Living in Kijabe

International Visitor & Family Guide • 2,200m
Written from a European Resident’s Perspective

Comfort, Community & Highland Adventure.

Discover life at 2,200 meters overlooking Kenya’s Great Rift Valley. A balanced mountain community blending world-class clinical & academic purpose with cedar forest singletracks, zero malaria risk, and unforgettable family excursions.

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2,200 m
Malaria-Free Altitude
90+ Miles
Forest MTB Singletrack
~$20–$25
Direct Uber to Nairobi
1906
RVA Academy Founded
Highland Reality

A European Perspective on Life in Kijabe

When European clinicians, academic fellows, remote professionals, or traveling families plan an extended stay or sabbatical in sub-Saharan Africa, questions naturally arise: Is it comfortable? What is the food like? How do children spend their afternoons? How easy is it to travel around?

Written from the direct viewpoint of a European resident living alongside a practicing clinician, this guide offers an unvarnished, authentic view of life on the ridge. Rather than an austere or isolated outpost, you arrive at a self-sustaining highland community perched at 2,200 meters.

Kenya provides an approachable entry into Africa. Infrastructure is improving at a rapid pace—connecting newly paved access roads and high-speed fiber internet with lush cedar forests and cool, spring-like days.

Virtually Zero Malaria Risk

Because Kijabe sits at 2,200 m (7,200 ft), nighttime temperatures (10°C–14°C) drop below the survival threshold for malaria-bearing mosquitoes. Daily prophylaxis and bed nets are not required on campus.

@fisher_artist
On Campus & Ridge

Village Living: Wildlife, Housing & Dining

Practical daily comfort, resident baboons, and highland amenities right within walking distance.

Baboon troop walking along highland forest road in Kijabe
Highland troop on road
Campus Primate Etiquette

The Walking Baboon Troop & Forest Canopy Monkeys

A resident troop of olive baboons regularly walks through neighborhood lanes, gardens, and forest perimeters. They are entertaining to watch, but they are smart and bold opportunists—they can even open refrigerators! Always keep doors and ground-floor windows securely latched.

Look up into the tall cedar and eucalyptus canopy to see graceful Guereza colobus monkeys with flowing white capes and playful Sykes’ monkeys leaping overhead.

Elimu Springs Housing

While the exterior has a modest, weathered look, the interiors have been recently renovated and are clean, functional, and pleasant.

  • Solar-heated hot showers
  • Gas cooking unit for full family meals
  • Refrigerator & microwave included
  • High-speed optical fiber internet
  • Private deep boreholes & auto generators

Dining on the Ridge

Kahawa Coffee Shop 📍: Single-origin espresso, cappuccino, iced drinks, light lunch, and baked treats.
The Local Pizzeria: Freshly baked stone-oven pizza night—a beloved weekend community institution.
Hospital & CURE Restaurants: Bustling cafeterias serving hearty local lunches (beef stew, chapati, rice, chai).
Alcohol-Free Compound: No alcohol is sold or permitted on campus properties.

The Local Shop (Duka)

You don't need to run to Nairobi for staples. The campus shop stocks everyday highland essentials:

  • Fresh highland fruits & vegetables
  • Fresh dairy, local eggs, and bakery bread
  • Dry pantry goods, snacks & toiletries
  • M-Pesa smartphone payments everywhere
Community Sports: Late-afternoon pickup volleyball & soccer on compound courts.
Campus Neighbor Est. 1906

Rift Valley Academy (RVA)

A historic international Christian boarding school bordering Kijabe forest. For visiting clinicians, academic fellows, and families using this guide, RVA anchors the community with North American accredited K–12 education, rich arts, and shared highland campus life.

Fun fact: During his 1909 expedition, US President Theodore Roosevelt visited Kijabe and personally laid the cornerstone for RVA’s Kiambogo Hall.
Family & Schooling

An Open, Secure Environment for Kids

For families traveling with children, Kijabe provides an open, active community where kids enjoy freedom of movement. Within the 24/7 staffed, gated perimeter, children cycle along quiet lanes and play on open lawns.

Rift Valley Academy (RVA) 📍 🌐

Premier Christian boarding school serving families across Africa, featuring private forest trails, gymnasium, tennis courts, and performing arts halls.

Kindergarten & Nursery

An on-campus nursery and kindergarten welcomes younger children of resident clinicians, faculty, and visiting guests.

24/7 Gated Perimeter English Fluency Kijabe Forest Trust 🌐
Daily Rhythm

Purposeful Living Meets Mountain Adventure

From dawn coffee overlooking Mount Longonot to red-dirt singletracks and stone-baked pizza.

06:30 AM

Dawn Coffee at Elimu Springs

Wake up to fresh single-origin Kenyan coffee on the balcony overlooking Mount Longonot as mist lifts from the Rift Valley floor.

08:00 – 12:30

Morning Collaborations & Professional Projects

Short walk to hospital wards, clinical teaching, remote digital work with high-speed fiber internet, or volunteering initiatives.

