Nanyuki is the larger town up the road from Naro Moru, about 30 kilometres north, and the alternative base for climbers using the Sirimon route up Mount Kenya. It sits right on the equator — the line is marked by a sign on the main road where touts demonstrate the Coriolis effect with bowls of water for tips.
Nanyuki has more in the way of shops, banks, restaurants and ATMs than Naro Moru, and is worth visiting to stock up before the climb. The British Army has a long-running training base nearby, which gives the town a particular flavour. From here it is also easy to head north onto the Laikipia plateau, with its scattering of well-known wildlife conservancies.