For other meanings see Voi (disambiguation)

Voi (disambiguation)

Voi can mean:*Value of information*Voi, a town in Kenya*Voi Constituency in Kenya*Voi Shrew , a species of mammal in the Soricidae family, found in Africa*The ICAO airline identifier for Volaris-See also:...

.

Voi is a market town

Market town

Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...

 in southern Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

, lying on the edge of the Tsavo National Park

Tsavo National Park

Tsavo National Park may refer to:* Tsavo East National Park, a national park in Kenya on the eastern side of the A109 road.* Tsavo West National Park, a national park in Kenya on the western side of the A109 road....

. It lies at the junction of the railway lines from Nairobi

Nairobi

Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...

 to Mombasa

Mombasa

Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....

 and Taveta

Taveta, Kenya

Taveta is a town in the Taveta District of Coast Province in Kenya. The town has an urban population of 11,500 .- Overview :The town of Taveta is wedged into a projection of Kenyan territory bordered on the north and west by Tanzania. The irregularity in the border was created c...

. Also the Voi Sisal Estate

Voi Sisal Estate

Voi Sisal Estate is located near the township of Voi in the Taita-Taveta District. It specializes mainly to production of sisal fiber and farming of pineapples....

s 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

Taita-Taveta District

Taita Taveta-District is one of the seventy-one districts of Kenya, located in the Coast Province of that country. It lies approximately 200 km northwest of Mombasa and 360 km southeast of Nairobi city....

, Coast Province. It recently became a district.

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

Uganda Railway

The Uganda Railway is a railway system and former railway company linking the interiors of Uganda and Kenya with the Indian Ocean at Mombasa in Kenya.-Origins:...

 was constructed. People started to move in to work on the railway and the nearby sisal estates

Voi Sisal Estate

Voi Sisal Estate is located near the township of Voi in the Taita-Taveta District. It specializes mainly to production of sisal fiber and farming of pineapples....

.

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.

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.

In fiction

Voi is the location for 3 levels of the video game Halo 3

Halo 3

Halo 3 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie for the Xbox 360 console. The third installment in the Halo franchise, the game concludes the story arc begun in Halo: Combat Evolved and continued in Halo 2...

. Halo 3 takes place late in the year 2552, and the current Voi has little smilarities to the fictional, futuristic city. For example, the Voi has been transformed from an agricultural town, to a heavily industrialised city, which has absorbed the surrounding towns like Gutini, Ikanga, and Mariwenyi. The geography of the are has also been altered in the fictional scene at 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.