Nairobi: the safari capital of the world
Nairobi: the safari capital of the world
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Established in 1899 as a depot along the Uganda railway, Nairobi is famous as the uncontested ‘Safari Capital’ of the world. This vibrant city offers first-class facilities and entertainment, wildlife and nightlife, rich culture, and one of the world’s warmest welcomes. Take time to explore Kenya’s capital city; as the locals say: ‘Karibu’,
Welcome to Nairobi.
A city of many faces
Nairobi is home to over 4.7 million people and is the largest city in East Africa. It is also the most modern, the highest (at 1795m) and the fastest growing. Nairobi is a fun and welcoming city - immensely popular with holidaymakers and business visitors alike.
Nairobi offers so much more than a place to rest between safaris. The city provides a huge range of thrilling experiences and cultural attractions. Popular sites include the National Museum of Kenya; the Karen Blixen Museum; the Arboretum; and the Bomas of Kenya. Other world-famous attractions include the enchanting elephant orphanage of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife’s Giraffe Centre.
And of course, no other city in the world can boast its own national park - a natural wilderness, teeming with wildlife and home to over 400 species of birds - just ten minutes from the city centre.
City life
Nairobi is a cosmopolitan city offering a stunning selection of wining, dining and entertainment venues. Options range from exclusive international restaurants to chic coffee shops to authentic street food. Drinking venues are equally diverse: from the famous bars of The Stanley and The Norfolk hotels to a host of more informal pubs. Kenya’s own culinary style has been deliciously shaped by her colourful history and Nairobi offers the chance to indulge in local favourites such as ‘nyama choma’, or barbecued meat. Nairobi’s nightlife is equally fresh and exciting, with many of the clubs and bars offering excellent live music.
As for shopping, Nairobi’s popular Maasai Craft Markets are the perfect place to hone your haggling skills. The markets rotate around all of the modern shopping malls and sell everything from beaded sandals to pottery and from stylish woven baskets to leather goods. In the malls, there is a host of boutique craft and fashion shops selling exquisite hand-made jewellery, clothing, and accessories.
The hotspot for African contemporary art, Nairobi is also the ideal place to snap up a masterpiece from one of its stylish galleries.
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Factfile
Location: Nairobi is located 140km south of the Equator, 480km inland from Mombasa, and the Indian Ocean coastline.
Accommodation: Kenya’s capital city offers a huge range of accommodation options: from 5-star international brands to simple guesthouses, as well as several popular campsites and hostels.
Transport: Nairobi stands at the centre of a modern road network and has two airports: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Wilson Airport (for local flights). It is also the departure point for the new Madaraka Express railway, which takes just 4hrs 30mins to reach Mombasa.
Nairobi tours
Simba Safari – KS8A
‘Simba’ means ‘lion’ in Swahili. A budget safari that delivers optimum variety in the minimum time without…
Masai Mara Safari – KS4
For those with limited time looking for a value-added safari that highlights Kenya’s most famous sights, this…
SkySafari Kenya Classic – SSKC
This exclusive flying safari showcases some of Kenya’s most famous and most diverse wilderness areas, while travelling…
Nairobi features
Nairobi National Park
Legend has it that Nairobi National Park was founded because the colonial settlers grew increasingly exasperated by lions. It wasn’t just that they wandered the streets by night or that the graveyard with filled with headstones reading ‘killed by lions’. It was that they trampled the flowerbeds. The lions, the settlers said, would have to…
The Bomas of Kenya
The Bomas of Kenya offers an unprecedented insight into the authentic cultural heritage of Kenya. Something of a time machine, it has captured an ethnic snapshot of a fascinating range of cultures, many of which are fast disappearing under the onslaught of the technological age. The Bomas of Kenya is a highly popular day trip…
Golfing holiday in Kenya
Kenya has always been the ultimate safari land: a place of magical creatures, ancient cultures, postcard-perfect beaches, and one of the world’s warmest welcomes. But with the opening of several new championship courses and a wealth of luxurious golf estates, Kenya is striding onto the international golfing stage with the swagger of a confident old…
Things to do in Nairobi
Whether you begin or end your trip in Nairobi, there’s plenty to do and see: for an hour, a morning, or a full day. Below are just some of Nairobi’s most popular day trips. Nairobi City Tour The best way to discover the vibrant diversity of this historic city, which is the uncontested ‘Safari Capital…
Karura Forest, Nairobi
Karura Forest is full of surprises. It welcomes 16,000 walkers, runners, horse-riders and dog walkers a month. It also occupies fourth-place on the TripAdvisor hit list of ‘what to do in Nairobi.’ Furthermore, it provides a living classroom for thousands of Kenyan school children. And it hosts a selection of events from team building events to…
The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage
A visit to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Orphanage is one of Nairobi’s most enchanting experiences. It’s also one that has to be planned in advance as the opening times are limited. Here’s a taste of a visit to one of Africa’s oldest and most pioneering conservation projects. Elephant playtime It’s one of the highlights…
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