Kenya: Off-road up north. Part 1
A return to Africa had been on my mind for a while. Tanzania, where I lived for two years between 2013-2015, had been the initial plan, but flights there from Qatar, where I had finished my previous tour, were far more expensive than to neighbouring Kenya. For £160 Qatar Airways had direct flights to Nairobi, including a generous 2x23kg baggage allowance, one piece of which could be my bicycle. I could easily ride into Tanzania from Kenya, but first wanted to travel north from Nairobi towards Lake Turkana, before looping back to the capital. Tanzania could follow afterwards.
Nairobi is a hub for travelling in East Africa, and you don’t need to travel far from the capital to be on quiet tracks.
East Africa isn’t a new destination for me by bicycle. I first cycled through Kenya in 2011, almost 2 years into a journey that had started in the UK and would continue to South Africa the following year. I don’t have the best memories of that first visit, which was mostly marred by the experience of returning to the room of my guest house in a small town one day to find someone had helped themselves to pretty much the entirety of my belongings. That could have happened in many African countries, but it just so happened to be Kenya. I’ll share more thoughts about safety of travel in Kenya in this post and the next, suffice to say that travel in most of Africa, from a safety/security perspective, is very different to somewhere like Saudi Arabia, where I was cycling a few months ago.
Alas, four years later I was cycling in Kenya again (twice in fact) as part of an 8-month journey from Tanzania to the UAE, riding in both the south west, and unexpectedly after being deported from South Sudan, in the far north west, before crossing into Ethiopia. The following year after finishing that tour I flew to Mombasa, bought an iconic single speed Black Mamba, and rode it along the Kenyan coast.
Machakos County, 2011. I’m not entirely sure where this was as I wasn’t GPS tracking my rides then.
Kericho County, 2015. I still have my Thorn Raven with Rohloff hub for those wondering what bike it is.
Turkana County, 2015, heading north to Ethiopia. Hot and hard work on sandy tracks.
South from Mombasa on a single speed, 2016. Not a very comfortable ride with narrow tyres and no gears, but I decided to see how touring on one of these iconic bikes would be.
So this would be my 5th time cycling in the country, although I wasn't planning to ride any of the roads I’d been on before.
Bike with box = 20kg. Luggage = 18kg. I’ve always found cheap laundry bags are the best bags for carrying bike gear on a plane as they have loads of space and weigh nothing. And as they cost very little they can be discarded at the other end if need be.
Usually I'm left stressing about weight allowances and box sizes when I fly with a bicycle. Not on this occasion. Qatar Airways allow sports luggage dimensions to be up to 300cm H+W+D, which is pretty much what a large bike box measures.
As usual I had no specific route planned out. This off-road bikepacking one provided a rough framework to start with, but I've always much preferred finding and creating my own routes. Kenya has a relatively dense network of off-road tracks, visible on most mapping apps these days. Main roads between towns and cities, especially further south, can be busy with traffic, so when off-road options were available, I mostly took them. About 80% of the riding I did here was off-road. I was very glad to be running wide tyres, as will become apparent later in this post. Few of my days were very long - around 4-6 hours in the saddle, with plenty of stops for photos and roadside interaction.
So here is the first part of my Kenyan off-road adventure up to Lake Turkana. I have broken the journey down into days, with a link to the route and map. Each logged ride has a description from that day of riding, along with some photos.
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Arriving and preparations
Always a relief - box and baggage intact on arrival at Nairobi Airport. Customs weren't interested to look inside the box. 10 minutes later the box was in the back of a large taxi (Uber) and I was on my way to a nearby hotel.
Great value for £6. I had no interest to be in Nairobi, so booked a hotel a short distance from the airport, from where it would be easier to leave the city. Zarita Boutique Hotel. While there was nothing boutique about it, it was safe, clean, spacious, quiet and friendly. The staff allowed me to store my box here for when I would return.
