Fun things to do in Nairobi Area

Where else in the world can you go on safari in a big city? Nairobi national park offers you the almost unique chance to see the city skyline while watching giraffes, zebras or antilopes. There is even a matatu route along Langata road to the park, though this is where public transport ends: because of the predators among the park´s inhabitants, you can only enter the park by car and walk only in the designated picknick areas. Entering is a bit puzzling for newcomers, unless you have booked a tour and someone else arranges the bureaucracy for you. You need a smartcard first and charge it with the entrance fees in one of the buildings left of the park entrance. Only then you can present your card to the warden at the park gate and enter

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The National Archirves is where valuable public records are preserved as part of information resorce for both todays and future generations.
At the archives they will allow you to make copies from books or microfilms if you find any that you would like to have a copy for yourself, although it is subject to condition that your guide will give you.
For schools and visiting teams historical films and videos are organized free of charge.
operating hours: Monday - Friday 8.15 a.m. - 4.15 p.m
Saturday 8.15 a.m. - 1.00 p.m
It remains closed on sundays and public holidays. Advance bookings for schools and groups required.

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If you like cloth and Masaai blankets, there is a place in Biashara Street in Nairobi which sells the lessos (kangas colourful cloths which local women wear as skirts, aprons or for carrying babies around in) and shukas (the red Masaai blankets that people wear) at cost price. This where the sellers at the Village Market (Thursdays) and the Masaai Market (Tuesdays) go to buy their cloths to sell at a profit.

The main streets to buy fabrics in are Biashara Street, Ngara Road and Westlands.

You can buy as many as you like and do a deal with the owner. Be aware of your airline luggage weight allowance as you can easily get carried away and buy more than you intended.

Rough prices are 250Ksh for a double kanga and 250-300Ksh for a shuka. The owner may have put the prices up since my last visit.

It's a good idea to have someone to escort you around, both to guide you and to protect you from pick pockets.

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7 km away from the city is the Nairobi Safari Walk. And the Safari Walk is inside that park. It's a nice recreation facility with a protected game reserve. You can see the most common animals in Africa, but they are behind glass or fences.

I recommend you to visit this place if you don't have time for a safari. And do it on your way from the airport to the city centre.

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Sure, all say Masai Safari Trips and many destinations to be seen , but if you have time... If you have limited time and there for business, then you can see some closer locations only in city and sorrounding area... what to do ?

If you want to meet giraffes (Rothschild giraffes, to be precisely) at eye level, this is the place to go. In the suburb Langata, close to Nairobi national park and Karen Blixen house, the center was once founded to help preserve the then endangered species. While the giraffes have a vast area to graze and walk around, they quite enjoy meeting the visitors at a wooden platform - especially as they know they will be fed there. They are usually very kind and calm animals, and the visit there is a fun for kids especially

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When I took the taxi from the airport to the hotel, I asked the driver what he recommended to see for a tourist who should stay only one day/night in Nairobi. He said that it was too short time, but recommended a city tour in Nairobi with the Safari Walk included. I paid him 100 USD + a meel at a local Kenyan restaurant for a 3 hour tour. The drive from the airport to Comfort Hotel in the city centre was included. I don't feel he tried to overcharge me, and I was satisfied with the way he showed me Nairobi.

We drove directly from the airport to the Safari Walk, where we stayed 30 minutes to see some animals. Then we drove to see Kibera, the largest slum area in Kenya. But he didn't dare to drive right into the area with a tourist, and stopped 500 meters away. After that we drove to the city centre. This part of the city is very clean with parks. The streets are wide and the buildings are higher.

Then we drove up to the view point and the embassy area of Nairobi. After that we drove to the eastern side of Nairobi to see how the real life was like for ordinary Kenyans. And not only the rich ones who lived in the upper area of the city. I really liked this part of the trip. The houses looked shabby and the area was croaded of people. The streets were bumby and dusty, and children were playing in the streets. According to the driver this place could be dangerous for tourists, but everywhere I was looking I only saw people smiling. But be careful with the camera. Kenyan people don't like tourists taking photos of them selves.

Fast asleep - awoken by the sound of hail stones on the tin roof, or was it squirrells? Oh wait a minute, I'm in Kenya, and there aren't any squirrells here,..... What the........ They are monkeys about 13 of them running all over the roof like its some kind of Rhumba contest... Cool I'll write that one down......