get loose change most of the time, so you might have…