Items I had cycling through the winter in Jordan and Saudi Arabia which didn't come with me to Africa (thick woolly socks, merino baselayers, waterproof trousers. While I carried some warm weather gear with me through Kenya, none of it was used. Also, while I used the solar charger frequently in Saudi Arabia, I felt I could do without in Kenya, where I expected to mix camping with guest houses and hotels more frequently.
New tyres. While the previous tyres still had life left in them (especially the front) I decided to start this tour with fresh tyres and take the previous front tyre as a spare. They were sent out to Qatar ahead of flying.
Spare tyre. This Vittoria Mezcal 2.6” has 5000km of wear in it, but there is plenty of tread left. I initially planned to carry it with me, then realised how bulky it was, so it stayed in Nairobi as I would be returning there.
A 4-litre water bladder would be important in northern Kenya, where it is very dry, hot and access to water is hard to find. This bladder increases my water carrying capacity to 10 litres. If need be I can carry 14-15 litres on the bike.
Very happy to finally get hold of this bike stand, which had been ordered from the states, but took almost 6 weeks to arrive in the UK. It was brought out by someone to Qatar.
Packed and ready to roll. Bike and luggage around 35kg in weight (minus food and water).
Leaving Nairobi
Riding out of Nairobi and crossing the Mombasa Highway involved walking it over a 10-lane foot bridge.
An easy escape out of Nairobi. The Southern Bypass takes me towards Ngong and this viewpoint looking west over Masaai plains below.
Following the SGR railway line, which was built by the Chinese and opened in 2017. I camped a short distance beyond this.
Into Hells Gate National Park
Morning view from camp. I was lucky to find a great spot to pitch shortly before sunset the previous evening. Wild camping for me is pretty much the same in any country I’m in. I try to find a discreet spot which isn’t visible from the road/track I have just left. If I don’t feel safe, for one reason or another, it's unlikely I will pitch my tent.
Campsite views don’t come much better.
Looking west to Mt Suswa.
Descending down into the Masaai plains. I recall cycling this way, but in the opposite direction, back in 2015.
And here’s a picture from pretty much the same spot back in 2015.
Lunch in the town of Suswa. Most of my meals in Kenya were non-meat based. It’s hard to go wrong with rice, beans and some veg, although here there is no rice. Beans, cabbage and mukimo, which is potato mixed with pumpkin leaves. When ordering meat, I’m never entirely sure what part of the animal will come on the plate, nor how much is actually meat as opposed to bone/fat.
Riding north from Suswa towards Hell’s Gate National Park.
Through beautiful green landscapes. Kenya has received a lot of rainfall over the past several months.
Into Hell’s Gate National park and somehow avoiding the entrance fee. I wasn’t aware that there are geothermal power stations within the park.
Return to Life Beads and Dr Nicklin
Morning in Hell’s Gate National Park. There was probably a better place to camp, but it was almost dark when I arrived here the previous evening, and I wasn't sure if I was allowed to be camping in the park. The sound of the geothermal power plants a few kilometres away somewhat ruins the National Park experience here, but it was nice to wake up to the sound of zebras trotting past my tent.
Hell’s Gate National Park is one of the few parks in Kenya that permits bicycles. There are plenty of animals, but none very dangerous, so it is deemed safe.
It’s a small and popular park, so nowhere really feels that wild, but there are some scenic stretches.
An international rally event was just starting while I was in the park, which was my cue to leave. Just as well I hadn't paid to come in.
I guess the animals over the years have had to adapt to the growing numbers of humans and buildings that surround their habitat.
Out of the park and towards the town of Naivasha. Most places that call themselves hotels in Kenya are in fact just small eateries. If they have accommodation they will say so.
Catching up with Dr Nicklin. Back in 2011 when I cycled through Kenya I stayed with Peter and his family for a few days. It was a pleasure to see him again. At the sprightly young age of 87, he still practices 3 days a week. Born in Zanzibar at a time when it was under British Colonial rule, and having spent most of his life in Africa, the Kenya he once knew when he moved here 40 years ago is a very different place to now. The population has more than trepled in that time, from 18 million to over 56 million.
