Meru is an interesting place in its own right, and easily accessible by paved road, whether from the south around the east side of Mount Kenya, via Embu, or from the northwest around the west and north side of Mount Kenya. For those interested in viewing wildlife and wonderful scenery, it is an excellent jumping-off place for Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves some distance north of Meru, via Isiolo, and Meru National Park, to the northeast of Meru, via Maua in the Nyambeni Hills.
Meru is a bustling business, agricultural and educational center for the entire northeast of Kenya. It has three or four banks and numerous hotels, markets and transportation terminals. Coffee, tea, timber, cattle and all other manner of products are produced in Meru. In addition to numerous primary, secondary and technical schools, there are teacher training colleges and the recently developed Kenya Methodist University at Meru.
For an excellent guide to accomodations, restaurants and detailed points of interest, the reader may refer to the Roughguide for Kenya, one of the best travel books available for Kenya. The Roughguide website is at www.roughguides.com (enter the travel page and select Kenya), with the Meru pages located at http://travel.roughguides.com/content/6362/index.htm