Cheap and cheerful at Oloroka
You can have a great day out for as little as Sh300.
Just visit the Olepolos nyama choma joint and follow that up with a spot of hiking on Oloroka mountain.
They are both on the road to Magadi.
At Olepolos, on the outskirts of the county and overlooking the Great Rift Valley, it is claimed you can order a live goat and have it slaughtered and turned into your dinner as you enjoy a glass or two of your favourite beer.
On a ridge behind the Ngong Hills, it straddles the boundary of the Central Highlands and the Rift.
Run mostly by the local Maasai, Olepolos is always packed with Nairobi residents out to have a good time, away from the city but still within its presence.
There you will find loud music, food and drinks and plenty of private enclosures in which to enjoy your meal.
Around 20km away from Olepolos, 60km from Nairobi and close to the prehistoric Olorgesaille stone axe-making site, another good day out can be enjoyed at Oloroka mountain, off the road to Magadi.
Scenic and a centre for hiking, it is inhabited by the Maasai who graze their herds on the slopes.
You can ask for a guide among the locals as there is no discernible trail in the upper reaches due to lack of regular visitors climbing on this side of the mountain.
Then you can start a 10 kilometre hike that will take you almost four hours to get to the summit. It’s very rocky terrain so you need the right footwear to tackle the trail.
The higher, the better the views of the surrounding landscape and the distant hills in all directions.
Some interesting plants thrive at these heights in spite of the dry conditions.
You will spend less than Sh300 on this fun-filled excursion as tips and food from the Olepolos eat-out area.