February 2012

Transport in Nairobi

Nairobi is the busiest city in east and central Africa, attracting international traffic throughout the year, some of the busiest parts of the city include the city center, the Kenyatta National Hospital, Jommo Kenyatta international airport and a few major roads leading in and out of the city. If you are used to small African cities, you might get confused at first especially when you get to the main public transport zone called ‘railways’.

Buses

The bus network which is the main mode of transportation in Nairobi covers over 100 different routes within the city. Though they are all unscheduled, they operate all day and some at night. You can identify them by numbers written on a small board stuck behind the windscreen. Each route has its number and a description of the places the bus is heading to. Once you memorize the number it is easier to identify a bust from a distance.

Bus in the streets of Nairobi demotix.com

Taxis

Taxis are available for traveling to all parts of Nairobi, they are mostly used at night when buses are rare, you can either call a company and book for one, or find them packed on different parts of the city. The advantage of using taxis is they can get you to your door step. Which makes them more preferable at night.

Rail

Rail services in Nairobi are available for both passengers and cargo, the passenger train which is widely used by many low income city residents, only travels two to three times a day.

Motor bike ‘Boda Boda’

In recent days the use of motor bikes has overtaken that of normal taxis, they tend to be faster and cheaper than most of other transport means, they are however mostly used in areas not covered by buses and trains. Most of these areas are crowded and not reachable by vehicles.

A Trip to Livingstone

Livingstone is a small town, located in the south-western Zambia, it is the most developed city in Zambia after Lusaka and the capital of Southern Province.

With little over 200,000 people permanently residing in and outskirts of the town, you wouldn’t expect to see so many activities going around as compared to other big towns known to you. but the easily noticeable thing would be the number of foreigners passing to and from the great Victoria falls.

Victoria Falls lie about 13 kilometers south of town. It is the biggest tourist attraction in the country, receiving over 300,000 visitors a year

both the Zambia and Zimbabwe sides.

While most of the trips to Victoria falls are focused on sightseeing, there are other plenty of activities that can be enjoyed in the region, for instance airflips over the falls, Canoing,Bunji jumping off Victoria falls bridge, lion walking encounter, jet boat extreme, kayaking and lots of other fun stuff that will make it one of the most memorably trip in your life.

Apart from visiting the falls, there are a few other great historical sites to see in town, The Livingstone railway museum which has a great collection of archaeology and paleontology is a place worth visiting.

The museum is full of history and artifacts of Doctor Livingstone, which includes hundreds of original letters written by the hand of the missionary.

When it comes to accommodation, there are a few to choose from, those with and without the river frontage, and those downstream the falls. The prices range from $30-$150 per night depending on the type and location of the facility.

Livingstone is accessible from various parts of the country. Mainly through air and road. coming from Lusaka would take about 6 hours by bus and only 40 minutes by plane.

Kayole, Nairobi

Distance from city center: 10 Kilometers

Schools: Kayole Primary School
Kayole Secondary School
Thawabu Primary School
Brighton Academy
Maureen Community Center
Maximum Impact Primary
Hospitals: Kayole Hospital
Kayole Medical Clinic

Tazama Ramani Kubwa Zaidi

Karati,Naivasha

14 Kilometers from Naivasha town
Schools: Karati Primary School
Karati Secondary School
Nyonjoro Secondary School
Nyondia Primary School
Hospitals: NYS Medical Clinic
Hotels: Lake Naivasha Lodge

Other: NYS Camp, Nanga Farm

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Ngaini,Kenya

About 20 Kilometers from Karatina
Schools: Ngaini Primary School
Ngaini Secondary School
Hospital: Tumutumu Hospital.

Churches: PCEA Ngaini
Catholic Church Ngaini.

Hotels: Three In One Hotel
Blue Star Hotel
Hotel Mimar Karatina
Elephant Castle Hotel
Johrene Motel
Hotel Starbuck

Nearest Major Towns: Nyeri & Karatina.

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Waithaka Area, Nairobi

12 kilometers from city center
Schools: Dagoretti High school, Nembu High school, Waithaka Primary School,
Hospital: Mutu-ini Hospital, Waithaka Medical clinic
Others: Waithaka slaughter house

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Malindi,Kenya

Location: Coast of Kenya
Distance from Capital City: 576 Kilometer

Map

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Hotels In Malindi

Coral Key Beach Resort

Eden Roc Hotel

Hemingways resort

Che Shale

Diamonds Beach Hotel

Sail Fish Club

Sea view resort

Scopio Villas

Aquarius Resort Watamu

Sandies Coconut Village

Mnarani Club

Nakuru, Kenya

Nakuru : Provincial capital of the rift valley
Distance : 160 kilometers from the capital city Nairobi
Hotels : Sarova Lion Hill, Treetop Hotel, Outspan Hotel, Eros Hotel, Merica Hotel, Bontana Hotel,Graceland Hotel, cool rivers hotel, Flamingo hill camp, Sun Bird Lodge
Natural features: Lake Nakuru National Park