If you’re looking for a day (or weekend) out of town on a moderate budget, a road trip to Naivasha is just the perfect fit. First things first; how do you get to Naivasha?
Naivasha is just under 2 hours’ drive from Nairobi, so you can easily gather your squad and drive there. A disclaimer here though; make sure your car can handle rough terrain. Better still, you can hire a tour vans as they’re well equipped for off-road driving. Having a designated driver is also a good idea so you don’t have to worry when you have one (or several) for the road.
There’s so much to do in Naivasha: sight-seeing, wildlife safari, camping, hiking, clubbing, the list goes on and on. Plan to leave Nairobi early, we recommend 8 am, so you have enough time to explore. If you’re coming from a different location, then adjust your schedule appropriately. Depending on how much time you intend to spend in Naivasha, whether it’s a day or an entire weekend, you can customize your itinerary and see how many of these activities you can slot in.
1. The Great Rift Valley View Point (30 minutes)
A drive to Naivasha is simply incomplete without a stop-over at the view point. From here, you can catch a magnificent view of the majestic Rift Valley down below. This is a perfect spot for photos, with the green rolling plains forming a scenic background. Also ideal for a quick bite, a visit to the washroom and a replenishing of your drinks.
2. Mai Mahiu Catholic Church (30 minutes)
Referred to as the ‘traveler’s chapel’, it’s famous for being the smallest church in East Africa. With 3 small benches on each side, the church has a capacity of only 12 worshippers. From the outside, it is an interesting piece of architecture put together by the Italians in 1942. Drop by and say a prayer, or simply catch a glance of the historic ‘chapel on the hill.’
3. Lake Naivasha (2 hours)
A boat ride on Lake Naivasha is an excellent way to sample the vast waters and the surrounding scenery. You can also sample the Cresent Island located within the lake. Walking around the island brings you up close with a host of animals who are so used to human presence that you can comfortably lean in for photos. Bird watchers will love it here. There are hundreds of bird species in the Lake Naivasha ecosystem, particularly the largest population of the African Fish Eagles in the continent. There are plenty of boats on the shores of the lake. However if you’re paying for accommodation in a Naivasha resort, you can opt for an all-inclusive package.
4. Mt. Longonot Crater Hike (5 hours)
You cannot sample all of Rift Valley’s sceneries in one trip, but you can catch the breathtaking view from Mt. Longonot. The first leg of the hike, from the gate to the top of the crater, is about 3 km. Should you decide to walk around the crater, you’ll cover an additional 7km, as you enjoy the spectacular scenes down below. This will be the most time consuming and physically tasking part of your trip, but every step of it is well worth the effort.
By the time you descend from Mt. Longonot, you’ll be exhausted yet satisfied that you’ve seen as much of the Rift Valley as you can from one point. If you had planned for a one day trip, you can start your journey back to Nairobi. Better still, you can stay and sample the Naivasha camping scene complete with a bonfire.
Conclusion
You cannot afford to visit Naivasha only once. There’s so much to see and do that one trip isn’t enough. The above itinerary is just a sample. At Naivasha Peppercorn Resort, we can help customize your itinerary to make out the most out of your road trip. . Let every new trip take you to new places. Naivasha Peppercorn Resort is only a call away to cater to your accommodation needs so you can make the most of your road trip.
