Makalia River Hits Rock Bottom

The Makalia River rises in the Eastern Mau escarpment and flows east, and then north, into the southern end of Lake Nakuru. It is a key water source, together with Rivers Njoro and Nderit that drain into the lake from the Mau. En route, it drops into the Lake Nakuru basin via the scenic Makalia Falls, a popular tourist site in the Lake Nakuru National Park. The permanent flows of the river have traditionally guaranteed a great viewing experience for visitors, with the roaring falls providing accompaniment to birdsong, the bark of baboons and other wildlife sounds.


But dark clouds of uncertainty hang over the future of the Makalia River. In recent years, it has dried up on various occasions, as a visit to the falls over Easter 2011 revealed.

Waterfall - no more

Downstream - dry river bed

It is clear that efforts to rehabilitate the Mau need to be stepped up, urgently, to protect the river and the Lake that depends on it...

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!

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14-Falls Thika

1ST OCTOBER 2008

1st October, a Wednesday, was the Muslim Idd ul Fitr day and thus a public holiday. Planning a mid-week outing is always a challenge; you can't travel too far or you'll suffer mid-week fatigue, and many of the well known scenic locations are quite far away. The 14 Falls in Thika fit the bill nicely for a short, fun, excursion.

Thika is about 45kms N. East of Nairobi on smooth tarmac. The 14 Falls are a further 20kms away, mostly on tarmac, with only the last 5kms or so being a motorable dirt road.


We set off late morning and arrived at the gate to the Falls area at about 1 p.m. An access fee of Kshs. 100/= ($1.30) for adults and Kshs. 50/= ($0.6) for kids is payable (this is the resident rate).

At the parking we were welcomed by a group of young men who introduced themselves as local guides. Since most of our party of 9 (including 3 kids) had not been to the falls before, we chose one of them, named Kioko, and negotiated a guide fee of Kshs. 150/= ($2). He led us down a rocky path to the near side base of the falls where we could hire a crossing boat. We negotiated a rate of Kshs.300/= ($4.00) for the crossing. The experienced boat guide, using a long pole, guided the boat on a leisurely ride downstream, back upstream and across the river to a rocky bank on the far side. The view of the falls from the boat is extraordinary!

view of the falls from a boat downstream

Kioko explained that the 14 Falls are so named because there are 14 distinct waterfalls on the broad section of river.

We spent a couple of hours strolling around the rocks at the base of the Falls and enjoying the fresh air, breathtaking view and local flora. The kids, in particular, enjoyed scrambling up and down the massive rocks.

The base of the Falls is characterised by large boulders and the powerful sound of rushing water as it cascades down the 25-foot drop. A fine spray hangs in the air and keeps everything cool. There are lots of birds, and we spotted egrets, ibis and swallows that fascinated us with their agile aerobatics. The guides also entertain visitors by performing jumps (they call it 'diving') from the the top of the falls to the plunge pool below.

When we'd had our fill and were ready to go back Kioko informed us that there was an alternative option (at extra cost!) of returning to the near bank of the river on foot, instead of crossing by boat. Feeling adventurous we took him up on this. Little did we know what was in store!


The 'adventure' return option involved trekking up a steep rocky path to the head of the falls and crossing the river on foot by jumping from rock to rock - there are plenty of rocks that jut out of the water during the dry season. The fast-flowing river and VERY slippery rocks make this a challenging undertaking. We had to take off our shoes, roll up our pants and proceed with caution. The guides are masters of the river and help with the crossing, but it is NOT for the faint hearted... A couple of us took a spill and got soaked! Some local goat herders were at the river with their herds, and during the many breaks we took while crossing we were entertained by the sight of agile goats leaping from one rock to another.

Guides help with the crossing

When we crossed back we found fruit vendors selling very sweet miniature pineapples grown on farms in the area. After the drama of the crossing the fruit was a welcome refreshment for our parched throats.

All in all, the 14 Falls is a great place to spend a day!

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