Travel Guide Marsabit

Located along the A2 road, about 275 km north of Isiolo, the town and Mount Marsabit are surrounded by the Chalbi desert to the north and the Kaisut desert to the south. One expects to discover a dusty and deserted town at the foot of a rugged mountain, but, surprise, one enters a lively and developed town (strategically the last town before the Ethiopian border), in the middle of a mountainous area covered by a tropical forest. In fact, Marsabit benefits from an exceptional microclimate. The hot air from the neighboring deserts rises on its mountainous slopes and cools with altitude, forming rain clouds. As a result, it rains almost daily on Mount Marsabit, while only a few drops of water fall once every two years in the surrounding area. This permanent presence of water attracts all the nomadic tribes of the region, who come to graze their herds before taking the road to the desert. Marsabit is therefore a city where all the ethnic groups of northern Kenya and Ethiopia meet. In the lively streets or in the cattle market, you will notice Borans, Gabbras and Rendilles, covered with jewels and wearing amazing hairstyles.The national park is quite rich, but the animals are quite difficult to see. The giant elephants that used to live here have been exterminated