Climb to Loldia Camp
Leaving Naivasha and the Nicklin family after a few days
The usual kind of lunch stop. I’m sure something of a contrast to the places most foreigners/tourists choose to eat in Kenya, but then most aren't cycling through small villages.
Simple, filling, cheap - rice lentils and spinach here for about £0.50. I usually request some chilli to add more flavour.
Old is gold. There are fewer of these old classics on the roads these days, replaced by either cheap Chinese mountain bikes, or when people have a little more money, cheap Chinese motorbikes. Bicycles in Kenya, like most of Africa, are symbolic of lower social and economic status. Plus riding a bicycle requires energy. Most people would rather pay money for fuel in a motorised vehicle than ride a bicycle, but that’s the truth the world over.
Up at 2500m and looking down towards Lake Naivaisha. This is as high as I went in Kenya.
Through Eburru Forest to Lake Elementaita
A perfect morning and a perfect pitch in Loldia Camp site. I rarely stay in campsites, but my hosts in Naivaisha had called ahead and recommended it, so I made a detour to get here the previous evening.
Riding back to Eburru from Loldia Camp. Most of the land in this part of Kenya is farmed and relatively densely populated.
Roadside company. Schools are closed throughout April, so there are no shortage of curious kids playing at the roadside in Kenya. ‘Mzungus’, as white foreigners are called in Swahili-speaking Africa, are not that uncommon in Kenya, at least further south.
Riding through Eburru Forest. A glimpse of how this part of Africa would look like, and once did, before humans came to cultivate the land. The forest is famous for the critically endangered Mountain Bongo. I didn't see any, but plenty of monkeys and colourful birds.
Descending out from Eburru Forest. I was standing my bike up to take a picture when these kids came to lend a hand.
Giraffes near Soysamba Conservancy. I decided to ride around this private reserve. While cycling is permissible within it, entrance fees are £33, and camping £20. A lot of land in this central and southern region of Kenya is privately owned, a legacy of when white settlers first came to Kenya and bought/seized the land. Land rights remain a contested issue in Kenya.
Cactus Ecocamp Camp. I had hoped to have views of Lake Elementaita, which was only a few hundred metres away, but access to the lake came with a fee on top of the campsite (£6).
Saved by the school
Most of my shopping in Kenya is done from small roadside stalls like this, which are cheaper than supermarkets, at least for fresh produce.
In this part of Kenya it is easy to find roadside eateries.
Time to get muddy. I followed a trail through a forest aware that rain was soon coming.
This bike has plenty of clearance for muddy trails, but eventually tyres pick up enough mud to make cycling a challenge. It’s a big advantage having a belt over a chain in these conditions. When chains are covered in mud they are no longer able to run over the cassette or chainring so easily, making a change in gears hard or impossible without the chain slipping or falling off. This isn't the case with a belt.
There is clearance for tyres wider than 3” on this bike. The rain started falling heavily, but I had seen a school on the map inside the forest and hoped I could take shelter there.
A muddy mess, but the bike performs without any issues when it is covered in mud. The gears are internal and shifting remains fine.
Missing the equator
Jacob the school caretaker, who kindly let me camp in a classroom the previous evening. I have camped in many schools across rural Africa and usually feel comfortable and safe. I always ask permission first, and often leave a small tip to the caretakers, who I know get paid very little.
Back on a muddy forest trail from that school.
All clean again after 5 minutes with a jet wash. Another advantage of the carbon belt is that it doesn't require any lubrication after being cleaned.
North of the equator now, but I had missed any sign there was earlier that day.
Another school camp later in the day. The rain came heavily and continued most of the next day, so I stayed at the school for two nights. There was no mobile signal, so I finally used my kindle and read, something I do far too infrequently these days.
