The Green City in the Sun

Despite the terrible stories of crime, I found Nairobi to be a charming city, steeped in colonial architecture, bursting with interesting museums, bustling markets, historical attractions including the Karen Blixen Museum, and with the animals of the African bush nearby in the Giraffe Centre and National Park. The European, African, and Indian cuisine is exquisite, the people welcoming and friendly, and everything is so cheap!

Quick Tips:

Nairobi is situated at a higher altitude than the rest of Kenya and the climate is noticeably cooler, so it is essential to bring some warm clothing.

It is unadvisable to drink the tap water due to poor purification and carriage systems in the city.

Best Way To Get Around:

During the day, the city's traffic is heavy, so it is essential to leave plenty of time for journeys, especially as police roadblocks are common. The roads are well kept, but the driving is fast, haphazard, and not for the fainthearted. Taxis are cheap and reliable, or alternatively there is a comprehensive bus and minibus network which is quite sporadic, but at around .20 a journey, perfect for travellers on a budget.

The Nairobi Holiday Inn was converted from a 1940s colonial hotel, The Mayfair Court, and has retained much of that old time character. It is a large hotel, with 171 rooms, but there is a very personal atmosphere, and the staff are exceptional. Even though I was only there for a short stay, I was greeted by name every time I went to the reception, and even the gardeners and security guards never failed to say “jambo” in passing.

The hotel rambles around two large swimming pools, and pretty gardens, and when inside you forget you are anywhere near a city. My room was right at the very end of the building, in an older, unrenovated section of the hotel. I don't know if this was because I was on my own, or because I just opted for a standard room, but those nearer to the reception seemed plusher. My room was quite old fashioned and a little musty, but adequate, with wooden floors, twin beds, TV with M-Net and ceiling fan. The bathroom was a reasonable size, with bath and shower, and complementary tea, coffee and bottled water.

One of the pools was right outside with a waiter stationed by to bring anything required. The open-air Oasis restaurant is on the side of the other pool, and is very reasonably priced. I ate lunch here (around $7 for a club sandwich, chips, salad and drink), and the wonderful buffet breakfast was also served here, with fruits, cereals, pastries, and hot English. There is also a Spur restaurant in the lobby, which is identical to those in South Africa, but much cheaper. Other facilities included a business centre, hair salon, a few boutiques, very overpriced souvenir shop, fitness centre, lounge with a selection of newspapers (complimentary ones are also delivered to the rooms in the morning), and safety deposit boxes. Guests receive official invitations to cocktail parties and musical events by the pool in the evening.

The hotel is in Parklands, a well-heeled and safe area of Nairobi, and is well situated for travelling into the city centre or the other suburbs. Even though I found Nairobi to be much friendlier and safer than I had been led to believe, there is a great need for security, and the Holiday Inn always has a guard in the car park, by the entrances, and patrolling the corridors at night.

I booked the HI shuttle service ($20) to meet me in arrivals at the airport, and this was very satisfactory. It may seem expensive for Kenya, but after sitting for over an hour in the huge traffic jams, I'm very glad I hadn't used a public bus.

What made this hotel special was the friendly, hardworking attitude of its staff, and next time I'm in Nairobi, I'll definitely return.

The Norfolk is one of Nairobi’s elegant old colonial buildings. Opened in 1904, the luxurious hotel has been host to many renowned guests, including Theodore Roosevelt and Lord Badon-Powell, and was the point of arrival for many of Nairobi’s white colonial settlers. Even though it was recently renovated, with the decor being updated, this is still a fascinating hotel steeped in history, and due to the favourable exchange rate, the supreme luxury and atmosphere is affordable to even a traveller on a shoestring budget.

The Hibiscus Lounge is a large comfortable sitting area and bar, with attendants on hand to knock up some sophisticated cocktails, and it is a lovely place to soak up the glamour whilst enjoying a traditional afternoon tea. Next door, the Ibis Restaurant is a luxurious a la carte affair, still with an affordable menu for those visiting from many Western countries. The Lord Delamere Terrace, at the front of the hotel looking onto the busy road, is one of the oldest colonial outposts in Nairobi and a popular place to enjoy a snack or drink. I visited the Norfolk because it is one of the historical highlights of Nairobi. The good food and excellent service was just a bonus.

The Karen Blixen House Museum is located in the wealthy, leafy suburb of Karen, only 15 minutes from central Nairobi, yet the quiet, tree-lined, spacious streets seem a million miles from the hustle and bustle of the capital.

Baroness von Blixen emigrated to Kenya from Denmark to marry her cousin, and ran a coffee farm on this site from 1914-31. Her charming wood-panelled colonial house is now open as a museum, and can be looked around on an interesting guided tour, which includes the bedrooms, library, living room, dining room, and outside kitchen. The furniture is from the period and was either Blixen’s or purchased for the movie adapted from her autobiography ‘Out Of Africa’, which she wrote under the name Isak Dinesen. Unfortunately, to preserve the rights of the movie, no photographs can be taken inside the house.

The luscious gardens can also be explored and stretch away towards the captivating view of the Ngong Hills in the distance, and a few pieces of old farm machinery dot the grounds.

In the front of the house, a small room has been turned into a souvenir shop, with a very good selection of carvings, jewellery and art works from all over Kenya. Unfortunately, it lacks any memorabilia to do with Blixen herself. Nearby are more excellent craft centres including Kazuri Beads, with unique jewellery and pottery, and The Glass Gallery.

Entry is Kshs 200 / $2.

Opening hours – 9:30am - 6pm

The Giraffe Centre is located in the wealthy suburb of Langata in the grounds of the magnificent colonial mansion Giraffe Manor. The African Fund for Endangered Wildlife was founded in 1979, and has been instrumental in saving the beautiful Rothschild giraffe sub-species from extinction, breeding new groups to be released into the national parks, as well as providing essential environmental education to the public.

The small group of resident giraffes emerge from the bush to be hand-fed, the sociable adults walking boldly up to the visitors, the bashful baby giraffes lingering in the background. Visitors climb up to a wooden platform, at a level heading with the adult giraffes, where knowledgeable guides pass around buckets of feed and answer any questions. There is an education room which contains fascinating facts on the Rothschild giraffe along with information on conservation practices which have been put in place to preserve its numbers. This is not just a superficial animal petting centre - every visitor, whether environmentally minded or not, will gain a valuable experience here.

Below the platform is a small wall where warthogs vie for attention from the visitors and some food. They are very tame and permit themselves to be stroked and pose for photos, but they are able to leave at any time. There is also a small pen of tortoises and a large gift shop. One of my very favourite souvenirs was purchased from a woodcarver in a small hut behind the platform, who fashions intricately detailed Maasai warriors complete with blanket, wildebeest hair whip, and tiny beaded jewellery.

Entry fee - 500 Kshs / $6.80

Opening hours – 9am – 5:30pm