LJ and I had no idea about this 618 hectares of Indigenous Forest called Oloolua tucked in the city. We only ever knew and visited Karura Forest. Due to the movement restrictions and having eateries closed all through Nairobi, we decided to go looking for other things to do in Nairobi. We discovered Oloolua Forest.
Getting There
Oloolua is accessible by cab, matatu or car. Google maps has not exactly been accurate the few times we drove there. The first time we found ourselves in an open space with a bunch of horses while the second time we came up to the entrance of a police training unit. Sheesh! Talk about adventure. Anyway to be on the safe side, you could ask maps for directions to ‘Karen Blixen Museum’ then drive straight to the end of the road from there. Alternatively, here is the exact address.
By Matatu: From the CBD take a matatu for route 24 and alight at the Karen-Bogon road junction – close to Karen Blixen, then walk down the Karen Road to the end.
Fees
| Visiting | Adults | Children |
| Citizens | KES 200 | KES 100 |
| Residents | KES 400 | KES 200 |
| Non-residents | KES 600 | KES 300 |
The park is open everyday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. This only applies to daytime visitors. Camping at Oloolua insures extra charges as follows;
| Camping | Adults | Children |
| Citizens | KES 2000 | KES 1000 |
| Residents | KES 2500 | KES 1500 |
| Non-residents | KES 3000 | KES 1500 |
| Group of 10 Citizens | KES 5000 | |
| Group of 10 Residents | KES 6000 | |
| Group of 10 Non-residents | KES 8000 |
| Team Building | |
| 1-10 People | KES 10,000 |
| 20-50 People | KES 20,000 |
| 50-100 People | KES 30,000 |
| Other Activities | |
| Bike rentals | KES 200 per hour |
| Corporate Function | KES 80,000 |
| Commercial Function | KES 50,000 |
| Chama Meeting | KES 15,000 |
| Church Service | KES 50,000 |
| Wedding Reception | KES 40,000 |
| Garden Wedding | KES 50,000 |
| Birthday Party | KES 10,000 |
For more information visit their website here.
Attractions
- A 37 meter long deep cave – This cave is bound to unravel the claustrophobia in anybody. LJ and I tried to go in as far as we could before the fear creeped in. This cave was used by the Maumau but is now home to a bunch of bats.
- An incredible waterfall – We were stunned by the waterfall as we had only ever been to the Karura one before while in Nairobi. The waterfall is 20ft of magical whoosh!
- A papyrus swamp that is bound to make you travel to ancient Egypt – This swamp gives us ancient mythology energy. Did you know that Egyptians used to write hieroglyphs on papyrus? Plus maintaining the swamp requires special effort too.
- A Bamboo rest point – We highly recommend having your picnic here. We took a walk inside the runner of bamboo and came across an opening that was very serene and absolutely breathtaking. The river was flowing by our feet and we could hear the birds chirping as well as the waterfall.
- A campsite – We are yet to camp at Oloolua but from what we could see, the site is very pretty.
Tips
- Have cash on Mpesa for payment.
- Carry water and other picnic items in reusable containers.
- Weekdays are less busy, however, we have found Oloolua to overall be less crowded compared to Karura.
- Watch out for the monkeys, they might appear friendly but…they tried to snatch Es’ phone.
In Pictures
Path when wet Path when dry Waterfall river flow Bike rentals signage Lj on the entry way Es on the entryway stairs to campsite Rickety Bridge Es
Have you been camping in Oloolua? Leave us a note telling us about your experience. Till next time.
