Here is a list of the best places to visit in Machakos County. Machakos County is a hidden gem, with beautiful landscapes and scenery, a gorgeous blend of urban modernity, and a breath of fresh air. It’s one of the most beautiful places in the country, not to mention the numerous places you can visit.
Below is a list of the best places you might want to visit in Machakos County.
Best Places To Visit In Machakos County
1. Visit Oldonyo Sabuk National Park
Ol Donyo Sabuk is also referred to as Mt. Kilimambogo, which translates to ‘Buffalo Mountain’. This is due to the large number of buffalos found in the park. The park is located in the Kyanzavi Division, approximately 85 kilometres from Nairobi. Buffaloes, bushbucks, baboons, porcupines, and over 45 species of birds nest in the dense montane forest that covers the mountain in Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park.
On a good day, atop the mountain is the perfect spot to view the vicinity; you might even spot Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro. The famous fourteen falls are only 3 kilometres away from Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park. You can camp at any one of their three camping sites, namely Turacco Public Campsite, Rock Hyrax Campsite, and Summit Campsite.
2. Ride Quad Bikes, The Last Village Resort
The Last Village Lodge is a typical lodging and vacation facility located in Athi-River, Machakos County, approximately 33 kilometres from Nairobi. This lodge stands in Lukenya on an idyllic spot with amazing views of the plains and stunning views of the range of the hills. Since they offer accommodation, this is a worthy place for a perfect day out or perhaps a weekend out with friends.
The Last Village’s expansive 2.5-kilometre grounds allow you to experience the use of perfectly sized 4×4 quad bikes with a helmet for safety and a pair of goggles for your eyes. Quad biking is ideal for children, first-time motorcyclists, and even the most daring adventure seekers.
Last Village Lodge Quad Bike Charges
The cost of quad biking at The Last Village varies depending on the size of the quad bike used. Here are the prices for each quad bike size.
- Ride a small quad bike for Ksh 1000
- Medium Quad Bike for Ksh1500
- Buggy Quad Bike for Ksh 2500
3. GP-Karting, Whistling Morans
Whistling Morans is located in Athi River, Machakos County. It has one of the largest tracks in Africa, with a length of 1.2 km and a width of 8 metres. They also have an elevated viewing area for spectators, with seating and refreshments available right behind the pits. They charge Kshs 2,000 and Kshs 4,000 for 10 minutes and 20 minutes, respectively for a single engine, whereas Kshs 4,000 and Kshs 8,000 for 10 minutes and 20 minutes for a double engine.
4. Ziplining at Machakos People’s Park
Machakos People’s Park is another ziplining location in Kenya. It’s just one hour from Nairobi. The zip-lining cables are suspended 30 feet above the ground, giving a perfect aerial view of Machakos People’s Park and its environs. The park is also a perfect location for an array of activities such as picnics, biking, boat riding, archery, photography, and horse and camel riding. Entrance to the park is free. You can choose between the 200-meter-long zip line and its 300-meter-long counterpart, but the latter is where the fun can be most experienced. They charge Kshs 500 per person.
5. Visit Lukenya Hills and Caves
Lukenya Caves is an archaeologist’s dream, and it is where Mary and Louis Leakey discovered one of the earliest human fossils in the 1940s. This is an ideal spot for anyone who is curious about man’s existence and is only five minutes off Mombasa Road. Many people are still amazed by the discovery of the earlier Homo sapiens fossil, so the site is quite popular and even suitable for educational tours. They have guides who will take you around the grounds and provide detailed accounts of the area’s history.
The caves have historical significance because they served as hideouts for Mau Mau fighters during the bloody independence struggle. When the fighting became too intense, they used the hills to retreat and strategize. The hills are also ideal for hiking; bring some comfortable shoes. The Lukenya Motocross is a 45-minute drive from Nairobi and is ideal for relaxing in the sun, with the option of cooling off in the pool when it gets too hot. It’s quite common to see animals strolling around the site.
6. Visit the African Heritage House and Wamunyu Craft Centre
In today’s fast-paced world, these two sites work hard to keep the culture alive. Despite being a suburb, Machakos is dominated by the Kamba community, and they are well-versed in woodworking, which was passed down to them through apprenticeship by their forefathers.
The Wamunyu Craft Centre houses various types of wood carving; you’ll be amazed by the sheer skill. The tradition can be traced back to their leader, who brought the skill home after learning it while serving in the army. The crafts make lovely artefacts for one’s home; you’ll want to take everything you find there.
