There’s a water body in the town, so you know I’ve been there. I’ve seen it from Uganda as well and just need to do Tanzania.

There’s really nothing not to like about Kisumu (even the hyacinth on the lake has a beauty to it).

I went with my girlfriends some time back, by bus from Nairobi. The distance is about 350km and it takes about 6 hours to get there. The journey is also scenic as you go past the Great Rift valley. (Don’t you like how that sounds, The Great.)

Things to do;

1. Have fish by the lake, preferably Lwang’ni beach. This area basically has many sheds serving fish straight from the lake. The breeze and the lakeside vibe are breathtaking. My only life problem, right before I was served, was whether to have my fish dry or with stew. I went with my friend’s family that lives there and it was interesting to also learn a few cultural/social things. They were a little perturbed by my fish-eating mannerisms. The best way to eat is to have the entire skeleton whole when you’re done. My Kenyan readers will also agree that it is almost an offense to the lakeside people to eat fish with anything but ugali, especially for some of us that come from the mountain region and commit this atrocity, lol.

2. Visit Dunga beach. If you like to party and meet people, this is definitely the place to be in the evenings. We’d drive down with my girlfriends, park by the lake, get the car music booming and just catch up, drinks in hand. Everyone else did the same; so at some point, people just mingle. The car with the best music wins and everyone else shuts theirs. The days we did this, by around 8pm, it was one big party and everyone just drove to the club together in a convoy.

 

3. Boat rides! Boat rides are refreshing. Being in the middle of a mass of water, watching hippos bop their heads occasionally and having good conversation is one of the things I enjoy the most. I could write a whole novel about my experiences with fishermen too. Yap! Fishermen (at least locally)! They really are the most fun, adventurous individuals you will ever come across. Their stories, if you create a rapport are also the most fascinating you’ll ever hear. If you meet the romantic ones in Lamu, they’ll  literally carry all the girls in your group into and out of their boats! (no pun intended).

 

4. Hit the club! Partying outside of Nairobi always presents a different party culture. We did quite some club-hopping and the nights were pretty exciting. On one of the nights out, at a club’s balcony, we were entertained to some drama across the road. There was a hotel across and this couple decided they were not going to put off their lights or close their curtains. Now, I wish I was those kinds of people that know how to mind their own business, especially at a club. I’m not. So we watched quite some action until they lay on their bed and we could no longer see them.

Lesson: Close the curtains!

5. Visit a few sites. I got to visit Impala Park. Other sites that are definitely on my bucket list are Kit Mikayi and Ndere Island as well as some high-end looking members’ clubs that we could see on our boat rides.

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