The best secrets are often hiding in plain sight. A waterfall tucked just off a road you have driven countless times. A viewpoint on a hill you have passed but never thought to climb. A quiet campsite in the countryside with a hiking trail only the locals know.
Then one day you take a wrong turn, your nephews ask you to take them for a walk, or a friend mentions a place you have never heard of, and you go and wonder, “How do people not know about this place?”
For some Kenyans, finding these places has become more than an occasional adventure. It has become a livelihood.
Growing up in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Mwaniki Njuguna spent his formative years in the Adventurer and Pathfinder clubs, where he was introduced to camping and outdoor activities. The interest stayed with him into adulthood and eventually became a business.
Today, he is co-founder of Nelai Adventures, which takes people hiking, cycling, rock climbing, mountaineering and camping, often to places they might easily overlook.
“We try to give our community accessible destinations that offer something new, so that you are not really struggling with planning a two, three or four-day experience like most conventional experiences demand,” he says.
Nelai offers subscription and bundle packages. Subscribers pay about Sh1,500 at the start of the month for access to all events in that period, but must cover their own transport. Bundles cost between Sh2,500 and Sh4,500 and include transport and any other fees, such as community, security or park entry charges.
The company runs about three events a week. Midweek outings are usually day trips, while overnight trips are reserved for weekends.
Most clients are solo adventurers aged 18 to 40, although Mwaniki has noticed more couples joining in recent years.
Discovering somewhere new is part of the appeal, but Mwaniki says many who join are also looking for connection.
“There has been a yearning for community,” he says. “People really want to belong somewhere. Even when they come, they disconnect from their technology devices. They will capture moments with their phone but quickly put them back because they want to know the people around them and whether they can connect in that space and even beyond.”
Most, he notes, gravitate toward waterfalls. “Cascading water has a calming effect,” he says. “It’s very therapeutic. And people are increasingly wanting to live healthier lifestyles.”
Finding places that fly under the radar takes effort. Mwaniki and his team rely on recommendations, research, and information from the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Kenya Forest Service.
“They usually have a list of places you can visit and experiences you can have, it’s only that many people are not willing to put in the work to go and see what it is and how they can access it for themselves,” he says.
Some of the places Nelai has toured include Githiga trail in Kiambu, Majiri waterfalls in Gatundu and Munyu in Kirinyaga. Tours attract between 15 and 30 people a week, and demand has remained fairly steady.
Mwaniki Njuguna, co-founder of Nelai Adventures, poses at Githiga waterfalls and tea farms trail in Kiambu county.
Photo credit: Pool
“January to March does well because most people are doing their new year resolutions. Plus, the weather is great for outdoor activities,” he says.
Building the business has come at a cost. Mwaniki estimates that setting up a proper website where customers can browse experiences, book and pay, while also equipping a team of facilitators, would need an initial investment of at least Sh200,000.
After that, the biggest expenses are scouting new destinations and equipping the facilitators who lead the trips. Depending on their role, this can include getting them some hiking shoes and clothing, bags, safety equipment and a first-aid kit, costing upwards of Sh10,000 to Sh15,000 a month, not counting their pay for events.
Transport is another burden, especially with fuel prices rising.
“Even though we believe that these experiences should be accessible, some of that extra cost is sometimes passed on to the traveller, making them less accessible,” he says.
Samuel Karori was introduced to the exciting world of outdoor adventures by his grandfather’s stories.
“My grandfather loved adventure. He used to traverse the country and go to places like Ngong Hills or the Buxton tunnel in Limuru and then come and tell me all about it,” he says. “I would find myself wanting to know where these places were, whether I too could go, and how I could get there.”
After high school, Samuel found work selling camping tents and setting them up for clients. Later, he met a man running a campsite in Njukiri Forest, Embu, who gave him a guide and sent him off to explore.
He fell in love with the place instantly. “I call that place my oasis to date, since that is where I really tapped into who I am,” he says.
He started work as a guide, leading adventurers along the forest trails and helping them with their camping gear.
“I never refer to these adventures as trips,” he says. “I call them experiences because when you go, you never come back the same person.”
About a year in, he joined a team whose work involved taking people off the beaten path. As a waterfall guide, his job was to discover waterfalls and lead people to them. He says he visited more than 100 around Kenya.
Samuel Karori Mungai, founder of Karori Tours, poses at Gicheru Diatomite mines, Ndeiya, in Kiambu County.
Photo credit: Pool
“Kiambu alone is very rich when it comes to waterfalls,” he says. “You can go hiking and stumble upon five or six in a single day. Add the waterfalls in places like the Aberdares, Murang’a and Nyeri and you’ll find there are so many in this country. There’s probably one in your backyard that you don’t even know about.”
Business peaked during the Covid-19 pandemic, but Samuel wanted to build something of his own. In 2022, he started Karori Tours.
“The idea was to create a space where like-minded people could find each other while reconnecting with nature and themselves,” he says.
Karori Tours organises hiking trips during the week and at weekends for solo adventurers, groups and corporate teams, and clients can book private tours on any day. A typical day hike costs between Sh2,500 and Sh5,000. Most clients are aged between 25 and 65, although many children also hike with their parents.
“On a normal week, we have at least one or two clients every day, and about 20 on the weekend,” he says. “During peak months, which are typically August to November and April, we get about 10 clients every single day.”
He also wanted to draw attention to little-known places. Bringing visitors to them, he says, gives travellers somewhere new to explore and creates opportunities for the communities around them.
“Kanunga Waterfalls is a good example,” he says. “In 2021, very few people beyond the local community knew about it. We had to cut through Napier grass to find our way there. Today, because of people visiting the waterfall, the economy of that place has changed. They now have an entrance fee, which goes back to the community, and some shops have also mushroomed around the area.”
“Maps, both physical and digital ones, are my best friends,” he says. “When I want to explore an area, I get its map and spend a lot of time studying it. For waterfalls, which are my specialty, I tend to follow the rivers. 3D maps are especially helpful because they show the topography, so by the time I go to the ground, I am already familiar with the place.”
He also relies on the people who know these places best: locals, particularly boda boda riders. Not every destination is as impressive in person as it looks on the map, but local guides have sometimes steered him towards other spots that they believe are worth seeing.
After the initial scouting trip, Samuel makes a second visit to involve the community. He speaks to elders, Nyumba Kumi representatives or chiefs, explains his plan to bring visitors and says when he intends to return. This is mainly so the community is aware of the visitors, which helps keep them safe.
The company also organises cycling trips, which Samuel describes as bikepacking. Some are built around causes that let participants give back to the communities they visit. So far, the team has cycled to raise awareness about mental health and to support access to menstrual products and books.
The work has not been without challenges. Samuel has encountered hostile communities, poor weather and political instability while scouting and taking people to different destinations. Still, he hopes to expand the business into 4×4 expeditions.