If you like art, you should visit the African Heritage House. As the name implies, it houses a wide range of African cultural artefacts as well as beautiful furnishings created by various artists, each of whom is attempting to tell their story in the language that they are most familiar with. Culture is important, and preserving it helps a lot. The guards are friendly, and if you want to know more about a particular piece, they’ll walk you through it. They serve affordable meals and have conference facilities for more formal gatherings.
7. Explore the Iveti Forest Reserve
The Iveti Forest Reserve is located on Machakos’ second-highest peak. The reserve’s entrance is about 15 minutes off Machakos-Kangundo Road, near Mumbuni Boys High School. The reserve is abundant in cedar and pine trees, as well as a variety of birdlife and scenic views. It’s an excellent spot for bird-watching and hiking. In addition, there are campsites within the reserve.
8. Visit the Maanzoni Sanctuary
Maanzoni Lodge, located on a 10,000-acre ranch in the Athi River, is a popular leisure destination and the home of Maanzoni Sanctuary. There are zebras, giraffes, elands, gazelles, wildebeests, and ostriches in the sanctuary. It is open to everyone and there is no admission fee. Walking safaris are organised from the lodge for guests to experience the beautiful wildlife and scenery.
9. Experience the Magical Kituluni/Kyamwilu Magnetic Hill
The Kyamwilu magical corner is a mysterious location that locals claim has never been seen before. Water flowing uphill is truly amazing because it defies all of gravity’s laws. The guards can even demonstrate it by pouring a stream of water, which will flow uphill rather than downhill.
It’s quite a sight to behold, and you might find yourself staring in awe. Nobody can explain the strange phenomenon and the hill has been there for a long time but still behaves the same way. What better way to let loose than to go camping with family and friends? It’s a very cost-effective plan because you only need your camping supplies and an entrance fee to the location.
10. Visit Mua Hills
Mua Hills is off Mombasa Road, near the Mua Road junction. The hills are ideal for hiking, with a relatively easy trail suitable for first-time hikers. Some speculate that the hills were once part of a larger highland plateau that connected the Aberdares and Mbooni Hills. However, they were reduced as a result of massive weathering over millions of years.
11. Masinga Dam
Every time I hear of Masinga, I remember “Masinga TT,” a time trial event and car festival. Masinga Dam is about 106 kilometres from Nairobi. With a surface area of 47 kilometres squared, it is the largest man-made dam in East and Central Africa. The dam is built on the Tana River, Kenya’s longest river. You are given a tour of the facility before embarking on an insane climb to the dam’s highest point. There are also campsites near the dam, so you can light a fire and stargaze all night after the tour.
12. Kikao Camping Farm
Kikao Camping Farm is a vast environment surrounded by green scenery; you’ll want to wake up to the chirping of birds, let alone the view of Lukenya Hills from the site. Their food is delicious, with vegetables grown in the kitchen garden, and their meat will leave you wanting more.
13. Komarock Shrine
In the heart of Ukambani, there is a sacred shrine called Komarock. In the Kamba language, “koma” means sleeping or to sleep. The shrine is located on the Nairobi-Kangundo Highway, approximately 2.5 kilometres off Kangundo Road. If you need help finding it, you can use Google Maps.
Komarock Shrine is a beautiful and peaceful place. The houses are made of stone and have a great location. What’s interesting is that the shrine has no fence, so it is accessible to everyone and there is no entry fee. You can visit anytime you want. From a distance, you can hear women singing hymns and birds chirping in the background, creating a divine atmosphere.
The shrine has 14 stations that represent the trials of Jesus carrying the cross until He was crucified. The first station symbolises Jesus being condemned to death, and the 14th station represents Him being laid in the tomb. Catholics like to pray on hills, which are also significant in the Bible. People like the shrine because it’s peaceful and provides a conducive environment for prayer and meditation. It’s located in an isolated and less-populated area away from distractions.
However, locals believe that the shrine has supernatural powers. Traditional believers claim to have seen visions of old men appearing at the shrine in the evenings and then disappearing after a while. They also offered sacrifices here, but the rocks didn’t receive them. There’s a big fig tree where sacrifices were made, and some people claim to have seen an image of a woman consoling a man, similar to the sculpture of Jesus being held by His mother Mary, which is at the top of the shrine.
If you’re looking to reconnect with the Lord or your inner self, Komarock Shrine is a great place to visit.
14. Muthoki Country Lodge
Muthoki Country Lodge has an awesome nature trail sitting on 40 acres of land that is perfect for families, especially if your kids love nature and playing outdoors. The trail offers an awesome experience when the whole family ventures out for a walk, jog, or biking session through tall Indigenous trees in the Machakos countryside.
