Thomson's Falls

The falls are named for Joseph Thomson, the Scottish explorer who reached them in 1883, and they drop about seventy-four metres into a steep ravine thick with tree ferns and moss, with the spray keeping the whole gorge green. Nyahururu sits at over 2,300 metres, making it one of the highest towns in Kenya, and the cool damp air around the falls belongs more to the highlands than to the Kenya of safari brochures. A viewing platform looks straight at the drop, and a steep muddy path descends to the pool at the bottom for those who want the view from below, passing hippo pools further downstream. The site is firmly a local outing: curio stalls, guides offering the descent, men with painted faces posing for photographs, and a lodge above the ravine.

What you actually see

• The 74-metre drop - the fall plunging into a fern-hung ravine.
• The descent path - a steep muddy route to the pool at the base.
• The gorge vegetation - tree ferns and moss kept green by the spray.
• The stall strip - curios and photo touts above the viewpoint.

When to go

Year-round, with the strongest flow after the long rains from April to June and the short rains in November. Mornings are quieter. The path down is treacherous when wet, which is much of the year.

Honest expectations

The commercial pressure at the viewpoint is heavy, with persistent guides, photographers and stallholders, and this is the most common complaint. The descent is slippery and genuinely dangerous in the wet; guides are useful but agree the price first. Water quality downstream is poor. An hour covers it.

Nearby

Lake Ol Bolossat lies south; the Aberdares and Nyeri are southeast.