Isiolo - city

Isiolo is a city in Kenya.

Isiolo is the "last stop" before travelling off the paved road to the towns of Marsabit and Moyale in northern Kenya. Isiolo is a safe place, and there are buses that take you to Moyale since the road was tarmacked.

Get in

There are buses & minivans from

• Nanyuki (1 hour).
• Meru (1 hour).
• Nairobi (5½ hours)
• Minivans to Nanyuki and Isiolo can be boarded in the River Road area of Nairobi. See the Nairobi section on Wikivoyage for more information.

Get around

See

Isiolo is prime for game conservation country. Safari operators guide visitors on tours of these lands to see the great cats; African ungulate species like giraffe, elephant, oryx; and even crocodiles.

• Shaba National Reserve, 0.6451908°, 37.7094335°, +254 713 005065. 2022-04-06
• Samburu National Reserve, 0.6098°, 37.5312°, +254 733 869661. Daily 8AM-6PM. One of the places where George and Joy Adamson raised Elsa of Born Free fame, when Joy wasn't being snide with the local populace. 2022-04-06
• Buffalo Springs Reserve, 0.5723°, 37.6234°. Daily 9AM-5PM. 2022-04-06

Do

There is little to do in Isiolo proper outside of the reserves. The social life in the town revolves around drinking and chewing Miraa (qhat). There is a nightclub in town that plays mostly early 1990s techno-pop.

These are based in Nairobi, but offer safari tours of Samburu and possibly the other reserves:

• Mufasa Tours and Travels, +254 701 302035. Safari outfitter for Samburu National Reserve. 2022-04-07
• Right Choice Tours & Safaris, +254 20 8072613. 2022-04-07

Buy

Isiolo is a center for copper, brass, and aluminum jewelry-making and has a large market.

• Equity Bank. 24-hour ATM. Has a Master Card/Visa Card ATM. 2016-03-09

Eat

The |Saala Hotel (dead link: January 2023) has a full-service restaurant, offering options like goat soup, chicken kyiv, pan fish, and chicken tikka.

• Eeman Restaurant, 0.35089°, 37.58335°, +254 70 5850152. Nice waffles. 2022-04-06

Drink

Sleep

• Mocharo Lodge, near the main square.
• Josera Guest House, +254 7252228482. 2016-09-03
• Northern Galaxy Hotel-Isiolo, Oldo/Nyiro, Kenyatta Hwy, 0.33664°, 37.57859°, +254 701 172247. Somewhat exciting in that it has an outdoor pool. Ksh 1960 2022-04-06
• Saala Hotel, 0.35666°, 37.58547°, +254 709 909000. With its modest yet stately tower, it kind of sets the bar for accommodations in Isiolo. With breakfast and a restaurant. Ksh 6687 2022-04-06

Go next

The lorries to Moyale leave usually in the small hours of the night. If you tell the touts the night before, they will wake you as soon as the lorries arrive. A ride on top of a goods lorry to Moyale will cost around Ksh 1500, if you want to ride in the cabin (recommended) then you pay Ksh 2000-3000, although negotiations will start much higher. There are still certain dangers of being robbed on the road to Moyale, so be aware and keep your eyes open. The shifta (tribal robbers) on the other hand rarely attack foreigners, they are more into cattle theft. It makes sense not to flash expensive cameras and electronics while you are on the route.