Maralal, the capital of Samburu County, lies in the centre of Samburu sub-county. Its setting in the foothills of the Kirisia Hills, at the deepest point of a mountain bay that opens towards Laikipia plains and Mount Kenya to the south, is picturesque. Nevertheless, Maralal lies surprisingly high, at around 2,000 metres above sea level and gets quite chilly at night. In the early mornings, the town is often wrapped in fog, which makes the view from the surrounding hills to Maralal a mystic one.

Maralal is a thriving administrative and trading town which saw a lot of development since devolution took off and local government picked up work in 2012. The picturesque heart of town is formed by two roads lined with beautiful alley trees and long rows of colourful traditional shops. Tourism infrastructure in Maralal is decent, with several good hotels and many proper guesthouses, cheap eateries, bars, petrol stations, banks, workshops and public buses and matatus connecting the town with Nyahururu and Nairobi further south.

For those travellers who are planning to go further north, this is the best place to stock up supplies of water, food, petrol, and chewing tobacco, a present which is well received by elder women and men all over Samburu Land. Those who want to go on a donkey or camel trek through the hills or into Suguta Valley, or plan to continue north by public means of transport, are likely to get everything organized from here.

However, Maralal isn’t merely a logistic point-of-call on the way through, but visitors are recommended to save at least one day to explore the specific charm and noteworthy attractions of the capital of Samburu.