Most people who travel to Kenya to enjoy a safari usually spend a day and night in Nairobi before setting out on safari. I did myself and to be honest didnt’ do much other than having a short walk around the area that the hotel was situated in. When really I could have done so much more.
I read a fascinating article in the AsiaOne website the other day that was packed with ideas for anyone visiting Nairobi even for a short time.
I hope that by re-printing the article here it might give you some ideas for your one visit to Nairobi.
One of the visits it suggests is to Daphne Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphanage. We have booked a number of clients on this excursion and they have all said how much they enjoyed it. But take a look at the article and see just waht you can do in Nairobi…
“It’s a jungle in Nairobi
By Deepika Shetty
Most tourists visiting Kenya spend only a night in the capital Nairobi before moving on to a safari or beach.
This is a shame, says Nairobi native Shalini Gidoomal, 40.
‘By choosing not to spend time here, they miss out on seeing one of the most vibrant and varied cities in Africa. Nairobi is the only African city to be the headquarters of an United Nations organisation. The city and its leafy suburbs are home to about three million people,’ says Gidoomal, a writer and the director of Kwani Litfest, a two-week literary bash.
It is the city’s cosmopolitan crowd, the burgeoning writing scene, the proximity to hundreds of wonderful travel spots, the completely perfect climate and the jacaranda trees that keep her there, she adds.
Here is how she suggests you explore Nairobi:
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Animal-gazing
Even in the city, it is possible to spend a day animal-watching. A visit to the suburbs of Karen and Langata offers the dual pleasure of watching baby elephants play at Daphne Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphanage.
Down the road at Giraffe Manor, you can hand-feed the rare Rothschild giraffe.
A visit to the Kenya Wildlife Service Animal orphanage a few kilometres away will take you up close to lions, chimpanzees, leopards, cheetahs and a host of different species of monkeys, antelopes and birds.
Written Words
Take part in the Kwani Litfest (http://kwani.org/litfest/2008/), an annual festival which brings together young contemporary African writers for a series of workshops, book launches, panel discussions and parties at various venues in Nairobi. Next year, the festival will be held in November.
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Art on the street
The colourful matatus, or mini-vans, are a common form of public transport that liven up the streets.
Also, look out for hand-painted barber’s signs around town. These have become collectors’ items for their ingenuity.
For a closer look at other forms of contemporary art, head for the newly finished RaMoMa Gallery in Parklands. This art deco house has been painstakingly transformed into a gallery for art, photography and sculpture.
Glassy ride
Take a long and bumpy trip out past the National Park to the Kitengela glass works. Here, the eccentric glass-blowing occupants live in a Gaudi-esque fantasy of curving buildings, domes and walkways studded with all manner of inventively recycled glass objects. During the wet season, the only way to get here is on a terrifyingly high bead-studded suspension bridge and up a steep path.
‘Wear sturdy shoes and be prepared for anything. You may return home laden with wonderfully wonky and chunky glasses, vases, ashtrays, chandeliers, candlesticks and stained-glass motifs,’ says Gidoomal.
And, if you seek permission in advance, you can even stay the night on this fantasy land. If you do, take a dip in the dragon mosaic swimming pool which overlooks the Nairobi National Park.
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Stir it up
Try your hand at making a karogo, which means to stir. This form of cooking has become a Nairobi institution.
It involves cooking your own food in a large pot, set over a small jiko (charcoal stove) in an outdoor banda (hut), while drinking copious amounts of whisky and beer.
A restaurant such as Spice Roots or Smokey’s - both are situated in the largely Indian areas of Parklands - will provide the raw chopped ingredients for the curry and staff will be on hand to help novices. It can be a long, friendly night out.
‘Buy the naan to go with the curry,’ suggests Gidoomal.
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A taste of old Africa
Make your way to Wilson Airport and the Aero Club bar for a bit of old-Africa nostalgia mixed with new business. In the wooden-floored, fan-cooled interior, bush pilots, safari guides, aid workers and a host of Nairobi eccentrics exchange stories and eat mediocre sandwiches.
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Head to the market
Brave the Tuesday Maasai Market by Globe Roundabout, which has everything from original Maasai beaded accessories to fabric, woven baskets, sandals, carvings, sandblasted glass and wooden bowls.
A visit to one of Nairobi’s market
Gidoomal advises visitors to hold on tightly to their wallets as they negotiate the tight narrow tracks to get to the market. If that seems a bit too claustrophobic, make a beeline for the less crowded market, held every Friday at the Village Market shopping complex.
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Put on your dancing shoes
Go dancing at Das Ethiopian restaurant on Saturday night. Climb a dingy staircase on the first floor in the Westlands area to get to this hip place. On weekends, it often has live bands and the place fills up”.
**This article was first published in The Straits Times on Nov 11, 2008
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