Female adventurists curing our wanderlust one trip at a time

 

One stop Nanyuki is exactly as the name suggests, a one stop shop for all your necessities. The little community is home to a convenience store, beauty salon, vet clinic, plant nursery, lingerie shop, car workshop and more. However, we found ourselves there to experience their cute little shepherd huts for the weekend.

Here’s a short video to give you a glimpse of the place.

 

A few months ago we had a guest blogger visit the Shepherd’s Huts at One Stop Nanyuki. They’re cute, cosy and have wondrous views of Mt. Kenya. It was about time we checked them out for ourselves. You can read her experience here.

One Stop Nanyuki is now home to four cosy shepherd’s huts (Holly, Ivy, Bramble & Oak). Each hut has a double and single bed accommodating a total of 3 people. The huts are paired up with their own little garden space so if you are two couples or two families of 3 people then this is your ideal weekend escape. They are also quite private, set apart from everything else at One Stop. We had booked Holly & Ivy for two nights.

They are obviously called Shepherd’s Huts because they look like them, huts that were used by shepherd’s during sheep raising and lambing in the United Kingdom & France. Traditionally, they had iron wheels and corrugated iron tops but the ones at One Stop have wooden exteriors and an iron roof. They are bright with pastel coloured walls and have the basic amenities such as a mini fridge, toaster, cutlery, crockery and glassware.

The huts are raised from the ground with big porches and seating outside. They are quite clean and beds are comfy for a good night’s rest. The bathrooms have wooden interiors and hot showers (just switch on the solar switch 30 minutes’ pre-shower).

So BIG PLUS – The Shepherd’s Huts at One Stop are pet friendly 🙂 Our furry friend had had an eye surgery so we treated him to a weekend away to make him feel better (and he did!)

One Stop Nanyuki is about 186KM from Nairobi and should take 3 hours to get to. It’s easy to spot once you begin approaching Nanyuki with a big One Stop sign on your left. It’s literally right opposite the airstrip. Also, it’s 2018 so just plug in ‘One Stop Nanyuki’ to google maps and you’ll find your way there. And the roads are smooooooth. If you live in Westlands, Nairobi then this in itself is like a vacation. Seriously though, is anyone going to fix the monstrous potholes in Nairobi? Shall we start a petition? Lezbehonest, we could set up camp in them, riiiight? Ok, back to One Stop.

For the rest of the afternoon we just chilled, ate some cheese and opened up a few beers. We sat out on the porch and literally just relaxed. Lucky for us, it was a clear sunny day. Quite the opposite to what our friends and family were experiencing in Nairobi, torrential downpour.

I had also requested for a grill which management had very thoughtfully put out under a shade (because weather had been unpredictable). We didn’t make use of it on the first day there, but instead went for an early dinner to Soames just down the road.

The huts face majestic Mt. Kenya so on a clear day you can feast your eyes on this beauty, such a wonderful sight to wake up to. But after a great meal at Soames, we had a very clear and starry night at One Stop. I had never seen Mt. Kenya in all its glory in the night time so this was definitely a big highlight of our trip. It was unreal!

After such a wondrous view, we slept like babies in our comfortable beds.

The next morning we were up bright and early. Unfortunately, no sign of Mt. Kenya. But very grateful for the night before. We fueled up with our favourite breakfast meal -> Avocado toast with cream cheese and sundried tomatoes.

We had a fun afternoon planned, a game drive in Ol Pejeta conservancy so we decided to get the grill going early for a brunch before we headed out.

We had specifically gone down to Nanyuki to visit the Ol Pejeta conservancy, a wildlife conservancy at the foothills of the Aberdares and Mount Kenya, famously known as the home of the last male white Rhino (Rest in Peace dear Sudan). They also have a chimpanzee sanctuary there. One Stop is about a 30-45mins drive to the conservancy, an ideal accommodation if you do want to visit the conservancy but have a tight budget. We got into the park at about 4PM and managed to see some good game.

The next morning we woke up to lots of chirping birds and airplanes landing/taking off (having the airstrip right next door does cause some noise pollution)

Pros

• Superb views on a clear day
• Unique and cosy experience
• Ideal for an intimate getaway
• Pet friendly
• Close to great restaurants and a day trip to Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Cons

• Noisy as it’s close to the main road and airstrip
• Mosquitoes find their way into the hut so carry some Doom/Raid
• It gets cold at night so pack some warm clothes
• Not ideal for very long stays due to lack of self catering amenities

BUT

Nanyuki is home to some really great restaurants so keeping your belly happy is an easy task. Barney’s bar & restaurant is right opposite within the airstrip vicinity, then there is Soames Restaurant just down the road, about 1KM. Further into Nanyuki town you have Le Rustique which is always a treat.

How to book & costs

A night at any of the Shepherd’s Huts is only 4000/- and you can email them on onestopnanyuki@gmail.com or give them a call on 0722706895. Check out their website too www.onestopnanyuki.com

We had a lovely weekend there, the staff and management were extremely hospitable. Definitely a place we would revisit.