Here is a list of the best places to visit in Tharaka Nithi County. County 013 is among the few counties in Kenya with an elephant maternity, where elephants breed and give birth. Mt. Kenya, the highest mountain in Kenya and the 2nd highest in Africa, partially lies in Tharaka Nithi County.
Hiking and mountain climbing activities could take place here, with many hills all over the place. Mountaineers hoping to scale Mount Kenya on the eastern side of the mountain take off from Chogoria base.
The county is well known for its educational institutions, including Chogoria Girls, Chuka Girls and Ikuu Boys, as well as Chuka University, which was established in 2007. Set on over 500 acres of pristine land, the University offers several academic degree programmes spanning the natural and health sciences, education and business.
Best Places To Visit In Tharaka Nithi County
1. Chogoria Town
Chogoria town grew largely as a result of the mission hospital that was set up in 1922. It started with a few beds and has grown into a fully-fledged hospital. In 1951, the hospital added the Clive Irvine College Nursing School, which has graduated hundreds of nurses now serving across the country. Tharaka Nithi is quite a hilly area, with glories such as Kiera, Munuguni, Njuguni, Kijege and Ntugi Hills dotting its landscape.
2. Lake Michaelson
Lake Michaelson is named after a friend of Halford Mackinder, a geographer and the first European explorer to summit Mount Kenya in 1899. It is located in the Gorges Valley, above Vivienne Falls, just below the 300-metre cliff of the Temple beneath Mt. Kenya’s third-highest peak, Point Lenana. The 30-acre lake is the second largest of the lakes and tarns on Mount Kenya. Lake Michaelson is ideal for trout fishing. The surrounding icy peaks, magical waterfalls, and gorges provide pristine, breathtaking views.
3. Kinondoni Lodge
A stop at Kinondoni Lodge is required for anyone visiting Mt. Kenya via Chogoria-Gate in Tharaka-Nithi County. The lodge provides a resting place and vantage point for visitors to the mountain. It is situated approximately 33 kilometres from Chogoria town, in the centre of the Mt. Kenya forest, at an elevation of 3,000 metres above sea level.
The lodge was founded in 1983 by the former Meru County Council and was initially opened by German visitors Ruhm Kilrus, Hohlweg Rudolf, and Cobberke Rudger. Since then, it has continued to be the preferred option for both domestic and foreign travellers who are eager to climb Africa’s second-biggest mountain.
The lodging at the lodge is arranged in a succession of bandas that nestle right where the high moorlands and bamboo forest converge. In particular, early morning and late evening are prime times to see a variety of wildlife in the area. They consist of chief cats, monkeys, antelopes, water bucks, and buffalo. Salt is spread around a nearby swamp to entice the elephants, who lumber out to lick it for hours on end for the guests of the lodge. Tiny wild birds also boldly perch on visitors’ shoulders to make an impression.
To deter nighttime animals like buffalos, elephants, and hyenas from the lodge, a campfire is also built. Point Lenana, the Baren Table, Batian, and the mountain lakes are just a few of the sites on Mount Kenya that are visible directly from the lodge. Lake Michaelson is a popular destination for tourists, who come to fish for trout. In the Mpaku Swamp, they can enjoy watching elephants swim while snapping pictures of the stunning valley. The incredible Mt. Kenya Mau Mau caves, which have a kitchen, dining area, bedroom, and guard room, are a must-see before departing the lodge.
The freedom fighters made some very important operational decisions here, but the only people who could stay overnight in the caves were the Mau Mau generals. Mealtimes back at the lodge give guests a chance to try regional and international cuisine.
Along with these cultural activities, they are taught songs, dances, stories, and other Ameru customs like making millet porridge, which is the traditional beer. Forty guests can be accommodated, along with an equal number of guides and potters.
4. Mutunguruni Tree
The Mutunguruni tree at Ndagani village in Tharaka Nithi county stands a majestic 30 metres tall. Mutunguruni is considered sacred to the Chuka sub-tribe and has served as a shrine where community elders go for divine intervention in times of drought or other calamities.
The 30.48-metre-tall tree is visible from any point in the county, making it a crucial landmark and is commonly used as a signpost for navigation in the county. The story of the tree is well known in the region and has attracted considerable interest among people far and wide.
This is also the land of some of the most deadly vipers in the world, which have been responsible for many fatalities, including many deaths and limb amputations among residents. Some of the largest pythons and other serpent species in the county are found here.
5. Kierra Viewpoint
Igoji Centre and the first gateway township in Meru County are 10 km north on B6 Embu-Meru Road from Chogoria Town, which is located in the northwest corner of Tharaka Nithi County. The spectacular view of Kierra, with Kierra Ridge as a backdrop, is the reason for the pilgrimage of the 16-kilometer drive north to Nkubu from these two towns.
