Feb 2013 - KICC Tower and Nairobi Safari Park

My final weekend before “re-locating” to Tanzania for the elections, I visited Nairobi to see a Kenyan friend. They had arranged for us to go up the KICC tower in the Central Business District. http://www.kicc.co.ke/index.php/about-the-building This gives you an amazing view of the Nairobi panorama. This is on my top 10 list of things to do in Nairobi. It is about 200 shilings for nationals and around 400 for others (from memory!!). Luckily there is a lift to the top almost 30 storeys up. Also we had the privilege of being on our own up there to enjoy the view. The photo is a 360 degree panorama that will be too small as it appears on here but if you blow it up you will get the idea. Anyone wanting the full resolution version let me know.

After a quick lunch we then jumped on a Matatu for the Nairobi Safari Park where there is a safari walk. http://www.kws.org/parks/education/nairobi_safariwalk.html  It is a little zoo like but you get a good view of the animals – see the leopard below!! And it is a nice relaxing stroll and place to chill out. Again, recommended. If you are a resident remember your ID! I did not and had to pay 1800 kenya shillings rather than around 200 to 400. Another good and recommended day trip in Nairobi. 

Early Feb - Climbing Ol Donyo - Near Thika

Having climbed mount Kenya a couple of weeks before, this weekend I decided to climb Ol Donyo also known as Kili manbogo. This hill is near to Thika and stands proud above a relatively flat landscape around the area. It has tempted me to climb it since I first arrived in Kenya. So this weekend I climbed it. It is part of a Kenya Wildlife Service area so there are park fees and you have to climb with a ranger. In theory this is to protect you from the animals. In reality we did not see any. We heard monkeys in the trees but they were just teasing us!!. At the top there are many trees so summit views are not possible. There are viewpoints on the way up which are nice. On balance the trip is probably not worth it unless you just want to have a trek up a hill for exercise. We enjoyed the day out but from a tourist point of view there are many better ways to spend a day. For a resident it is a pleasant days walk.