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BEST OF NAIROBI
Nairobi is a unique and alluring capital city. Buzzing with a vibrant, cosmopolitan culture, there’s so much to see and do it can be hard to know where to begin. That’s why we reached out to our whole team to create the ultimate list of Nairobi hangouts. From food lovers to adrenaline junkies and little ones to intrepid explorers, the city has something for everyone. It was hard to whittle down our favourites, but we hope our hand-picked highlights will help you plan your perfect city experience.
Did you know, Nairobi is the only city in the world with a National Park? Nowhere else can you watch wild lions, rhinos, zebras and buffalo against a cityscape.
Giraffe Manor guests with a lioness in Nairobi National Park ©Scott Ramsay
SAVOURING THE SAFARI
Eager to make the most of every moment with Kenya’s incredible wildlife? These two fabulous experiences will give you plenty of camera action.
- Nairobi National Park: As Kenya’s oldest National Park, and the only one in Africa situated in a city, Nairobi National Park offers a unique safari experience. Home to four of the big five, 100 mammal species and over 400 bird species, once inside it feels like you’ve left the city far behind. Even better, Giraffe Manor has a dedicated safari vehicle bookable for guests wishing to make the most of this magical experience right on the doorstep.
- Sheldrick’s Wildlife Trust: Heart-warming encounters with rescued orphaned elephants from across Kenya. It’s easy to see why this is one of the most popular attractions in the city (and as such, advance booking via their website is essential). Learn about each ellie’s rescue story and personality, and what it takes to care for these extremely intelligent and sociable animals. Adoption is done through their website.
Feeding time at Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphanage ©Robin Moore
WHEN IT’S TIME TO EAT
Foodies will love Nairobi. The restaurant scene offers an endless choice of local and global cuisines, well-loved by city residents and tried and tested by us many times! Here are a handful that our team love.
- Our all-time favourite: Talisman in Karen, featuring walls adorned with local art for sale and a menu packed with dishes inspired from across the world. Talisman’s fare never fails to leave us wanting more! Brunch, lunch and dinner are all delicious.
- Farm-to-Fork style: Boho Eatery and Cultiva, both five minutes from Giraffe Manor, have fragrant gardens and a vibrant menu of nutritiously scrumptious dishes.
- Cafés perfect for lunchtime excursions with tempting gift shops: Tin Roof Café in Karen and Wasp & Sprout in Loresho.
- Hip wine bar: The Wine Box in Karen for a great choice of wines and yum tapas style food for lunch and dinner.
- An Italian we love: La Salumeria in Valley Arcade for an intimate, authentic and ‘off the beaten track’ type vibe. We love the homemade tortellini.
Nairobi was founded in 1899. The town grew so fast it replaced Mombasa as Kenya’s capital city in 1902.
- Our local Sushi bar: Haru in Karen, a firm favourite for our regular sushi fix.
- Great interior design:Karen Blixen Coffee Garden in Karen.
- Best views of the city: Fifteen Rooftop on Mombasa Road for cocktails and fine dining from up high.
- Fine dining experiences for grown-up evenings out. Check out some of our special treat favourites: INTI in Westlands for a Japanese/Peruvian fusion with great ambience and views across the city. Peruvian inspired restaurant Inca, inside the Social House Hotel. For an authentic Japanese tasting menu, head to the intimate Sushi MITSUKI at the Kempinski Hotel in Westlands. Embark offers a mouth-watering eight-course tasting menu in Karen and the funky gin bar Botanica has fabulous ambience and great mix of international cuisine in Westlands. All require prior booking.
SHOP UNTIL YOU DROP
Nairobi is packed with craft-filled boutiques and one-off purchases you won’t be able to resist. In addition to the shopping experiences highlighted on the Giraffe Manor activities page (and not forgetting Nairobi’s many, many large shopping malls!) here are two more we love.
- Spinner’s Web in Spring Valley: one of Nairobi’s biggest arts and crafts shops showcasing an impressive collection of beautifully hand-crafted goodies from over 500 vendors, all under one roof! Your luggage allowance might suffer, but well worth it.
- Maasai Markets: a treat for the senses, you won’t be able to resist filling your suitcase with all manner of charming souvenirs displayed at these colourful markets, from beautiful woven baskets to wood carvings and beaded jewellery. Markets take place in a different spot around the city six days a week from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.
- Tuesday: Prestige Plaza on Ngong Road
- Wednesday: Capital Centre on Mombasa Road
- Thursday: Junction Mall on Ngong Road
- Friday: Village Market in Gigiri
- Saturday: High Court car park in the city centre
- Sunday: Yaya Centre in Hurlingham
It’s easy to find an array of stunning beadwork in Nairobi
THE ART SCENE
Nairobi is a hub for talented local craftspeople and artists.
- One Off Contemporary Art Gallery: Located in Nairobi’s CBD but hidden within a serene garden of trees, this gallery is, as the name suggests, filled with a collection of unique and diverse artwork from Kenyan artists.
