Quaint sanctuary on the slopes of Mt Kenya

Sandai Farmstay and Cottages in Mweiga, Nyeri. (Photo: Wilberforce Okwiri, Standard)

Growing up in the Taita highlands, my naive friends and I often wondered what would lead any sane soul to leave the luxury of the city for bush life. It amazed us how foreigners drawn from the world’s major cities seemed at ease in our village yet we all wanted to escape its simplicity. Our heroes were annual returnees who dazzled in their city clothes and lingo. Well, years later, most of us had our wishes come true with job postings in Mombasa and Nairobi.

Cities, with their innumerable entertainment options, are fun places to live if you can afford the lifestyle. Unfortunately, the charm wears off fast. You are either stuck at your desk or in traffic. When you eventually make it to the pub, you realise that that the dance floor was long replaced by bar stools. That is when nostalgia sets and you long for the hikes through green meadows and forests.