12:30 PM

Hearty Local Hot Lunch

Gather with staff and resident doctors at the AIC Hospital restaurant or CURE cafeteria for chapati, beef stew, beans, and Kenyan chai.

16:45 PM

Forest MTB Singletrack or Campus Volleyball

Ride world-class red-dirt singletracks (Hit the Lights, Reber’s Revenge), run escarpment ridges, or join staff soccer and volleyball matches.

19:00 PM

Stone-Baked Pizza or Family Cooking

Fresh pizza night at the local pizzeria or home cooking on the Elimu gas range, followed by a cool highland evening reading and relaxing.

Weekend Excursions

Day Trips Within 1 to 2 Hours

With the smooth new tarmac road up Kijabe hill and the Nairobi-Naivasha dual carriageway, world-class day trips are minutes away.

50–60 min Wildlife & Lakes

Lake Naivasha & Crescent Island

Walk openly on foot among wild giraffes, zebras, and waterbucks with zero large predators. Take boat tours to view hippo pods and fish eagles.

The Dutch Floriculture Airbridge: Naivasha's high-tech greenhouses harvest millions of roses daily, flown directly to Amsterdam Schiphol (Royal FloraHolland) for European flower markets.
Google Maps Official Site
60–75 min Canyon Cycling

Hell's Gate & Olkaria Geothermal Spa

Rent mountain bikes at Elsa Gate and cycle between grazing zebras and warthogs flanked by volcanic cliffs that inspired The Lion King's Pride Rock.

Volcanic Geothermal Pools: Soak in Africa’s largest natural geothermal heated lagoons (30°C–40°C) after cycling.
Hell's Gate Olkaria Spa
30–75 min Hikes & City

Mount Longonot, Tea & Nairobi

Mount Longonot (30 min) 📍: Hike up to the crater rim (2,776 m) and walk the scenic 7.2 km rim trail.
Kiambethu Tea Farm (35 min) 📍: Stroll lush highland tea plantations and enjoy historic farmhouse garden lunches.
Nairobi Metropolis (75–90 min): Order an Uber directly from Nairobi or Westlands to Kijabe for ~$20 to $25 USD.
View Route
Wider Kenya

Safaris, The Indian Ocean Coast & Kitesurfing

Kenya is the ultimate introduction to sub-Saharan Africa—combining high-quality infrastructure with untamed wilderness.

World-Class Big Five Safaris

A stay at Kijabe makes an ideal springboard for family-friendly safari circuits:

Maasai Mara National Reserve 📍 🌐: 4–5 hour drive or 45-min flight from Wilson Airport. High concentrations of lions, leopards, cheetahs, and kid-friendly tented camps with swimming pools.
Lake Nakuru National Park 📍 🌐: Located only 90 minutes north of Kijabe. Famous for its black & white rhino sanctuaries and flamingos.
Official Kenya Wildlife Service & Tourism Itineraries

Subtropical Coast & Kitesurfing

Warm turquoise water, barrier coral reefs, and dependable trade winds (Kaskazi & Kuzi):

Diani Beach 📍: World-renowned flat-water lagoons and soft coral sands. One of the planet's premier kitesurfing and wing-foiling destinations.
Direct Flights via Jambojet 🌐: Kenya's low-cost carrier flies from Nairobi to Ukunda Airport (Diani) in 1h 15m, landing 2 minutes from beach lodges.
Madaraka Express (SGR Train) 🌐: Modern high-speed rail connects Nairobi to Mombasa in 5–6 hours, cutting through Tsavo National Park where elephants graze along the tracks.
Check Jambojet Flight Schedules
Reference Cheat Sheet

Practical Summary & Travel Checklist

Aspect What to Expect During Your Stay at Kijabe
Location & Elevation Great Rift Valley escarpment at 2,200 meters, 65 km NW of Nairobi. Spring-like 18°C–24°C days, 10°C–14°C nights.
Malaria Risk Virtually zero malaria risk at 2,200m. Daily prophylaxis and bed nets are unnecessary on campus.
Transport from Nairobi Direct Uber rides between central Nairobi / Westlands and Kijabe cost ~$20 to $25 USD (2,500–3,000 KES).
Elimu Springs Housing Renovated, clean, solar-heated hot showers, full gas range, microwave, refrigerator, and high-speed fiber internet.
Dining & Alcohol Kahawa coffee bar, local Pizzeria, fresh groceries at the duka, lunch at hospital cafeterias. Strictly alcohol-free compound.
Primate Awareness Resident baboon troop walks by daily; they can open refrigerators. Always keep doors and ground windows latched!
Mountain Biking (MTB) 90+ miles of mapped singletrack (Hit the Lights, Reber’s Revenge) maintained by Kijabe Forest Trust.
Family & Schooling Gated, secure 24/7; adjacent to Rift Valley Academy (RVA; cornerstone laid by Theodore Roosevelt in 1909); on-campus nursery.
Payments & Language Smartphone M-Pesa used for groceries, rides, and parks. English is Kenya’s official language for business and healthcare.