For the prettiest tableware
Part of the fun of Kitengela Hot Glass is getting there: 45 minutes’ drive from the centre of town, a potholed road leads to a fantastical garden with a kaleidoscope of glassware, kooky structures and a steam-engine workshop/gallery. There’s a hot room where you can see glassblowing in action, plus studios where scrap glass is remade into mosaic tables, chandeliers, French-style dalle de verre, zoomorphic sculptures and tableware, all available to buy in the adjacent shop. There are also classes where you can learn how to blow a glass bubble or make a mug, and an outdoor café for pit stops.
For farm-to-fork produce
The 20-acre Mlango Farm is owned and run by Kamande Njenga and his Dutch wife Els Breet. For a small charge, wander the fields with a large sisal basket picking gooseberries, beetroot, cauliflower, lettuce, chives and other seasonal organic produce. Children can explore the grounds, climb trees and feed the animals. Then everyone gathers for a true farm-to-table lunch in the garden, where homemade art hangs from branches. The main house was built by Njenga’s parents and now includes a gallery for local artists. The farm also runs food courses, including jam and bread-making, and sells preserves and honey.
