From 'vibey' Johannesburg to gorgeous Kapsabet, this was travelling done right

What you need to know:

  • The Sandton Sun, where we stayed, is a beautiful, quality hotel and even more important, has exquisite service.
  • I loved the fact that at a wedding expo, they found it important to remind people that sometimes happily-ever-afters don’t turn out that way, even when you want them to

‘Travel is for remembering home.’

It may seem presumptuous to quote myself, but I did say that, because it is true for me and I am reminded of it every time I go anywhere.

Last month I was in Johannesburg for the Wedding Expo, which is Africa’s biggest wedding fair. Considering the fact that I am not a bride, you would think that going all the way down south for a wedding expo seemed over the top – but it was well worth the experience.

The Sandton Sun, where we stayed, is a beautiful, quality hotel and even more important, has exquisite service. It feels like Johannesburg hotels are constantly trying to outdo themselves, though not with the moneyed buoyance of Dubai, but in a much more elegant and natural fashion. Or at least, that’s what it seemed like when I was there.

We were treated to several Johannesburg delights. The expo was as interesting for me as is possible when you are removed from the subject. You can see what you would like and what you don’t like in an unhurried way, be it flower arrangements or outfits, or dresses and rings, or pre-nup lawyers!

The Wedding Expo, Johannesburg. PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA

I loved the fact that at a wedding expo, they found it important to remind people that sometimes happily-ever-afters don’t turn out that way, even when you want them to.

Then there was quad biking through Soweto (no, I didn’t bungee jump, I can’t bring myself to just yet), going up in a hot air balloon with Bill Harrop’s Original Balloon Safaris which was breathtaking, spa treatments, and of course, shopping through Africa’s biggest malls.

Fun on a hot-air balloon (left) and Mandela House (right). PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA

If you’re into this sort of thing, Johannesburg is the perfect city for you, fusing an urban cultural vibe with the best of South Africa, and you’re getting everything you need for your special day too.

Did I mention that food is so much cheaper in Johannesburg? It’s so surprising to me that one of the nicest hotels we visited, the Fairlawns Boutique Hotel and Spa, had their food priced at Java-like rates, which is amazing because not only was the food delectable, the ambience was incomparable.

 Fairlawns Boutique Hotel and Spa. PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA

We’re now living in the hell of Sh80 for a packet of milk, but that’s an article for another day…

In spite of the plush hotel room (I never wanted to leave that bed) and the wonderful ‘vibey’ city, as our guide called it, I was still very ready to come back to Nairobi. There’s something to be said for familiarity.

Johannesburg felt like heaven, but everything has to end, doesn’t it? Of course, as I sit here, I could really use a hot air balloon ride, but alas.

Johannesburg also serves as a contrast for other places I’ve been. This long weekend took me to Kapsabet in Nandi County. Because it was that time of the month (i.e., before payday), I and a bunch of friends decided it made more sense to put our resources together, contribute for fuel and drive down.

Much as shuttles have gotten more and more comfortable, they don’t let you stop where you please and relax on the way in any fashion. There would be so much money to make if there were a few cleaner stops with toilets and palatable food on some of our roads, because most people use roads to go places. It only makes sense.

We left Nairobi at about 2:30 pm, as I had spoken on a panel earlier. I had confidence that we would not get there too late, despite never having driven on that road before.

Passing forests along the road. PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA

I’ve driven to Rusinga and Kisumu, but of course we always branch off at the Kericho-Kisumu turning instead of going straight on the A104 (I’m finally beginning to recognise road names. Thank you, Google Maps).

There had been warnings of flash floods but nothing touched us until we reached Kapsabet at nightfall. The first thing I noticed was, of course, the first thing any traveller from the city notices; the country roads are immersed in blackness.

A cloudy evening in Kapsabet, Nandi County. PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA

There are no street lights, no flood lights, no house lights. You can barely see the road past a certain hour because of this and you are surrounded by thick forest – or so it feels like.

The next thing you notice is the cold. Then it begins to rain, and all of a sudden Kapsabet seems like one of the most romantic places ever.

Kapsabet was gorgeous and green for miles. I wonder if people who live here taste the difference in the crisp air when they leave. Do they know they are surrounded by such beauty? Or as they run past it, does it just become another background?

A herdsman guides his animals among the tea plantations in Kapsabet, Nandi County. PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA

Speaking of running, we were staying right next to a 33-time marathon winner, or rather, podium finisher. I managed to interview her for My Network’s "Take 5" section for next Friday's Daily Nation, because, before Serena Williams made it hip, she was winning marathons as a pregnant 23 year-old.

It makes one feel very underachieved. Some of my companions went on a morning 10km run with her, but I know my limits. I sat home and waited!

Like I said, everything has to end, and I was ready to return. Before long, the weekend was over and it was time to come back to the hustle and bustle of the city I love so well.

Tea plantations in Kapsabet. PHOTO | ABIGAIL ARUNGA

There was a brief panic when I couldn’t find a petrol station between Kapsabet and Karama (or at least, I think it was called Karama), which confused me. Is it that there are fewer cars on this road?

The Kericho-Kisumu route, on the other hand, is littered with stations. What happens if, the horror, your car has a flat tyre, or something that needs a petrol station?

Of course, the closer you come to Nairobi, the more traffic builds up. We were coming into Nakuru for a good half hour, and leaving for a whole other hour after. It took me four and a half hours to get to Nairobi from Nakuru because of that, and rain, and fog, and people’s full lights.

I knew I was home when I saw the wall. Now all they need to do, for Pete’s sake, is to fix Waiyaki Way once and for all.

Twitter: @AbigailArunga