A visit to Nyahururu left me wondering if the town is in Nyandarua or Laikipia county well still in dispute..this name Nyahururu still puts a smile on my face as a friend from faar-away cant pronounce it, she keeps saying Nyururu….hehe. The name means a windy or stomy place. Initially it was called Thomson Falls after the famous explorer who named The falls on Ewaso Ngiro a Tributary of Ewaso Nyiro river near the town.
This town grew mainly because of the railway line passing here and many Indians had invested in shops though they later left it to the locals. The journey to Nyahururu from Nairobi Passes you through Naivasha-Gilgil- Olkalou and some rural towns as interesting as their names.. its such a scenic journey with a wonderful view of Aberdare Ranges..
I Have traveled this road many times before both for fun and Family Occasions, but this time round it was very interesting as I was accompanied by a very informative Guide, a native of this region. The lands are very futile and farmers here plant potatoes and Maize on Large scale, there are also flowers farmers, Cabbages and carrots too. Milk processing is also a big business around this area.
Our overnight stay was at Thomson Falls Lodge and it was such a memorable moment; we were welcomed by Kikuyu traditional dancers and the Tfalls team outdid themselves with their Hospitality.
@Mytravelstories couldn’t resist the traditional jig.
ABOUT TFALLS LODGE;Thomson’s Falls lodge was built by Joseph Thomson, after he discovered the Thomson’s Falls. Joseph Thomson was the first to reach the falls in 1883 and named them after his father. Joseph was a Scottish geologist and naturalist who was also the first European to walk from Mombasa to Lake Victoria in the early 1880’s.The 72 m( ft) scenic waterfall on the Ewaso Ngiro river which drains from the Aberdare mountain range, is located in Nyahururu, Laikipia, at 2,360 m, also known as the highest town in Kenya. The area was originally a part of the indigenous forest surrounding the famous falls which to date is a home to many animals like the Columbus monkeys and various bird species. This was a haven for Thomson who decided to settle here and went ahead to construct a sprawling cottage facing the falls. The main house was brick cottage sprawled on the beautiful manicured lanes which has been maintained to date. After the discovery of the amazing falls, the place begun to receive many guests and Sir Thomson figured that he could not accommodate them all in his house, so he came up with the idea of building cottages within his compound to accommodate the large influx of guests at a small fee.
Marmanet Forest
Most of his guests were white explorers and game hunters who were fascinated by the beauty and the stories of the falls and also used to flock Laikipia during the game hunting season.. In 1931, he built a total of 32 self contained cottages round the main house, which can still be seen to date. The idea picked up and the lodge grew every year as more guests visited the amazing Thomson’s fall. After many years of the lodge changing ownership, the cottages still remain to date and the various managements have done their best to retain the originality of the place. The cottages still maintain the colonial era feel but a few additions have been done like modern beds and wifi in the rooms. The main house over the years has been converted into the main restaurant, bar, reception and the main kitchen on the ground floor, with the administration block taking the upstairs space. You can still find artefacts, paintings and the original wooden floors put up by the founder, Mr. Joseph Thomson in the main building. To date a large pepper tree, planted by the immediate management that took over from Sir Joseph, stands in the premises as a reminder and in honour of the famous European. Thomson’s Falls Lodge has grown to be the major lodge in the whole of Laikipia and its environs Nyandarua among others. To date the Lodge receives and accommodates guests from the founder’s family who visit the falls every July without fail and spends at least a month at the lodge while visiting and enjoying other tourist attractions that have come up over the years. The falls by itself attracts visitors from all over the world. The colourful birds, the nature trail to the base of the falls and the traditional dancers by the falls are among the activities found here. Among other attractions nearby are the Hippo sanctuary, which is a kilometre away from the lodge, Aberdare National park, Solio ranch and the famous Ol Pajeta Conservancy, all a haven of the big five. Game drives to these attractions can be organized by the lodge or your travel agent.
However, the below attractions kind of won my Heart ,Lake Ol Bolossat, the only lake in the former Central Province, is an internationally recognised habitat for birds [IBA], with 180 species of birds. It is also home to 15 species of animals including hippopotamus. The lake is a popular destination among lovers of birdlife
The other is, Marmanet forest a must visit when you are in this area and you have time as its a walking tour. we had the hon our of the game warden showing us this forest which is under CFA and has a lot of Birdlife and Indigenous trees, its also a habitat of Elephants and the rangers guide you in watching them as they graze, the landscape is also gorgeous and you can also visit waterfalls but I must warn you even descending Thomson falls is a walk in the park.
Amazingly the locals who are the custodian of its borders still walked in this forest without worry. I must say it was soo fulfilling watching this animals. This tour needs someone who is relatively fit but worth every penny. Well, every good thing has an end and when we got back to the hotel every joint was aching we must have walked for like 4hrs nonstop and some slopes were steep we enjoyed our Karaoke night at the hotel with the resident DJ before calling it a night. we still had the energy lol!
The following day after departure we decided to check the New Upcoming Panari Nyahururu Resort A huge project just across the Falls although not completely done it sure going to be a beautiful resort with lots of activities incorporated will sure tell you more once its fully operational….Your next Holiday in Nyahururu don’t , just rest in the hotel , Explore, you now know what to do in Nyahururu…
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Luxit Africa 
Great write up and so informative keep the good work of spreading such information
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