Visit Kiambethu Tea Farm

Just a short drive from the heart of Nairobi, Kiambethu Farm at Limuru provides a tranquil insight into life on a settler farm. Situated at 7,200 ft., Kiambethu was bought and farmed by AB McDonell in 1910. He was a pioneer in the tea industry being one of the first to make and sell tea commercially in Kenya - now one of Kenya’s largest exports. Five generations have lived on the farm and it is currently run by his granddaughter Fiona Vernon. The farm house is set within beautiful gardens surrounded by acres of tea and indigenous forest - home to the Colobus monkey.

A trip to this beautiful tea plantation is your opportunity to enjoy the grounds and learn about the history of Kenya tea farming and colonial life here in the Ngong Hills. As befitting this elegant locale, you’ll be greeted upon arrival with a cup of tea and learn the history of the farm. You’ll also get an introduction to the process of cultivating tea and then step outside to see for yourself the deep green rows of tea growing in the fields.

You’ll continue your tour into a nearby forest where a knowledgeable guide will escort you, pointing out the indigenous plants, birds and flowers. Another treat: Colobus monkeys inhabit this space, and you may have the chance to see them up close. Then it’s a stroll back to the house for a pre-lunch drink on the verandah, gazing once more at the tea fields and the Ngong Hills. Lunch soon follows – this is a three-course vegetarian feast with the produce coming directly from the plantation’s own gardens.