Voi
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- For other meanings see Voi (disambiguation).
Voi is a market town in southern Kenya, lying on the edge of the Tsavo National Park. It lies at the junction of the railway lines from Nairobi to Mombasa and Taveta. Also the Voi Sisal Estates are located near the town. Voi is also located near some Taita villages like, Ikanga and Mkwachunyi.
Voi's town centre consists of mostly general stores, shops, markets, kiosks and few hotels. Most lodges are located in the suburbs or on the edge of the small town. Voi is also home to a train station.
Voi is located in the Taita-Taveta District, Coast Province. It recently became a district.
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[edit] History
According to local history the name of town comes from a slave trader called Chief Kivoi who settled near the Voi river about 400 hundred years ago. There after the town grew as a trade post between the local Taita people, other Kenyan tribes and Arabs.
The town started to grow at the end of the 19th century when the Uganda Railway was constructed. People started to move in to work on the railway and the nearby sisal estates.[1]
[edit] Climate
| Climate data for Voi | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 32 (90) |
33 (92) |
33 (91) |
31 (88) |
29 (85) |
28 (83) |
28 (82) |
28 (82) |
29 (84) |
31 (88) |
31 (88) |
31 (88) |
30.4 (87) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 21 (69) |
21 (69) |
21 (70) |
21 (70) |
20 (68) |
18 (65) |
17 (63) |
17 (63) |
17 (63) |
19 (66) |
20 (68) |
21 (69) |
19.4 (66.9) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 33 (1.3) |
30 (1.2) |
76 (3) |
97 (3.8) |
33 (1.3) |
8 (0.3) |
3 (0.1) |
8 (0.3) |
13 (0.5) |
23 (0.9) |
97 (3.8) |
130 (5.1) |
549 (21.6) |
| Source: Weatherbase [2] | |||||||||||||
[edit] Transport
Train There are train services to Nairobi and Mombasa. Taxi Taxis can be found in the town centre. Establish the fare before entering the vehicle. Matatu Matatus (Minibus/Sharetaxis) run between the town centre and surrounding areas. There are also matatus traveling to Nairobi, Mombasa, Wundanyi, Taveta and other places. Bus Akamba, Coast and Mash are among many bus companies that run day and night buses to Mombasa and Nairobi. All booking offices are located in the town center. Air Ikanga Air Strip is nearby.
Other forms of transport include tuk tuks and motorbikes which operate 24/7 and are very cheap.
[edit] Hotels, Lodges, clubs and Other
Ndololo Camp, Voi Safari Lodge, Voi Wildlife Lodge, Swahili dishes, New Distar Hotel and Leopards Lodge are near-by. Also for the night life there is club xtacy formerly Hotel Desire. millyz, Ashtech cyber cafe, sports and stationary.
[edit] In fiction
Voi is the location for three levels of the video game Halo 3. Halo 3 takes place late in the year 2552, and the current Voi bears little resemblance to the fictional, futuristic city in the game. Voi has been transformed from an agricultural town to a heavily industrialised city, which has absorbed the surrounding towns of Gutini, Ikanga, and Mariwenyi. The geography of the area has also been altered in the fictional version of Voi. There exists an inland sea connected to the Indian Ocean at Mombasa. As a result Voi has become an inland port city. For the most part, Voi can only be seen as a panorama on the horizon, except for a few warehouse complexes.
[edit] References
- ^ Hurskainen, P: Change Detection of Informal Settlements Using Multi-Temporal Aerial Photographs – the Case of Voi, Kenya (September 2005)
- ^ "Weatherbase: Historical Weather for Voi, Kenya". Weatherbase. 2011. http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather.php3?s=39736&refer=wikipedia. Retrieved on November 24, 2011.
Coordinates: 03°23′S 38°34′E / 3.383°S 38.567°E
