☰Nyeri

Nyeri's restaurant scene is modest. The mid-range hotels — the Outspan and the Green Hills — run the most reliable kitchens in town, with full menus of Kenyan and Western dishes. For cheaper and more local, head along Gakere Road and Kimathi Way: nyama choma (grilled goat) joints, ugali-and-stew counters, and small cafes serving mandazi and chai are all there in quantity. The town is in the heart of Kenya's coffee belt, so look out for places that serve their own roast rather than the ubiquitous instant.

Nyeri's center is compact and easily walkable. Gakere Road is the main artery, running from the bus park through the commercial district.

For trips outside town — to Aberdare National Park, the Outspan Hotel, or nearby villages — you can hire a taxi or boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) from the bus park area. Matatus also run regular routes to surrounding towns like Karatina, Othaya, and Mweiga.

Matatus run frequently from Nairobi's Accra Road stage (near the old Tea Room stage off Tom Mboya Street) to Nyeri. The journey takes about three hours along a tarmac road that climbs steadily out of the Athi plains and into the highlands. From Nakuru, Nanyuki, and Nyahururu there are also direct matatu and bus connections.

There is no scheduled passenger rail to Nyeri. If you are driving, the A2 highway north from Nairobi is in reasonable condition; allow a little longer in rain.

Nyeri's main market, near the bus park, is a lively daily affair selling fresh produce from the surrounding highlands — avocados, bananas, potatoes, and greens. For packaged goods and everyday supplies, several supermarkets line Gakere Road.

The town is in the heart of Kenya's coffee country, so if you are looking for a souvenir, locally grown coffee beans are a good bet. Ask around at the market or shops near Kimathi Way.

Nyeri is a base, not a destination in itself. Most travellers come for the surrounding country: the Aberdare forests and moors on one side, the slopes of Mount Kenya on the other, and the rolling tea and coffee plantations in between. But the town has a few worthwhile stops — Baden-Powell's grave, the small history museum, and the old Outspan Hotel where he lived in retirement.

Nyeri's altitude — about 1,750 metres — keeps the climate cool and green almost year-round. There are two rainy seasons: the long rains from late March through May and a shorter pattern of showers in October and November. Both can turn the dirt roads in the Aberdares to mud and make game-viewing harder.

The driest and clearest months are January–February and July–September, when Mount Kenya is more often visible from town in the morning. Nights at this altitude are surprisingly cold even in the dry season — bring a fleece. The town is at its best on a clear morning when the snow on Mount Kenya shows above the eastern ridges.