Welcome to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, once known as a green city in the sun. Its perfect geographical location has made it a cosmopolitan world with great opportunities and international interactions. Interestingly, with all the diverse opportunities that Nairobi has to offer, it is unfortunate to note that many have gone terribly undiscovered.
For many, Nairobi is a place to get to and go quickly to another destination or a place for a brief overnight stop, often reluctantly, before heading home or heading to the game parks. In fact, most visitors who arrive at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport then either transfer immediately to Wilson Airport for their short flight into the jungle, or pick up their safari van for the overland journey to their accommodation or camp. And they do the exact same thing in reverse on their way home.
Landing at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi Kenya is an experience full of unique excitement and anxiety. Even for those whose travel purpose has nothing to do with wildlife viewing, there are inevitable wildlife encounters from the first turn into town.
Located in the south of Nairobi, the airport was once a free land where wild animals roamed free. That is certainly the reason why, to this day, there are occasional encounters with wildlife in this area. It is not enough, a few kilometers from the airport is the only urban national park in the world that offers an unparalleled wildlife experience less than half an hour’s drive from the city center.
Nairobi not only has great hidden treasures, there are also great attractions within reasonable distances that can be explored in a day or two for a reluctant tourist. I already told you about the only wildlife capital of the world: Nairobi National Park. Covering an area of 117 square kilometres, it is also the oldest game park in East Africa. It is their influence that makes it common to see giraffes or herds of antelope while driving through the city.
The park is home to several innovative conservation efforts: Nairobi Safari Walk is Kenya’s newest conservation-based recreation facility. The combination of skillful and creative landscape design, unique wildlife species, and detailed interpretation, makes the facility supreme in tourism and conservation education. With a combination of three simulated forests, wetlands and savannahs, local visitors have the opportunity to learn about their valuable resource and how they can contribute to its conservation.
Next door is the Nairobi Animal Orphanage, the oldest animal orphanage in Kenya. Located at the entrance to Nairobi National Park, with lush vegetation contrasting with the red dust and clay of the ground, this educational and training center is often home to more than 20 different species of animals and birds. It is a shelter and rehabilitation center for wild animals that are abandoned or injured in Kenya.
The David Shedrick Wildlife Trust is located in the southern part of Nairobi National Park. It is a small, flexible and environmentally significant charity that helps save the lives of orphaned elephants and rhinos who are eventually returned to the wild. You have the opportunity to see the orphaned and rescued elephants and rhinos every day from 11:00 to 12:00 and participate in the feeding program.
Also along this area is where the privately run Mamba Village is located, a fantastic experience with reptiles of all kinds including snakes, monitor lizards and large African crocodiles. A few meters away is ‘Bomas of Kenya’, where every evening from 15:00 you have the opportunity to experience various cultural feats and impressive acrobatic performances. You can also tour the cultural villages to get a real taste of African culture.
Further down is the giraffe center. Administered by the African Endangered Wildlife Fund, the center’s effort is to conserve the endangered Rothschild giraffe. Participate in feeding the exciting and beautiful giraffes, learn more about them, take a nature walk on the nearby nature trail, and stretch your arm to donate to this noble conservation effort.
For shopaholics, there can be no better experience than a visit to the village market. Not only does this contain a great variety of little stores and beer shops, but it’s also the place to be seen on the weekends. Visitors can enjoy a great cup of Kenyan coffee and a light meal in the square. The village market is probably the best place to buy local handicrafts and bric-a-brac, and is the site of the weekly Maasai market on Tuesdays at the Globe Cinema along Kijabe Street, on Saturdays at the town’s High Court Parking and on Saturdays Sundays at Yaya Centre. The market is also held in other places in Nairobi on other days of the week.
As for Nairobi, this is a city of wonderful restaurants serving fine, locally grown food in pleasant surroundings at affordable prices. It is a city with a varied and exciting nightlife that not only wakes up on Friday or Saturday. Visitors are sure to receive a warm welcome from any establishment they frequent, even those that, at first glance, seem especially promising.
In short, Nairobi is a lively, exciting and, above all, fascinating place to visit. Once you’ve experienced its hidden treasures, you’ll want to come back.