Lake Naivasha
Cycling in Hell's Gate National Park
Sandstone canyon
Longonot crater
Steam outlet
Mt Kenya - view from Pt Lenana 
Glacier and lake 
Tarns at Mt Kenya *** Kenya ***
* Nyaharuru and Thompson Falls *
After an overnight bus into Kenya, I firstly stopped by Nyaharuru, one of the highest towns in Kenya where I relaxed by the nearby Thompson Falls that plunge down into a deep forested gorge.
* Mt Kenya – 4 day trek *
My last big hike was up to a 4900m high viewpoint over the jagged peaks of Mt Kenya.
The first day I climbed above the tree line and camped with a view over the sloping sides of the mountain. The next day was cut short by some early snow, sleet and rain, and I sheltered and thawed out in the relative warmth of a perfectly situated cabin, that looks up to the Mt Kenya bluffs. We rose early for the summit climb over some fresh snow, arriving at dawn to see beautiful vistas of the impressive peaks and surrounding glaciers and mountains. I came down via a different route, which took me past a number of pretty ponds and a couple of shrinking hanging glaciers on the side of the mountain. The high alpine scenery here was absolutely awesome!
* Lake Naivasha, Hell’s Gate National Park and Longonot crater day-hike *
I then travelled across to Lake Naivasha, and camped a couple of nights beside this large freshwater lake in the Rift Valley, where the hippos come up at night to graze. There’s papyrus everywhere along the shoreline, and floating Hyacinth plants drift from side to side in the middle of the lake.
I visited Hell’s Gate on bicycle, riding through a striking cliff-sided gorge past Zebras, Gazelle, Giraffes and Warthogs! Ditching the bike for a minute, I walked through a small but superb sandstone canyon. On the way back, I took a detour on the mountain bike via a rough road that rises to excellent views over the main gorge and surrounding landscapes, getting caught in some afternoon rains!
On a hired small motorbike, I rode down to Longonot National Park for a walk up to this imposing 2km-wide crater, that is flat-bottomed and filled with green vegetation. The walk around the crater rim is absolutely fantastic, and I also passed by a natural geothermal steam outlet in the side of the crater rim!
* Busy Nairobi - souvenir shopping *
I spent my last couple of days in Africa souvenir shopping, having to do some serious haggling! And the crazy crowded streets of old-town district were something else, mayhem everywhere it seemed! I also caught a good live performance of some popular Congolese style music at a classy nightclub.
** Food and drink **
The food of East Africa is quite a mix of African, Western and Islamic/Indian influences. I found the food in Uganda to be the best, with the widest variety of staples (including the popular Matooke, cooked mashed bananas), and the most tasty stews. I also tried a few of the local liqueurs made from bananas, pineapple and cane sugar. They all went down pretty well.
*** Mauritius stopover ***
On the way back home, I spent a day exploring this isolated tropical island that is dominated by people of Indian origin. The beaches were gorgeous, as were the tropical waters.
* Home again *
I’m now back home after 3 months on the move, and just love home all the more!
* Nyaharuru and Thompson Falls *
After an overnight bus into Kenya, I firstly stopped by Nyaharuru, one of the highest towns in Kenya where I relaxed by the nearby Thompson Falls that plunge down into a deep forested gorge.
* Mt Kenya – 4 day trek *
My last big hike was up to a 4900m high viewpoint over the jagged peaks of Mt Kenya.
The first day I climbed above the tree line and camped with a view over the sloping sides of the mountain. The next day was cut short by some early snow, sleet and rain, and I sheltered and thawed out in the relative warmth of a perfectly situated cabin, that looks up to the Mt Kenya bluffs. We rose early for the summit climb over some fresh snow, arriving at dawn to see beautiful vistas of the impressive peaks and surrounding glaciers and mountains. I came down via a different route, which took me past a number of pretty ponds and a couple of shrinking hanging glaciers on the side of the mountain. The high alpine scenery here was absolutely awesome!
* Lake Naivasha, Hell’s Gate National Park and Longonot crater day-hike *
I then travelled across to Lake Naivasha, and camped a couple of nights beside this large freshwater lake in the Rift Valley, where the hippos come up at night to graze. There’s papyrus everywhere along the shoreline, and floating Hyacinth plants drift from side to side in the middle of the lake.
I visited Hell’s Gate on bicycle, riding through a striking cliff-sided gorge past Zebras, Gazelle, Giraffes and Warthogs! Ditching the bike for a minute, I walked through a small but superb sandstone canyon. On the way back, I took a detour on the mountain bike via a rough road that rises to excellent views over the main gorge and surrounding landscapes, getting caught in some afternoon rains!
On a hired small motorbike, I rode down to Longonot National Park for a walk up to this imposing 2km-wide crater, that is flat-bottomed and filled with green vegetation. The walk around the crater rim is absolutely fantastic, and I also passed by a natural geothermal steam outlet in the side of the crater rim!
* Busy Nairobi - souvenir shopping *
I spent my last couple of days in Africa souvenir shopping, having to do some serious haggling! And the crazy crowded streets of old-town district were something else, mayhem everywhere it seemed! I also caught a good live performance of some popular Congolese style music at a classy nightclub.
** Food and drink **
The food of East Africa is quite a mix of African, Western and Islamic/Indian influences. I found the food in Uganda to be the best, with the widest variety of staples (including the popular Matooke, cooked mashed bananas), and the most tasty stews. I also tried a few of the local liqueurs made from bananas, pineapple and cane sugar. They all went down pretty well.
*** Mauritius stopover ***
On the way back home, I spent a day exploring this isolated tropical island that is dominated by people of Indian origin. The beaches were gorgeous, as were the tropical waters.
* Home again *
I’m now back home after 3 months on the move, and just love home all the more!
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