A Paradise Found

19 OCTOBER 2008

A lazy, sunny Sunday provided a great opportunity to explore a place I’d been keen to visit, Paradise Lost in Kiambu.

A mere 15-minute drive from Nairobi city centre, this is one of the most accessible nature-oriented recreational destinations near the city. Simply drive onto Thika road, branch left at the Muthaiga roundabout onto Kiambu road, drive on a further 5kms and find the turnoff onto a dirt road on the left (for the GPS savvy, coordinates are S 01° 12.357’ E 036° 49.916’). Follow the well signposted road through a vast coffee farm to the Paradise Lost main gate (S 01° 11.420’ E 036° 49.535’), where the ticket office is located. The entrance fee is Kshs. 250 and Kshs. 200 for resident adults and children respectively, and US$ 10 for non-residents.

The signage at the gate promises picnic/camping sites, waterfalls and stone-age caves.

My first impressions are favourable: the view from the gate is of a gently sloping valley covered with lush green grass on which well-fed camels and horses graze calmly. To the east, the hump-shaped Mt. Kilimambogo dominates the horizon.

Camel grazes on lush grass

A playground area resonates with the laughter of children at play as they enjoy swings and slides– this is a child-friendly environment.

Lower down the valley, a copse of trees partially obscures the view of a large water body and inspires immediate curiosity. I stroll in this direction, resisting the distraction of an ostrich in a large enclosure on the way.

The water body turns out to be a large dam that is fed by a river. There are plenty of visitor ‘bandas’ , open-sided roofed structures with benches and tables along the dam’s nearside shore, and a basic restaurant-cum bar facility provides an assortment of meals and drinks. Many of the visitors, mainly family groups, were preparing their own barbecued lunches, and the air was rich with the welcoming aromas of roast chicken, beef and other meats.

There is a boat hire facility, and for Kshs. 50/= per person on weekends (free on weekdays), a group can take a boat and ‘self row’ on the dam.

Boats for hire

I opted to hire a guide with the boat, and enjoyed a leisurely chauffeured circuit of the dam.

View from the boat

There’s lots of bird-life on the dam as well as on the shore, and I observed little grebe, long-tailed cormorant, malachite kingfisher, common sandpiper and yellow-billed duck.

Long-tailed cormorant

Common sandpiper

A highlight of the boat tour was observing Speke’s weaver birds up close building their nests – a feat of advanced, environmentally friendly engineering using renewable resources!

Speke’s weaver

Under construction - Speke’s weaver builds nest

After a very enjoyable boat ride I strolled upstream to the 50-foot waterfall, around which there are lots of trees, particularly Fig (the Mugumo tree so beloved of Kikuyu fables).

Waterfall

There is a cave system behind the waterfall, from which I enjoyed the unique experience of viewing the area through a curtain of water.

Behind the waterfall

The caves are well lit and an interesting place to poke around. I explored them without the benefit of a guide and thus missed out on an explanation for the 'stone age' historical context, something I’ll be sure to do next time.

Stone-age caves

Satisfied with what I had experienced, I elected to call it a day, although there was so much more still to see.

At over 50 acres in area, Paradise Lost is a hidden treasure with a mix of charms that will appeal to a wide cross-section of recreation seekers - I’ll need several visits to fully experience all that it has to offer!

-Ends -