The amateur tea pickers scattered across the field at Gathoni Park Farm in Limuru
What is it about Tigoni? Not so many years ago, we were not at all envious of those who lived there. It was a rather chilly place, we thought, when compared with the suburbs of Nairobi such as Karen, Lavington and Loresho.
The only place we occasionally visited for a meal and maybe a weekend break was the Kentmere Club, with its lunches in the garden and its roaring log fires in the bar. It is still open, of course, but it now has many competitors.
As a place to live, Tigoni has become a rival of Karen. Living there, with its rolling hills, tea estates and forests, you must feel that you are in the country but also close to the city. The air is clean, and the temperature can be called cool rather than chilly. With the Waiyaki Way expansion, the upgrade of Limuru Road and the smooth tarmac of the winding lanes in Tigoni, you are somewhere between 30 to 60 minutes away from Nairobi. So workplaces, schools and hospitals are all accessible. I guess property is cheaper there, too, compared with Karen.
As for Lut and I, we are not thinking of leaving Lavington, but in the last three years, we have had many days out in Tigoni. There is a lot on offer for such trips. Naturally, given that tea is the number one crop, a number of tea farm tours are on offer. Two of the most popular are the Kiambethu Tea Farm and the Gathoni Tea Farm. Both have guided walks and tasting sessions. And the Gathoni Farm also has a sensory garden, with a wide variety of herbs and flowers.
For the more active, you can take a guided hike through the tea fields, with more to see than the bright green tea bushes. Given the hilly landscape, there are a number of waterfalls, and a popular place for seeing them is at the Twin Rivers Resort, where you can enjoy other activities such as ziplining, sky biking and quad biking. More leisurely electric bikes can be rented for touring from Velo Rides or Tigoni Life. And for more stylish riding, how about getting on a horse at the Kawamwaki Horse Farm.
The usual objective of our own Tigoni visits is to have a good lunch. We have two favourite places: the Como Restaurant and the Fig and Olive. At Como, Stef the Chef provides what she calls high-end Kenyan fusion cuisine. It also has a lush setting for outdoor eating. And it is only a short walk from the Kawamwaki Horse Farm.
Kentmere Club, Tigoni | PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA
The Fig and Olive is a special place. The owners advertise it as a family-run café. It is also a farm shop and a deli. It has padel courts, too. For an after-lunch treat, you can be pampered at the Serenity Spa, which shares the same compound. Uplifting as well as relaxing, you can enjoy a visit to the Red Hill Art Gallery, with its excellent exhibitions of modern and contemporary African art.
A couple of weeks ago, Lut and I visited another tea farm – the Little Falls Tea Garden. It was an art walk event at the regular organic farmers' market held on Saturdays, every two or three months. We were – certainly I was – hungry when we arrived, so I sat myself down at a small food station just inside the entrance, which was serving an all-day breakfast with fried eggs done in the “sunny-side-up” English style.
While I was settling to that, Lut went off round the market to find something more suitable for her vegetarian tastes. She came back to say that there were no other food stations. “But what about the tea garden?” I asked, forgetting that the whole estate is called a tea garden. Its setting is splendid. And we did find the falls; they certainly live up to their name. Or should it be live down? Because they really are little, though beautifully calming.
I think we would have enjoyed ourselves more on an ordinary farm visit day. The way tea farm experience is described in their website is most attractive: “At Little Falls, we invite guests to slow down, sip with awareness and rediscover the simplicity of joy. Through guided tastings, scenic farm walks, high tea celebrations and soon, wellness experiences, we offer more than tea – we offer moments that linger in the heart.”
But one thing will linger in the heart from that art walk experience. The paintings were scattered along the paths of the tea field. We stopped to talk with one of the young artists – Jackson Murimi. He is from Nyeri; so many of his paintings feature the landscapes dominated by Mount Kenya. He told us about his few months' experience at the Mukuru Art Collective. In the Mukuru slum, the Collective provides training, mentorship, and opportunities for young artists. Clearly, he also appreciates the support given by fellow artists at the Ngecha Art Centre.
The road to Tigoni. PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA
Knowing how difficult it is for artists to make a living out of just selling their paintings, I asked Jackson if he had a back-up job. He said he also makes videos, but that when he makes an effort to cover functions such as weddings and birthday parties, he is usually pushed aside by those who own impressive video cameras.
“You know what it’s like for young people in Kenya these days,” he said. “Finding work is very difficult.”
He also told us that his parents have broken with him because he chooses to live as an artist. He now stays alone. It is a sad story I have heard many times.
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