Week One – Nairobi to the Lakes.
Kenya had been sitting high on my travel wish list for a number years, so stepping off the plane at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at around 06:30am on the 2nd of January 2026 felt surreal. Bleary-eyed but buzzing with excitement, I officially began my East African adventure.
Day 1 – Nairobi: ATMs, SIM Cards, and Razor Wire.
02/01/26
First things first: cash and connectivity. I exited the terminal, found an ATM, and then tackled the next essential task — buying a local SIM card. Once armed with both, I ordered my first Uber of the trip.
The local (Safaricom) sim gave me access to M-Pessa, which is Kenya’s mobile money service that lets people send, receive, save, and spend money using a mobile phone, without needing a bank account. For me personally, it meant not needing to carry too much cash on me.
The ride to Kozi Suites Hotel took about 30 minutes. Nairobi immediately made an impression — busy roads, constant movement, and an unmistakable edge. My hotel sat inside a gated compound, surrounded by high walls topped with razor sharp wire. It felt secure rather than threatening — a reminder that Nairobi is a city where precautions are part of daily life.
Check-in was swift, my room was ready immediately, and I collapsed onto the bed, grateful to be in a comfortable hotel room after such a long journey.
Day 2 – Nairobi to Nakuru: Matatu Madness.
03/01/26
After an early breakfast I called another Uber — this time to the booking office of Mololine, the minibus (Matatu) company running services to Nakuru.
The matatu was already nearly full when I arrived, which was good, departure didn’t take long. By 08:30, we were off — and within minutes I was deeply relieved I hadn’t hired a car.
Kenyan driving, at least on this stretch, can only be described as creative. Our matatu overtook on blind bends, squeezed through impossible gaps, and at times seemed to invent new lanes altogether — including the middle of the highway. Add potholes, the size of small craters, and you have a journey that demands both faith and strong nerves.
We were also stopped several times by traffic police who wanted to “check” the vehicle — a process that appeared to involve brief conversation, discreet cash transfers, and absolutely no checking whatsoever.
We rolled into Nakuru at around 11:30, and by then my backside was staging a major protest.
Finding Hotel Moonlight proved tricky, but my new SIM card saved the day. I called reception and they patiently guided me in — the entrance lift hidden was inside a small shopping centre – as one normally expects.
The hotel turned out to be a gem:
Clean, comfortable rooms, and super friendly staff. The package also included breakfast. And all for £15 a night. Sometimes budget travel gets it exactly right.
The rest of the day was spent acclimatising, drinking water, and staring at maps while trying to work out how on earth I was going to fit everything I wanted to see into one trip.
Nakuru’s modern history began with British colonial expansion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The construction of the Uganda Railway reached Nakuru in 1900, transforming it into a key railway station and administrative post. This rail link made Nakuru strategically important for trade, military control, and settler agriculture.
Day 3 – Exploring Nakuru.
04/01/26
A day dedicated to exploring Nakuru itself — a lively town, full of movement and character. This was my first proper taste of everyday Kenya away from the capital. In the afternoon I visited a flower seed farm near Salgaa – an excursion facilitated by one of my suppliers back in the UK.
Day 4 – Lake Nakuru National Park.
05/01/26
My alarm went off at an unfriendly 05:30. After a quick breakfast I was collected from the hotel by the tour company and introduced to Peter, my driver and guide for the half-day game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park.
After paying the $90 USD entrance fee (extortionate in my opinion) we entered the park just as the sun began climbing over the hills — golden light washing across the landscape.
Lake Nakuru covers around 40–60 square kilometres and is surprisingly shallow – averaging just 2–3 metres deep. The morning was perfect for a game drive: cool, bright, and alive with movement.
Almost immediately we spotted pelicans and flamingos, followed by an impressive roll call of wildlife:
Impalas, Waterbucks, Zebras, Buffalo, Warthogs, and Giraffes.
And then, just as we were leaving — as if on cue — we sighted a lion, stretched out beneath a tree, lazily surveying his kingdom.
By 1pm, I was back at the hotel animatedly retelling the morning’s sightings to the staff. It was, quite simply, a fabulous experience.
