Maralal is a small town north of Nyahururu and Nanyuki. Its in a beautiful spot, surrounded by Maralal National Sanctuary. The area is home to the Samburu people, relatives of the Maasai. They are perhaps the smartest dressed tribe in the country. The area is impoverished, so expect to be severely harassed by locals trying to sell trinkets or beg.



Maralal is not too frequently visited by tourists except for once a year at its annual International Camel Derby. The Derby is held every July and everyone is invited for a hell of a good time. The race is based at Yare Club and Campground, a few km out of town, where you are free to camp for KSh 200, or get a nice room.

There is an amateur competition and a professional race. The amateur class is open to anyone wishing to ride. For a few thousand Kenyan shillings, you can pick your own camel, hire a handler to run behind your camel and hit it with a stick, and take a chance at winning a lot of money. No matter how you do, you can be sure of two things: Youll leave with a hang-over from celebrating for two days straight, and youll be so sore you wont be able to sit comfortably for days. Get there on Friday or early Saturday to register for the race.

If youre looking for another place to stay besides the Yare Club, try the Buffalo Lodge. It offers rooms for KSh 400 and has two lively bars. Kimaniki Boarding & Lodging and the Silence Hotel are also good values. The only upper-end place is the expensive Maralal Safari Lodge (# (0368) 2060), 3 km outside of town towards Baragoi. It has a golf course, swimming pool, and a watering hole for attracting game. It costs US$ 120/150 for singles/doubles with full board. The restaurant and facilities are open to the public.

Aberdare Mountains
Aberdare N.P.
Amobseli N.P.
Bungoma
Cherangani Hills
East of Lake Turkana
Eldoret
Embu
Hell's Gate N.P.
Isiolo
Kakamega
Kakamega Forest Reserve
Kericho
Kilifi
Kisumu
Kitale
Lake Baringo
Lake Bogoria N.P.
Lake Bogoria National Reserve
Lake Elmenteita
Lake Naivasha
Lake Nakuru N.P.
Lake Turkana
Lake Victoria
Lamu
Longonot N.P.
Malindi
Maralal
Masai Mara N.R.
Maweni Beach cottages- Tiwi
Meru
Mombasa
Mount Kenya N.P.
Mt Elgon National Park
Mt. Kilimanjaro
Nairobi
Nairobi N.P.
Naivasha
Nakuru
Nanyuki
Naro Moru
North of Mombasa
Nyahururu (Thomson's Falls)
Nyeri
Samburu & Buffalo Springs N.P.
Shimoni and Wasini Island
The Aberdares
Tsavo N.P.
Watamu
Webuye
West of Lake Turkana