Forest trails through the rift
Leaving the school after 2 nights. It’s fortunate that it is the school holidays.
Clear views over the Kerio Valley, which I would descend into the next day.
Quiet and peaceful forest trails.
Quiet most of the time anyway.
An evening meal in the town of Kabarnet, where I had taken a room. The fish is over-fried, but it makes a change from beans and rice, which I was eating most days in Kenya.
North to Bartabwa
Green views over the Kerio Valley. Still up at about 2000m here.
Looking east towards Lake Baringo. I’m not headed that way, but it looks scenic.
Climbing in the heat. As I ride further north in Kenya, the temperature starts to increase.
Into the rift
School camp in Bartabwa. I expected rain the previous evening, so asked permission once again in the local school to camp.
Descending into the Kerio Valley. Kenya at this point started to feel more remote and like a different country.
Githeri…..again. A mix of maize and beans, which are common stables in Kenya.
Bike curiosity. People are often curious to know the price of things they aren’t familiar with here, so I get asked many times what the price of my bike is. My response is usually that it was a gift, which is the truth. The reality is that you could buy a number of Chinese motorbikes for the same price as this bicycle, which would cause great bewilderment amongst most people, plus make my bike appear as something valuable, and therefore stealable. In general my bicycle is a far less desirable item to be stolen in most of Africa than it is in Europe.
Crossing a number of large rivers through the Kerio Valley, the most significant of which being the Kerio River, which is one of only 3 that flows into Lake Turkana.
Green and lush, which is not how I imagined this landscape to look like, and it probably doesn't for much of the year.
Camping in a technology college. I think the local school had no caretaker and looked a bit insecure. I opted to pitch my tent on this veranda. I was shown a room with a mattress, but there was no mosquito net and it was very hot.
West Pokot
Starting the day with a good one. While many meals are a bit bland in Africa, nothing beats the fresh local fruit available. Avocados sell for about £0.10-0.30 depending on size.
Leaving the technology college and already soaked in sweat. I should probably start the day earlier, but I've never been one for getting on the road early.
Lots of impressive termite mounds in this part of Kenya.
Plenty of local fruit in this part of Kenya, although as I rode north in the coming days this would quickly stop.
Riding north through the Kerio Valley.
Accommodation in the town of Sigor. A fan would have been welcome in this 1000ksh room (£6). Most of the accommodation I stayed in was priced between £3 and £12 per night. £6 was average, which would typically be a self-contained room with a fan/net. Few local places like this appear on booking.com, but some show on Google Maps. I always tried to ensure I found somewhere that was quiet and clean, but sometimes there were few options.
Hot weather calls for cold beer. Tusker is the main offering in Kenya when it comes to beer. While local accommodation is relatively inexpensive, alcohol is taxed heavily in Kenya. A bottle of beer sells for 250-400ksh, (£1.50-2.50), which is far more expensive than neighbouring countries like Tanzania and Ethiopia.
Through bandit land
Smashed avocado and peanut butter on chapati sadly isn't offered as a breakfast option in Kenya, so I make my own when possible.
Leaving Sigor.
Charcoal sellers. In rural Kenya, charcoal is still the preferred fuel to cook with.
Continuing north through West Pokot County. I didn't know it at the time, but was later told this track was dangerous due to bandits. Fighting between different ethnic groups, usually over livestock, is nothing new in parts of Kenya. I didn't feel particularly worried, although later on this trip I did detour around one town that everyone told me to avoid.
A lot of riverbeds that would be dry throughout most of the year have water in following heavy rains.
No bandits here.
Many of the ethnic groups in northern Kenya speak less Swahili as they haven't been to school. Herding livestock is the main occupation for boys and men here.
My favourite soft drink in east and southern Africa is Stoney Tangawizi. Tangawizi means ginger in Swahili.
Riding towards Turkwel.
