Nyeri in the heart of Central tourism

The  ever serene Outspan Hotel.

A key player for the central tourism circuit, Nyeri has over the years enjoyed a lot of attention as a tourism destination. With various attractions like the Mount Kenya, the Aberdare and Mount Kenya National Parks, and a number of good hotels, lodges and ranches offering upcountry holidays, Nyeri is indeed the tourism jewel of central Kenya.

In Central Kenya tourism circuit, Mount Kenya stands tall with its gleaming snow-white peaks. With its indescribable beauty, fresh air and excellent panorama, you cannot afford not to bring a camera when you visit.

For those seeking the challenge of conquer this mountain, it could get really cold so need some warm clothing, hiking gear and the right frame of mind. For the mountain climbers, there are very basic campsites where you can pitch a tent and sleep under canvas in the wild, well appointed safari lodges, luxury tented camps with large, fully furnished tents and small private camps.

The Aberdare and Mount Kenya National Parks in Nyeri boasts a wide array of animals and birds species. Mount Kenya has about six species of large mammals of international conservation interest.

 They are the elephants, black rhino, leopard, giant forest hog, bongo and black fronted duiker. Others include the bushbuck, waterbuck, red and grey duikers, cape buffalo. These parks also have small animals like tree hyrax and white tailed mongoose.

There is the Mweiga and Sangare airstrip that serves Nyeri with the other one being in Nanyuki. Most guests prefer using the all-tarmac Nyeri-Nairobi road, though a four-wheel drive vehicle is advisable for going into the parks.

Varied Option

Nyeri has a range of accommodation to suit all budgets, tastes and interests. They include Batian Grand Hotel, Treetops, The Ark, Outspan, Aberdare Country Club, Sandai Homestay and cottages, Fishing Lodge Guest House, White Rhino Lodge, West Wood Hotel, Serena Mountain Lodge and Naromoru River Lodge. Mt Kenya Lodge, Mt Kenya Leisure Lodge and Starbucks Hotel are among other notable holiday destinations within Nyeri.

Accommodation costs vary depending on the kind of facility one in looking at but on average it will cost at minimum Sh4,500 on a full board capacity within the town and within the lodges, its on an average of Sh17,000.

Another key attraction in Nyeri is the Italian War Memorial Church. Located about five kilometres from Nyeri Town, the sanctuary houses the remains of close to 700 mostly Italian soldiers captured by the British during the Second World War. The vaults contain the remains of African soldiers, mostly from Somaliland, who had fought alongside the Italian soldiers.

They could not be interred in the church because of their faith, so their remains are in another structure a few metres outside.

There is also the Ngare Ndare forest that has an impressive game-viewing platform, which overlooks a natural swamp, fed by an underground spring, where elephants and buffalo come to drink.  Other key attractions within Nyeri are the Lord Robert Baden Powell’s grave, Sweet-waters tented camp, Zaina Falls, the Nairobi River Mau Mau caves which was gazetted in 2003 by the museums of Kenya and was declared a national monument, amongst many more.

Activities that can be undertaken here includes, white water rafting and hiking Mount Kenya, horse riding with picnic lunches, exploring the natural surrounding on mountain bike, fishing, camping, nature walks, game drives and site seeing.