Karura Forest Nairobi: Wonderful Home to the River Cafe, the Orange Waterfall, and Mau Mau Caves

If you’re an OG adventurer, you’ll know that I ADORE a waterfall hike. And even more so, the ones that are easy to reach. At the same time, both Aliasgher and I really enjoy the fresh, crisp air in forests, and that’s why Karura Forest was a must-do even on our short trip to Nairobi.

Start at River Café

There’s two things you can do in Karura Forest. One, is visit the River Cafe (which we highly recommend) – it’s a stunning setup. As you enter the wooden structure, you’ll see nothing but greenery. The deck looks out to so much forest, and from the name of the cafe, I assume there should be a river, but we didn’t see one.

There’s plenty of seating options, and if you’d like a specific table, you can always reserve it beforehand. We were there for  coffee and breakfast, and their menu is fairly straightforward if you have dietary requirements. We were also very impressed by the portions, even for the drinks!

Entering Karura Forest

I was quite tired that morning, but the fresh forest air is exactly what I needed. Just to note, there are two entrances to the forest, and Maps took us to the first one (opposite the Belgian residence), which is mainly used for hiking. If you stop there for the cafe, you’ll have to do an entire hike before reaching the cafe haha

Also, the security will check your car and bags upon entrance, because you are not supposed to take any sort of plastic waste into the forest.

After finding the second, correct gate, we paid our entrance/conservation fees, got the forest map, and then headed to the café. There’s sufficient parking here. If you are a Kenyan citizen, your entrance will be 116 KES ($1). A Kenyan or East African resident, 232 KES ($2), and a non resident 696 KES ($6). If you are entering with a car, you’ll need to pay parking fees + entrance fees for a driver, if applicable. If you are Ubering, the driver will be able to take you right to the entrance.

You can buy a yearly pass if you are visiting regularly, and as with many activities, you’ll need to pay via Mpesa. If you’d like to do any additional activities, such as have a picnic, go horse riding, a guided walk, or photoshoot, you pay those fees here as well.

The Waterfall Hike

Once we finished our breakfast, we headed further out into the forest for the waterfall hike.  You can also cycle instead. This hike is about 4-5 kms, an easy route in terms of steepness, and depending on your pace, will take you 1.5 to 2 hours (more if you spend longer at the waterfall or get lost on the way back like us 😂).

Since we visited during the rainy season, the 15m waterfall, which is fed by the Getathuru and Karura rivers, was flowing in all its glory. It was different from what we’ve seen in South Africa, though, because the water almost seemed dirty – but it wasn’t. The soil here is different and so the water looks like a rusty red.

We also passed some Mau Mau Caves on the way to the waterfall, which was super cool! This is where freedom fighters hid against colonial oppressors.

More Than Just a Waterfall

Although the orange waterfall is probably Karura Forest’s biggest attraction (there are tons of people taking photos and enjoying the waterfall), Karura Forest has over 50km of trails that you can hike or cycle. If you’re a bird watcher or enjoy seeing animals, venturing into the quieter trails will probably grant you sightings of these!

Things to Know Before You Visit

Karura Forest gets quite muddy, so we’d recommend wearing hiking shoes if you have them, or dark coloured sneakers. Definitely no white shoes! The forest is open from 6 am to 6pm daily, and is located along Limuru Road.

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