Giliani’s, a curry heaven in the middle of Nakuru. My favourite restaurant in Nakuru was Giliani’s. It serves a wide range of excellent dishes, including fabulous Indian cuisine. The staff are extremely professional, the food excellent and sensibly priced.
The business began in the early 1970s as a small family retail shop in Nakuru, founded by Mr. Ghulam Hussein Gilani and his sons. It was originally a modest retail outlet on Pandit Nehru Road. Over time, it grew steadily into a larger wholesaling and retail operation, becoming one of Nakuru’s first and most enduring supermarket and wholesale facilities. It later moved to its current prominent location on Club Road (off Kenyatta Avenue) in Nakuru’s central business district, where it became a key shopping destination for locals and traders.
Day 5 – Matatus, Motorbikes, and Geysers: Lake Bogoria.
06/01/26
It was time to move on again. I caught a matatu to Marigat — a 1.5-hour journey costing £3.50. From there I hopped onto a boda boda (motorcycle taxi) for the 12-mile ride to Lake Bogoria.
The ride cost 500 shillings (£3). The driver was competent, but neither of us had a helmet on— something that made me grip the seat rather tightly and question my life choices.
I checked into Lake Bogoria Spa Hotel, the most expensive accommodation of the trip so far — and worth it. Ostriches wandered freely around the grounds, my room had a balcony overlooking the landscape, and the setting felt wonderfully remote.
Later, I wandered down to the lake itself.
Lake Bogoria – Facts & Highlights.
Formerly known as Lake Hannington, Lake Bogoria is a saline, alkaline lake set in a volcanic region just south of Lake Baringo.
It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site. Around 200 hot springs and geysers line the shoreline. Periodically, it is home to one of the largest populations of lesser flamingos in the world.
The landscape is otherworldly — steaming vents, mineral-stained ground, rugged hills, and shimmering water that never quite looks real.
Day 6 – Lake Baringo: Warm Welcomes and an Unwelcome Bug.
07/01/26
After an early breakfast, I asked the hotel receptionist to help arrange transport to Lake Baringo. Within minutes, a local boda boda driver arrived and whisked me to Sandai Resort in just over 40 minutes.
Again — no helmets. At this point I began to suspect helmets were a theoretical concept rather than a physical object.
Sandai Resort was basic but clean and comfortable. That evening I walked down to the lake, greeted constantly by locals calling out “Gumbo!” (hello) and waving — especially children, whose smiles were impossible to ignore.
Unfortunately, that evening I succumbed to a traveller’s rite of passage: sickness and diarrhoea. I felt utterly miserable.
Day 7 – Lake Baringo by Boat.
08/01/26
I woke feeling only marginally better, but I was determined not to miss my 1.5-hour boat trip on Lake Baringo.
The early morning light was spectacular. As the boat glided across the calm water, the sun rose over the hills, painting everything gold. Birds called overhead, and the stillness felt deeply calming — exactly what my body needed.
Later, as we headed back to the shoreline I could see lots of people collecting water out of the lake. Whilst the water might be ‘fresh’ it certainly wasn’t clear. Apparently they boil the water and add chlorine in order to be able to drink it!
The rest of the day was spent resting, rehydrating, and promising myself I’d be more careful with food choices.
Lake Baringo – Facts & Figures.
Lake Baringo is one of Kenya’s most fascinating Rift Valley lakes. It covers around 130 square kilometres Sits at 970 metres above sea level and is fed by the Molo, Perkerra, and Ol Arabel rivers One of only two freshwater lakes in Kenya’s Rift Valley
Over 450 bird species recorded Home to hippos and Nile crocodiles Surrounded by acacia woodland and volcanic hills.
Final Thoughts – Week One.
I have been quite shocked at how bad people’s teeth are in some of the villages. Those fortunate enough to have teeth don’t appear to have ‘bright white’ smiles. Many people, including very young children, are even missing one or more teeth. I guess toothpaste and toothbrushes are a luxury not available to everybody.
Week one in Kenya delivered everything I’d hoped for — and a few things I hadn’t. Incredible wildlife, dramatic landscapes, warm welcomes, chaotic transport, and a sharp reminder that travel doesn’t always go to plan.
Kenya had already got under my skin — and I was only just getting started.