- Anselm Kitengela Hot Glass: A short drive outside of the city on the edge of Nairobi National Park is the home of Kitengela. Watch live demonstrations of skilled glassblowers at their craft, sculpting incredible creations from molten recycled glass. You can even book workshops to have a go yourself. Wander around their sculpture garden, grab a drink in the café and purchase some awesome handmade glassware from the studio shop. Check their website for demonstration days and timings before planning your visit. A selection of their handblown creations are available from our shop.
Some of the weird and wonderful creations at Kitengela
Kitengela glassblowers at work
MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE
After long haul flights and time spent game-driving through the bush, it feels great to stretch and move. Nairobi is a very green city with lots of outdoor spaces and places to re-energise.
- DOJO Wellness Club in Karen: a great gym with a range of fun classes if you like to work hard. What’s more, it’s right next door to our favourite restaurant Talisman for a treat afterwards! Classes must be pre-booked on their website.
- Golf: Nairobi has 12 golf courses, most of which allow non-members to enjoy teeing off on their greens, as long as you book in advance. Sigona is on the outskirts of the city with beautiful views. Not far from Giraffe Manor is the renowned Karen Golf and Country Club and on the other side of the city is the Muthaiga Golf Club.
- Karura Forest: A beautiful 2,500-acre forest for peaceful walks, jogging, trail biking, picnics and general forest bathing. Vehemently protected by the late Nobel Prize Winner and founder of the Green Belt Movement, Wangari Maathai, when it was under threat from urban encroachment and land grabbers in the 1990s. The Friends of Karura Forest website has comprehensive information for visitors.
- Oloolua Forest in Karen: If you’d like to stretch your legs in nature under a green canopy, then a mere ten-minute drive from the manor will take you to this little biodiversity hotspot full of indigenous trees. Popular with local dog walkers, you’ll find various short nature trails winding through the 1,500-acre forest. Follow a shady 3.5 km loop, an easy city escape great for birdwatching.
Did you know, the name Nairobi is from a Maasai phrase ‘Enkare Nairobi’ which translates to ‘cool water’? The marshy area where the city lies was historically frequented by pastoralist Maasai who named the river cool water.
DISCOVER LIMURU
About an hour’s drive northwest of the city lie the verdant hillsides of Limuru. This is an area famed for its tea plantations. At 2,500 metres above sea level (compared to Nairobi’s altitude of 1,795 m) the air is noticeably cooler. There are some interesting and fun excursions for those with enough time to spare.
- Brown’s Cheese Tasting: Limuru is the home of artisan cheese makers Brown’s. We serve their mouth-watering cheeses at our camps and lodges. Visit their organic farm for a factory tour and farm-to-fork lunch which includes tasting all their delicious homemade cheeses, chutneys, crackers and ice-creams. Children enjoy homemade pizza and can visit the animals on the farm.
Touring Brown’s Cheese Factory in Limuru ©Scott Ramsay
Flying over Kenya’s forests ©The Forest Adventure Centre
- Tea: Kenyans love tea, and alongside coffee, Kenya is one of the biggest tea-producing nations in the world. Kiambethu Farm near Limuru town is a lovely tea estate to visit, offering tours, a forest walk, a farm lunch and of course tea tasting! Advance booking is essential.
- Ziplining at Forest Adventure Centre: Africa’s longest zipline (2.2km) whizzes over the canopy of Kereita Forest in Limuru. They also have paintballing, mountain biking, horse riding, archery and hiking.
- Coffee: Kenya is one of the world’s leading coffee producers. There are a couple of different coffee estates on the outskirts of Nairobi where you can take a tour, taste some coffee and learn about how your morning caffeine fix gets from bean to cup. Have a look at the Fairview Estate and Karunguru Coffee websites, both farms are within an hour of the city.
SOMETHING A BIT DIFFERENT
- Nairobi Physic Garden: A serene green space in the home of Debbie Coulson where she grows over 300 species of exotic and indigenous healing plants. Just ten minutes down the road from the manor, it’s a great place to find calm or purchase some of Debbie’s homemade body balms and herbal remedies.
- Go Karting: Test your driving skills and get your adrenalin fix at GP Karting just off Langata Road. This is great fun for families.
- The Retreat at Giraffe Manor: Up to four weeks in advance, our tranquil wellness centre nestled within the giraffe sanctuary can be booked by anyone. Purchase a Retreat Day Pass to access the infinity pool , hot tub, steam room, sauna, gym and peaceful gardens. Book a pampering selection of massage and beauty treatments and dine in Daisy’s Cafe which serves an irresistible farm-to-fork style menu. Children might enjoy playing giant Jenga on the lawn or spotting giraffes and warthogs.
A fragrant stroll around Nairobi Physic Garden ©Scott Ramsay
Giant Jenga on the lawn at The Retreat ©Will Burrad-Lucas
Get in touch by emailing info@thesafaricollection to plan your ultimate East African adventure now. You dream it, and we’ll try our best to make it happen! You can find even more Nairobi excursions on the Giraffe Manor website.
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