The best views of one of the region’s knockout landscapes can be found at the long-standing Kierra Viewpoint at Kanthiga Village, which is situated between Kaaga and Runogone close to Meru Town. Located at the base of Mount Kenya, this endearing viewpoint overlooks the plains, hills, forests, and ranges. The breathtaking view of the Great Rift Valley comes to mind when looking at this. Locally referred to as Kierra or Mukera, which roughly translates as “a valley,” a visit to Tharaka Nithi and Meru Counties would be incomplete without stopping to take in this breathtaking view.
6. Inanduru Cave
An isolated cave in a steep cliff on the banks of the Maara River, called Inanduru, is home to about one million bats. The cave is in Ganga ward, Maara constituency. The bats have attracted tourists, who come to see the strange mammals in their numbers.
Farmers, too, have not been left behind after they discovered that bat waste could also be used as manure and can make crops do better than many organic fertilisers. Tourists, who go to the caves to see the mammals are normally charged Ksh 200 for schoolchildren, Ksh 300 for adults and Ksh1,000 for foreign tourists.
Farmers who collect fertiliser from the cave have to pay Ksh 400 for each 50-kg sack of waste. To get to the cave, one has to get to Katharaka shopping centre along the Meru-Nairobi highway, and then head out to a murram road past Ntumu police station.
7. Kibuuki WaterFalls
The drive from Ura Gate to Kibuuka Grand Falls, through this scenic county filled with Kopjes, takes about an hour. An immortal warrior is known by the name Kibuuka, which means “thunder warrior” in ancient origins. This fighter was a divine gift to a childless couple.
On a dark and stormy night, just as the seer had said, the couple found a newborn child safe and sound in a kraal. Because he wouldn’t die, he was able to help his people win several battles during his youth. But eventually, he was deceived, and the kigoci charm that had protected him was broken; consequently, he perished.
His parents abandoned Tharaka village after becoming frustrated with the betrayal. This was a huge loss to the community, as his father was a spiritual leader, a rainmaker and a medicine man. The path he travelled out of TNC is thought to have become a seasonal river, Kathambangiri; he then made his way to the river Tana, where he is said to have jumped into the river. It’s believed he became water as he was born out of it. Legend has it that these waters have superpowers.
When the rains come down hard, the sight of the Thagana River plunging down in nine separate falls before finally merging with the much larger Tana River at Kibuuka Grand Falls is very magnificent.
8. Mutejwa National Reserve
Mutejwa National Reserve in Tharaka Nithi County is a picturesque jungle and home to rare game species, including rare gazelles, monkeys, ostriches and hundreds of birds. Nithi River winds through this paradise before it joins the Tana River. Mutejwa National Reserve offers virgin wilderness, enchanting scenery and mineral springs. It is a perfect destination for game viewing, camping, cave exploration, bird watching and photography.
9. Meru National Park
Meru National Park sits northeast of Mount Kenya. The national park encompasses an area of 870 sq km. The park provides visitors with a variety of nature encounters, including jungle, grasslands, swamps, rivers, and landscapes with an abundance of termite-created mounds.
The Kenyan Wildlife Services describes Meru as a “Complete Wilderness.” The famous Acacia trees that Africa is known for are all found in much of the park. Wildlife is varied and plentiful. Some of the more common species include elephant, giraffe, black rhino, white rhino, kudu, gazelle, hartebeest, reedbuck, zebra, and hippo. Predator species include lions, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, African wild cats, and hyenas.
There are 427 species of birds to check off during an exploration of the park area. Snake enthusiasts can hope for a chance to see pythons, puff adders, and cobras. River safaris are one of the best ways to capture sightings of some of the bird species that live along the banks. Ostriches can be found in some of the bushy grasslands.
Meru National Park is the location where the famous George and Joy Adamson raised the lioness named Elsa. The story was shared via the book and movie, both of which were named Born Free. The Tana River and Adamson’s Falls are also key features of the national park. Adamson’s Falls is a cascading waterfall across rugged, rocky terrain.
10. Chogoria Hiking Trail
Mount Kenya National Park is one of the most visited places in Kenya, especially by mountain climbers and hike lovers. The park was established in 1949 to protect Mount Kenya and the surrounding environment, which forms a habitat for wild animals, as well as acting as Kenya’s water catchment area.
Mount Kenya has a height of 5,199 m. It is the second tallest mountain in Africa after Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. The mountain peak is now the intersection of Embu, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, KirinyagFa and Nyeri counties.
The scenery surrounding this designated World Heritage Site is breathtaking, with one of the highest peaks in Africa and wonderful wildlife. It has a pristine wilderness with lakes, tarns, glaciers, dense forests, mineral springs, a selection of rare and endangered species of animals, high-altitude adapted plains game and unique montane and alpine vegetation.
The Chogoria route starts at the Eastern side of Mount Kenya. It is one of the recommended routes to summit the second-tallest mountain in Africa. It is the driest route up the mountain and the walk beside the Gorges valley is spectacular. This journey takes 7 days, with plenty of time to acclimatise and ascend the mountain safely. Accommodation for this hike is four nights in mountain huts and two days in camping.
