Nairobi
With lots of exciting things to do and see, Nairobi's reputation is a now completely different one...
To many people's surprise, beyond Kenya's sprawling, traffic-blocked capital, is a hustling capital with an array of things to do and see. Admittedly, Nairobi is mostly used as an unavoidable stopover on many itineraries, but this isn't to say you should rush out as soon as you can! Many beautiful boutique hotels and wildlife interactions, such as the Daphne Sheldrick elephant orphanage, have attracted a huge amount of visitors to the big city.
The two major cities in Kenya are generally held as being Nairobi and Mombasa. On the whole, as with most African cities, both tend to be passed through by travellers to the region… but, upon closer inspection, they can be a rewarding place to spend a couple of nights. Nairobi is a good destination to use as a base for trips out to the Rift Valley to see Nakuru and Naivasha, or to start or finish a safari in Kenya's national parks. On top of this, there are quite a few interesting things to have a look at while in the city. Approximately 30 minutes to the west of Nairobi centre, is the suburb of Karen. This is one of the best places to be based and a few of the highlights to see while in the area are watching the elephant orphans being fed at Daphne Sheldrick's Centre, feeding the giraffe at Giraffe Manor or the Giraffe centre, or simply relaxing in one of the private gardens with a view of the Ngong Hills in the distance.
