Fun Things To Do In Nairobi? Think GP Karting!

Howdy Beautiful People! 😀 As I write this post on GP Karting, it is a lovely day in June & I’m feeling rather reflective… 🙂

Are you making the most of every moment, and making each day count? Today, living my life ‘to the full’ means staring down the neighborhood cat, homemade popcorn and writing about GP Karting, while listening to a soulful Korean song. 😀

Every time I partake an adrenaline-charged activity, I feel alive and almost dangerous… I might go in, kicking and screaming with fear, but wait till I get the hang of it and then it becomes hard to stop! Do you ever feel that way? My GP Karting experience was one of those moments for me. 😀

I have been wanting to try it since about 2014, and our Best of Nairobi blog series presented a wonderful excuse to go! So, I reached out to my friend Paul, at GP Karting, for a possible blog feature and here we are!:D

What is GP Karting?

Well, apparently the correct term for the sport is actually ‘Go Karting’. But since GP Karting, the company, was established in 1996 as one of the first Go Karting places in Kenya, the name stuck. Now most Kenyans just refer to the sport as GP Karting.

Go Karting is a motorsport that involves driving a specialized motorcar called a go-kart, on an indoor racing circuit/track.

GP Karting is located off Langata Road, next to Splash Waterworld. It is easily accessible: you can pick any Matatu or bus plying Langata Road (No. 15, 125) and alight at the Carnivore stage. From there, can then take a leisurely walk or pick a ‘boda boda’ (motorbike) to GP Karting. If driving, take a turn off Langata Road onto Carnivore road and drive past Carnivore till you see GP Karting on the right.

The GP Karting Experience!

On the day of, I was quite scared to be honest. My driving skills are quite wanting, so I was sure that I would run into everything on the track. 🙁

It was a relief when I learned that driving skills are not necessary in order to drive a go-kart. In fact as Paul explained, you are better off if you can’t drive. This is because you won’t transfer your real driving experience to the kart. Weird-I know…but somehow it works! 😀

He then took us through a safety briefing in preparation for driving the kart. That part was a bit sobering, yet necessary. He had to repeat- ‘right foot to accelerate & left foot to brake’ a couple of times for it to sink in.

Ready Or Not Here I Come!

I started off shaky, owing to fears of my tendency of running into things…  But once I got past the fear, and became accustomed to it, it was loads of fun.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: WANJIKU THUO

The thing with karts, is that you are so close to the ground that you almost feel like you are one with it. My challenge was in navigating the corners, which was a bit scary, but with more rounds it became easier.

Safety Marshalls are usually stationed at vantage points, ready to help, should you encounter a problem. I had a situation where my kart stopped moving, while furiously emitting smoke. Naturally I panicked, but relaxed when I learned that it was a result of pressing the brakes and accelerator at the same time. I had no idea I was doing this! Do not try this at home

Time Out! Sit in a ‘corner’ and think about what you’ve done…

GP Karting Fun Facts and Tips

• It is the perfect family activity because you can take kids as young as 5 years old. We encountered a father and daughter who had come to race on the track. You could tell that they were having a ball!
• They have training sessions for kids who want to learn Go Karting or to improve their skills. The Marshalls do rounds with the small kids for safety reasons.
• It makes for the perfect group activity; especially for those who wish to compete, or as a team building activity.
• They have Saturday Night Racing events where people compete.It entails 3 tournaments: Under 13, Under 17, plus 18 and over. The go-kart engines used for Saturday Night Racing, are bigger hence quicker.
• In the interest of safety, they limit the top speed for little kids. Hence children will not be able go at insane speeds or put themselves in any kind of danger.
• The best days to go depends on what you are looking for. To compete, weekends are best while weekdays are good for practicing and to set good lap times.
• They only allow 10 karts on the track at a time. As a beginner, I liked the weekday experience as I did not have to risk running into anyone.
• You can choose to have a meal or drinks at their restaurant.
• You get to have 10 minutes per play. If you are quick you can do up to 15 laps in the 10 minutes.
• Their rates  are as follows, per every 10 minutes:-

5 to 8 yrs. old> Kes. 900

     9 to 12 yrs. old> Kes. 1,000

    13 to 16 yrs old> Kes. 1,100

 17 and above> Kes. 1,300

At the end of my GP Karting experience, I was in high spirits and feeling quite energized. Although I am still a rookie, I think it would be a fun thing to do with friends for next time! I am thrilled because I ticked one more thing off my bucket list, but I totally have to do it again and again! 😀

Many thanks to Paul and GP Karting for having us over, and showing us a fun time! This is a fun activity that’s totally worth trying out in Nairobi!

Thank you for reading my amazing friends! Did you enjoy the post? Have you done GP Karting before, or are you inspired to try?  I would love, love to hear back from you, so be sure to leave a comment, question or feedback on the comments’ section below.

P.S. Sharing Is Caring! Share Share Share! 😉 😀

<Sending You Love & Light. Stay Inspired Always>