The adventure is worth it, but the food not so much

The tiny portion of lollipop chicken and chips at the Last Village Resort, Athi River in Machakos County. Photo | Lilys Njeru



What you need to know:

  • Our itinerary for the day was to ride quad bikes, try archery, zip line and have lunch at their Swahili themed restaurant
  • The meat on the chicken lollipops was so tiny that I didn’t need a third biting to finish one piece.

For months, my best friend and I considered visiting the Last Village Lodge in Athi-River, Machakos County. On Wanderlust Diaries, an interactive Facebook group for travel enthusiasts, the place had pleasant reviews for outdoor activities.

Our itinerary for the day was to ride quad bikes, try archery, zip line and have lunch at their Swahili themed restaurant.

If you are on Mombasa road, it is about 15 KM off the road but only eight kilometres when accessing the lodge from Kangundo road.

Eight kilometres is a short distance but not when driving on a rough and dusty road. At one point, I remember the taxi driver asking if we were sure of our destination and another time regretting why he accepted our ride order. He was worried that he wouldn’t get a client for his return journey. Thankfully, he got one immediately after dropping us.

On arrival, we were welcomed by a team of vibrant staff who offered us a tour of the establishment.  The last village resort is vast and the Swahili theme embodied in the indoor and outdoor seating areas adds beauty to the already aesthetically appealing design of the restaurant.  Afterwards, we went for quad bike rides and archery before settling down for lunch at the outdoor restaurant.

 Since we had dented our pockets paying for the taxi and the fun activities, our plan was to go low on meals. But, that was not possible. Going through the menu, we soon realised that our Sh1,000 would possibly afford us fries or a single serving of juices, not both. Famished, we agreed to spend a little more so we could eat and have a beverage.

We both ordered chicken lollipop and chips —masala and plain chips as accompaniment. According to the waiter, we were guaranteed at least six pieces of the chicken.  For drinks, our option was packaged fruit juice. If you are keen, you will notice that food and beverages don’t quite come cheap at this lodge.  We paid Sh2,560 for the two plates and 1litre juice.

When the food was brought, I was shocked. For the amount we paid, I expected a big serving of fries and a mountful of lollipop chicken. The meat was so tiny that I didn’t need a third biting to finish one piece. I would also not pass them as delicious but my fries were sumptuous.

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