The plan had been to camp in a local school, but I didn't have a good feel about it, and a local employee from a Hydro electricity station said I could camp on their compound. I was offered a room again, but I just find my tent, especially when the weather is so hot and there are no fans or mosquito nets inside, far more preferable.
Remote and empty Turkana
Into Turkana County, which is hot and feels remote. There are no vehicles on this track and evidence of villages being abandoned due to inter-tribal fighting.
Also evidence of elephants, although I saw none on this day.
Sandals are the best footwear for cycling through Africa, for obvious reason.
The further north you travel in Kenya, the more attention you receive.
Filling up. Turkana is hot and dry and water is scarcely found in places. My water bladder was now getting used daily. A water filter would have been useful in this part of Kenya. I’ve managed to travel through Africa without one, using chlorine tablets at times in the past before.
Conveniently I managed to strap it over the rear rack with the use of some straps I was carrying.
Turkana County feels very much neglected by central government. Signs at the roadside show previous projects which were never completed, or started. This track here being a case in point.
Termite mounds are common in Turkana County.
A wild camp finally. I had been nervous in previous days about camping out, mostly because of the threat of heavy rain, but I was sufficiently far north now to be in a much more arid environment. There was still potential risk of heavy rain, but much less so than further south.
Crossing the River Turkwel
I passed through a number of remote villages today. In this one I was surprised to meet a fluent English speaker who told me he was a local council leader. I learnt some greetings in Turkana, and asked if I could take a picture of those who had gathered round.
Very happy to have the wide tyres riding through Turkana County. There are some very sandy sections.
A wooden staff and ekicholong (head rest) are typically carried by all Turkana men.
Lunch stop.
Water refilling excitement. Fetching water is typically the role of women and children in rural Africa.
Across the Turkwel River. Moments before my bike had been carried across the waist-high river.
Another rare bicycle. Certainly far fewer of these than when I first cycled through Kenya.
Bush shower set up. I typically used half the bag to shower with and the other half to cook with or drink.
A Turkana bush camp. When I arrived here I thought no-one was around, but as is often the case in rural Africa, I was found by kids.
Which was not a problem. Most were just shocked and curious to see a foreigner camping. In southern Kenya most people fear the north, citing the incidents of banditry as a reason not to travel here. The truth is I felt safer here than I would in any Kenyan city, especially Nairobi.
A perfect starlit sky. No fear of rain tonight, just lots of insects attracted to my tent when that light is on.
Into Lodwar
Morning visitor. I suspect word had spread that there was a foreigner camping nearby. There were a number of people there to watch me pack up.
Hotel in Lodwar. In hindsight I wish I had paid extra for air con. This room was probably between 35-40°C.
Lost on the way to Lake Turkana
Water refill on the way out of Lodwar.
All of these yellow jerrycans would have once contained cooking oil. Shortly after filling up with water I somehow lost the track and realised the online mapping apps weren't accurate. I ended up cycling further than I needed to to reach Lake Turkana.
Rehydration salts - easily available in pharmacies, and necessary when the temperatures are between 35-40°C.
At least the acacia trees provide a little shade.
Lake Turkana camp at Eliyah Springs. Originally I had hoped to travel back south towards Nairobi by following the lake on the western side, where this is taken. A good look at various maps showed this would be impossible. My hope was therefore to travel across the lake by boat to the eastern shore, where I saw a faint track running south. Lake Turkana is home to the world’s greatest number of Nile crocodiles, but I was told I should be OK camped where I was…..
Lucky to meet this guy, who worked for Kenyan Wildlife Services, and informed me that there were local boats crossing the lake, although there was no schedule.
Waiting for a boat. Stay tuned for Part 2 on this journey back to Nairobi.
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And here's a short video from those first few weeks on the road, from Nairobi to Lake Turkana.
And here’s the complete route - just under 1,900km. I’ll share more thoughts and reflections on the tour in Part 2. If you have any questions feel free to ask in the comments.