“Ngong” means “knuckles” in Maasai, a fitting name since these beautiful pointed green hills resemble the back of a fist facing the sky. They are a popular place to visit close to Nairobi and provide a welcome respite from the city heat.
The Ngong Hills are the peaks of a ridge overlooking the Great Rift Valley, and many white settlers established their farms here in the early colonial days. Half-timbered houses and flowering gardens remain but seem more suited to southern England than Africa.
Several walking trails traverse the hills, offering beautiful views of the valleys below. Wildlife is also visible in the area. Buffalo, gazelles, giraffes, bushbuck, the occasional klipspringer, and troupes of baboons have often been glimpsed grazing along the roadside.
If you’re an Out of Africa fan and you’re looking for other places to visit in the Ngong Hills, stop by the grave of Denys Finch Hatton, the lover of famous Danish author, Karen Blixen. It lies on the eastern slopes, graced by an obelisk and garden.