Your kids will be treated to an exciting and educational tour that is truly unique in its way. For example, did you know the fever tree (Naivasha acacia) has loads of medicinal uses, including treating certain snake bites? The trees on the trail have loads of singing birds, a magical water hole tucked on one side, plus the occasional sightings of squirrels darting through or tortoises basking in the sun. Muthoki Country Lodge offers self-catering boarding facilities if you fancy a staycation out of town.
15. Macmillan Castle
Situated 65 kilometres from Nairobi off the Thika-Garissa Road and 15 kilometres from Thika town, Mt. Kilimambogo (known by the Akamba people as Kyanzavi) is at the heart of the Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park, a park that has a rich history and beauty that stands out in contrast with its dusty neighbourhood.
This park was once home to Lord William Northrop Macmillan (1872–1925), whose house is estimated to be the size of three basketball pitches. Macmillan was a decorated American soldier and knighted by the King of England, even though he was not British. He was a huge man raised in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, and arrived in Kenya in 1904 on a shooting expedition.
Macmillan’s Castle is one of those old houses where you wish the walls were filled with pictures of those who once lived in it. It was a mansion at one stage, a military hospital during the First World War, and a prison in the Second World War.
In 1918, Macmillan built the house, more like a mini fortress that has come to be known as the Macmillan House or Ol Donyo Sabuk Mansion. A glance at its walls shows painstaking adherence to detail. It is built wide enough to be a protection and is a testament to the architecture of the time. Later, its hefty build facilitated its services in the First and Second World Wars.
Macmillan owned this house and its surrounding lands at the foot of Ol Donyo Sabuk Mountain, stretching towards 14 Falls. He was an ambitious man; it is said he also wanted to own the mountain. This 32-roomed castle has had a glorious past and has seen illustrious guests such as Ewart Grogan, former American President Theodore Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Sir Evelyn Baring, and Prince Amedeo (Duke of Aosta, the commander of the Italian Forces in what was known as the East Africa Campaign when Italy declared war on the United Kingdom and France on June 10, 1940, during the Second World War).
Roosevelt and Churchill were on game-hunting trips to Kenya when they visited the castle. But more interestingly is the fact that the idea to arrest the First President of Kenya, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, was mooted in one of the bedrooms that overlooks the Ol Donyo Sabuk Hills. Moreover, the late Tom Mboya was born at Ol Donyo Sabuk, where his father worked as a casual labourer at Macmillan’s sisal farm.
This single-story, high-ceiling castle with underground bunkers was built in the early 1900s by Macmillan. The house was gazetted in Kenya on December 19, 2008, and plans to turn it into a museum are underway. It is said that Macmillan and his wife stayed in each wing of the 32-roomed castle for six months before moving to the other.
Macmillan’s castle was, like Grogan’s and Delamere’s castles, a scene for scandals, affairs, and wife-swapping parties. The mansion retained the happy valley atmosphere with lavish parties. Colonel Ewart Groan is said to have organised wild parties here. These parties made the locals nickname the house kilav (the club).
Macmillan’s abode was also the site for Hollywood blockbusters like the 1950s Mogambo, starring Ava Gardener, Grace Kelly and Clark Gable.
Macmillan died in 1925 and was buried on Mt. Kilimambogo. Beside him is his faithful servant, Louise Decker. The grave of his dog is also on the mountain. After his death, his wife, Lady Lucie, built the Macmillan Library in Nairobi Central Business District in his honour.
16. Kitonga Gardens Resort
Kitonga Garden Resort & Spa is a luxury resort that wows its guests with its sweeping views of the Yatta Plateau, beautiful sunrise, luxuriously appointed rooms, and great amenities. It’s situated about a 60-minute drive from downtown Nairobi.
The 30 cottages, all with balconies, can have plateau or mountain views. The ground-floor rooms have outdoor showers for an ultimate vacation experience. This lavish property offers a vast range of services and amenities. There are two restaurants and a bar, an infinity pool, a state-of-the-art fitness centre, a full-service upscale spa, cosy lounges, and a boutique/gift shop.
Guests can also choose from a wide variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, zip-lining, cycling, outdoor picnic areas, bush dinners and breakfasts, outdoor barbecues and more.
17. Lysak Haven Park
Lysak Haven Park offers the same vibe; lush scenes ideal for picnics with family and friends. The background forms a very suitable place for photo sessions. Team building activities would thrive here due to ample space. Weddings, too, especially if you’re operating on a tight budget.
