Weekend by Lake Naivasha

Weekends are for getaways and recharging and this weekend I take you through adventure filled fun times with Starboard Safaris. Whenever I mention a trip with them you already know it's going to be a good one, thanks to their dedication and out of the world customer service.
As usual our journey started at Nairobi CBD at the pick up point and thank God this time departure was at 7.00am unlike the usual 4.00am. I gotta give it to Starboard Safaris for some of the most comfortable tour vans. Our first stopover was the gorgeous and scenic Rift valley view point. No matter how many times I've passed by it, it's always like a breath of fresh air every time I'm there. This time we stopped at the Mai Mahiu Catholic church. It's the smallest in Kenya and possibly in Africa, sitting only 12 people during mass.

The Pentagon shaped church, commonly referee to as 'Traveller's Chapel'was built in 1942 by Italian prisoners of war and features lots of Latin writings on the outside and inside. There are no entry fees charged and it remains opened to the public from as early as 6.00am and closing at 5.00pm. That is as real as the history class gets lol.

The journey went on and took us to Naivasha at the Hippo point for some fine dining. Okay not exactly Italian or French cuisine but in my opinion nothing beats fresh fish with some ugali, vegetables and kachumbari right by the shores of Lake Naivasha

By this time it was getting hotter and hotter and you already know a Naivasha trip is not complete without a visit to the infamous Olkaria Geothermal spa. It's a natural hot water spa meant for relaxation rather than swimming. The pool has brine water said to have medicinal benefits like curing skin issues like psoriasis. That is definitely a win!

On the flip side there's a pungent hydrogen sulphide gas, yup, The one that smells like rotten eggs! Gather around for some chemistry class buddy. The sulphide gas emitted during the drilling process combines with the nitrogen in the air forming hydrogen sulphide gas. Clap for yourself for figuring that out 😛. In all seriousness though that shouldn't put you off. You will survive. More information on the entry charges are available on the KWS website, fortunately for us Starboard Safaris made this arrangement prior in their package so all we had to worry about was having fun.

We left the spa at about 5.00pm and headed to check in at camp Sheghadia where we would be camping the night out, light a bonfire and just live our best lives lol.

I have to say camp Sheghadia is a whole different vibe. It offers the most scenic views of Lake Naivasha. Hippos are also often seen roaming about just outside the fenced area. They also offer spacious and extremely comfortable camping tents.

Since the whole trip was a Nyama China party, that was what we had for dinner. Ugali featuring the tastiest nyama China, and tasty it was that I only realised I hadn't captured the moment as soon as I was done eating😁. 

We lit a bonfire and got to some quality bonding time. One thing that's always a plus for these trips is when total strangers get together and get to know each other a little bit better.

After all you are only as rich as your network is and investing in people is always a worthy course. The rest of the night was pretty chill by the bonfire with people leaving for their tents one by one. Day one is officially done.

Sunday morning which sadly was also our last day at the camp came. The American style breakfast served was yummy enough to keep our heads off the fact that the getaway was coming to an end.

After breakfast we had a free time in which everyone was free to do whatever they wanted. A couple of us went on a boat ride and got to see families of hippos and the gorgeous Kisite Island while others stayed back to play board games such as scrabble.

We also had a little more time to bond and cut the cake for November babies just before getting in the van to head back home. As always the journey back was bittersweet, sad to leave but grateful for fun moments and cherished memories. Massive thanks to Starboard Safaris for organising this trip at an affordable package of Kshs 6,800 which caters for everything from transport to meals and select activities. Check them out @starboardsafaris across all platforms for more adventure packages.

Until next time keep it locked 🔒