Beware of wild animals, the sign at the entrance to Castle Forest Lodge says, where we picked up two armed guards to join our group of 14 adventure-seeking hikers.

Just two-and-a-half hours drive from Nairobi, the lodge is ideal for a day trip or camping.

From the base, it takes about four days to climb to the top of Mt Kenya via the infrequently used Kamweti route. As we were just there for the day, we hiked to a waterfall, 7km into the forest.

The walk is relatively smooth at the start, as the trail is used by horses, cars and motorcycles going into the forest.

We came to a wooden bridge and I marvelled at how clear the water flowing underneath was; we could see the stones at the bottom.

A few metres ahead, we took a “short cut,” off the beaten track and into forest proper.

We wound our way through the bushes as the guides explained that elephants, buffalo and hyenas roam freely in these parts.

“So what should we do if we come face to face with an elephant?” we asked Ranger Steve.

“If the elephant is minding its own business, stand still for a few seconds, then walk slowly backwards,” he replied.

“But what if it attacks?”

“Run zigzag into the bush as fast as you can, and pray it doesn’t follow you. Alternatively, try to find a man-made bridge and stay there. Elephants don’t trust man-made objects,” he advised.

Thankfully, the only wild animals we encountered were tsetse flies and luminescent blue beetles.

The tsetse bite is only slightly painful, and dangerous only when the insect is carrying trypanosomes. They prefer brightly coloured or very dark clothing, with a preference for the colour blue.

The beetles are only about a centimetre in length, and provided a bright spot of colour to the drab earth.

The forest path led us back onto a road, and after walking a few kilometres, we re-entered the bush. The last stretch before we reached the waterfall was treacherous.

Because it had rained recently, the downhill path was muddy. We followed the guide, hanging onto branches and roots of the surrounding trees while trying to stay clear of the stinging nettle, and soon heard the pounding water.

We emerged at the river, and stepped on a row of rocks to get to a tiny island close to the waterfall.

The water comes out from the top of the wall of rock, and falls about 20 metres to a pool at the bottom. It is refreshingly cold and clean enough to drink. I emptied my drinking bottle and refilled it with fresh mountain water, and washed my face in the pool.

We picnicked by the waterfall, enjoying the spray from the water on our faces.

The walk back was via the same route we had taken. Up the slippery slope and through the forest.

We got back to the “castle” in time for tea and a tour of the cottages. We learnt that the main house was built in 1910, and that England’s Queen Elizabeth — while she was still princess — had spent a few days there.

The surrounding cottages and chalets are more modern and cosy, and can take up to 30 people in total.

There is a “swimming pool” on the premises, but we chose to give it a miss as the greenish water wasn’t very inviting. Apparently, it is popular with thirsty elephants.

From the property, we could see clear to the mountain: The craggy rocks and a small white patch of snow that reminded us that climate change is real.

Other activities at the lodge include horse riding and fishing in the nearby rivers.

And so we returned to Nairobi city, tired and stress-free, planning our next trip back.