The Kenyan capital is rapidly becoming a regional hub where lots of airliners make a transit stop. Just the other day, my wife and I were visiting beautiful Uganda when we stopped in Nairobi on our way back home. With a 12-hour layover, we thought of giving the city a chance.
Kenya doesn’t only come equipped with basic infrastructure needed to sustain the substantial number of tourists that visit the country every year, it also has the tourism-oriented mindset. In less than half an hour, my wife and I have had our Egyptian passports stamped, rented a car with a driver and were already on our way to visit our first city break attraction: The Giraffe Center.
Run today by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW), the Giraffe Center was first established in 1979 when Jock Leslie-Melville and his wife, Betty, adapted a baby Rothschild giraffe in a bid to save the endangered giraffe species. Their attempt proved successful, as today, the Giraffe Center acts as an important breeding center. In about 30 years, Rothschild giraffe has been reintroduced in four different national parks, with its population in the wild going from 130 to 300. Enjoy hand-feeding the beautiful tall creatures while contributing to their conservation.
Paying our dues to Mother Nature and its disciples, we opted for an attraction with a little bit of history to visit, so we headed to the nearby Karen Blixen Museum.
Remember Meryl Strip in the romantic Hollywood debut, “Out of Africa?” Well, Strip played Karen Blixen’s role. Danish Blixen came to Kenya in 1914 and left 17 years later after a series of heartbreaking tragedies. The farmhouse where she lived has been turned into the museum we visited next. It is a colonial house with a lot of personal memorabilia. My favorite is the antique typewriter Blixen used to write some of her works. Throughout her lifetime of 77 years, Blixen published 17 books, out of which the novel, “Out of Africa,” is her unrivalled masterpiece.
Before heading to Nairobi proper, there was one more place we wanted to visit: Kazuri Beads & Pottery Centre. Established in 1975 as a sustainable development initiative directed towards single mothers who lived in the vicinity, Kazuri Beads had grew in the past 30 years to be one of Kenya’s most renowned venues for buying unique and exceptional souvenirs. Not only with a good deed behind it, Kazuri comes with a large collection of African style beads that reflect the artisans’ tradition and creativity. In addition to necklaces, earrings and bracelets, Kazuri features a unique collection of pottery wares that are mainly dinning utensils. I love the clay-made plate with rock art-like design, which I bought.
Nairobi proper is a sprawling metropolis with high-rises and a bustling city center. Still, it comes with a handful of interesting sites to visit. Topping the shortlist is the Nairobi National Museum. A couple of artistic installations pave the way leading to the main entrance from where you can venture into the museum’s many halls. The museum features various history, cultural, geological, as well as natural-history exhibits. It comes with life-size mock-ups that display prehistoric hunter-gatherers and a collection of the country’s native species, among others. It is by far the most interesting to visit museum in the whole of Kenya. At the ticket office, you will be offered a discount if you buy a ticket for the Nairobi Snake Park as well. Go for it only if you are a hardcore snake lover. The Nairobi Snake Park is in a desperate need of revamping.
Wrapping up our one-day visit to Nairobi, we made a quick stop at the Jamia Mosque, which originally dates back to 1902, though it was rebuilt between 1926 and 1933. The iconic Jamia Mosque is one of Kenya’s most recognized religious edifices with its twin minarets and three silverfish domes. It clearly demonstrates the influence of Indian communities in East Africa, as the mosque follows the Punjabi Mogul architecture style typical to northern India. Non-Muslims have a slim chance of entering, but you can always give it a try. The views from outside warrant a visit still.
Having been to Kenya before, we opted to miss out on Nairobi National Park during this visit. If you find the urge for a wildlife safari experience irresistible, you can always squeeze a visit to the Nairobi National Park into city break itinerary. Located on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital, the national park can be easily visited as a half day excursion from Nairobi proper. Due to the proximity from the city, Nairobi’s high-rises are often in the backdrop of the lion or zebra shot you will be taking. Don’t be surprised, in a way, its unique.
Nairobi is notorious for being a dangerous city. Nonetheless, if you follow the standard personal safety precautions and completely avoid venturing into the slums and shantytowns, you should be fine.
The majority of national airlines flying out of the Middle East make a stop in Nairobi. If you are looking for a budget option, Air Arabia flies the Kenyan capital on a daily basis out of Sharjah.
If you are staying for the night, then perhaps the Nairobi Serena Hotel could be a luxurious comfortable option. If you don’t wish to break the bank and don’t mind roughing it a little, then go for Kenya Comfort Hotel.
