Nairobi is the capital of the Republic of Kenya. It is located
in the southwest of the country between Mount Kenya and the
Tanzanian border.
Nairobi is located at an altitude of
1,670 meters and is the commercial, economic and cultural center
of Kenya. There are many high-rise buildings in the center of
the city and so Nairobi looks (at first glance) like a western
metropolis. In Nairobi there is: a university (1963) and
technical college, a national theater and a congress center. The
center of the city is City Square with the parliament building
(1954), the town hall and the Supreme Court. The main road is
called Kenyatta Avenue with office buildings and hotels.
Nairobi is a good starting point for safaris in the surrounding area.
The city itself has few sights, but good shopping opportunities.
1 Nairobi National Park (Hifadhi ya Taifa ya Nairobi). The park near the
city is often underestimated, but offers a rich wildlife and is
inexpensive to explore. Large herds of zebras, wildebeests, buffalos,
giraffes, lions, cheetahs, hippos and birds (over 400 species) live
here. You can also visit the Nairobi Safari Walk here, an educational
center that educates about the conservation of wildlife and habitats.
The park also has the Nairobi Animal Orphanage, a wildlife rescue
center. Price: €38.
2 Sheldrick Elephant & Rhino Orphanage.
Orphaned elephants from all over Kenya are taken in there until they can
be released and survive in the wild. Visiting times are daily from 11
a.m. to 12.30 p.m. These short visiting hours are to ensure that the
elephants do not become accustomed to people.
3 Giraffe Centre. Good
opportunity to see giraffes up close and to feed the animals by hand.
The food is provided free of charge. Price: 10€.
1 Kenyatta
International Conference Centre (KICC). The best place to get a good
view of the sprawling, crowded metropolis of Nairobi. You can go up to
the round observation tower of the conference centre and, depending on
the smog and fog, see all the way to the slums and the national park.
4 Zoo Nairobi Safari Walk. The Nairobi Safari Walk is located along
Lang'ata Road, right next to the cemetery in Nairobi National Park.
There are various wild animals on site including buffalo, lions,
cheetahs, ostriches, antelopes, hippos etc. Visitors have the
opportunity to observe the animals on a marked path and take photos.
Please note that no park accepts cash payments, so you should either
have a credit card or money stored in your mobile phone (MPESA).
In the Lavington district, the German Protestant community holds its
service in the old St. Andrews Church on Sundays at 10 a.m.
1 St.
Andrews Church. In the Lavington district, the German Protestant
community holds its service in the old St. Andrews Church on Sundays at
10 a.m.
2 Jamia Mosque. The Jamia Mosque on Banda Street near the
City Market was built in 1902 in the traditional Moorish style and is
one of the largest religious buildings in Kenya and is the Islamic
center of the country. Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the Jamia
Mosque, but the elegant building is also worth seeing from the outside.
3 Shri Swaminarayan Hindu Temple. Temple with particularly beautiful
architecture and well-kept gardens.
1 Nairobi National Museum. Here visitors can learn more about
Nairobi, its history and culture. The museum was founded in 1910. Open:
8:30-17:30.
2 National Railway Museum. Visitors can learn more about
the history of the Kenyan railway and the Kenya/Uganda railway. It also
houses some of the country's colonial-era engines and rolling stock.
3 Nairobi Gallery. Art museum with changing exhibitions.
4 Karen
Blixen Museum. Based on Karen Blixen's very well-known novel "Out of
Africa", her house became a museum. The house can be visited with a
guided tour, and you can also walk through the gardens on your own. If
you haven't seen the film and don't know the history of the house, the
hour-long drive and the entrance fee are hardly worth it. The house has
very few original furniture left, but there are some of the props that
were used in the film here (although the film was not shot here - it was
created on a set). The property is located on the outskirts of Nairobi
(in the suburbs of Karen). It is not far from the Elephant Orphanage and
the Giraffe Centre, so these attractions can be combined in a single
trip.
5 Bomas of Kenya. Bomas showcase various aspects of Kenyan
culture, including ways of life, arts and crafts, music and dance.
5 Uhuru Park. Uhuru Park is a 12.9 hectare recreational park next to
Nairobi's central business district. It was completed in 1971 in memory
of the 1963 independence struggle and offers the best view of City
Square. Not to be confused with "Uhuru Gardens", a park currently
(09/2021) under renovation in Lang'ata. Price: free.
6 Arbortum
Park. Very nice park to walk and relax from the hectic city. Because of
the entrance fee, you will not be bothered by beggars, vendors, etc.
Open: 06:00-18:30.
7 Karura Forest. Covering an area of 1 063 ha,
it is the largest of the three main parks in Nairobi. The others are
Ngong Forest and Ololua Forest. One of the best forest parks for
running, horse riding, picnicking in the city center. It is relatively
safe, well marked and a very nice place to relax and enjoy nature. The
River Cafe is a good place to take a break from a walk.
8 City Park.
The city park is a good place to relax from the hectic city. This forest
is home to many Sikes monkeys. They are trusting and approach because
they are often fed by visitors. Since they expect food from visitors,
they become cranky if you don't have anything to feed them. The park
gets very crowded on weekends and holidays. There are some nature trails
but they are not really safe for foreign tourists. Another highlight of
the city park is the vegetable and fruit market at a corner of the park
near Lumuru Road. Avoid going into the forest when it is dark! Entry to
the park is free.
9 Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park . The 2,146m high mountain massif,
about 60km from Nairobi, offers visitors beautiful mountain forests and
plains with a large population of buffalo. The area also serves as a
refuge for colobus monkeys, bushbucks, duikers, leopards and a wide
variety of bird species. Another attraction is climbing Mount
Kilimambogo. A good starting point is the Ol Donyo Sapuk Resort, where
you can also find guides. It is a 9km hike to the top of the 2145m high
mountain, which takes about 3 hours with stops at viewpoints and at the
Macmillan burial site.
10 14 Falls near Thika . The 14 Falls are 55km
from Nairobi, near the Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park, near the town of
Thika, one of the largest suppliers of pineapples in Kenya. You can see
the extensive plantations on the way to the falls. 14 small streams
merge to form the big waterfall at the foot of the Kilima Mbogo Hills.
These streams are part of the Athi River. At first sight, the falls are
magnificent. However, the river is heavily polluted by industrial waste
and garbage scattered all over the rocks diminishes the joy. At Thika
are also the Thika and Chania Falls near the Blue Post Hotel. A visit is
also interesting for a stop on the way to the 14 falls. Also worth a
visit are the Mau Mau Caves, where suspected Maumau fighters were hidden
during the independence struggles between Thika and Mangu, about 6km
from Thika. Price: 15€ entrance fees, 5€ parking, 5€ camera.
11
Kiambethu Tea Farm, Limuru. A beautiful tea farm, about 40 minutes from
Nairobi city center. The farmhouse is set in a beautiful garden
surrounded by tea and native forests - home to the colobus monkeys and
many other wildlife. Open: 11:00-14:30.
Kitangela Glass. This
imaginative place makes beautiful art objects from recycled glass and
displays them in a beautiful garden. A shop sells various types of
glassware. Guided presentations take place every 30 minutes.
Rolf's
Place. A suspension bridge leads over a gorge to the restaurant. The
restaurant has seen better days and is overpriced, but it's worth
stopping for a beer and enjoying the beautiful view.
Anti-Gravity
Hill (Kituluni Hill). One of the strangest natural phenomena in the
Kenyan Rift Valley is the point that the Kamba native mysteriously calls
"anti-gravity". Young men gesticulate on the street to demonstrate the
"miracle" to visitors for a small fee. They put a plastic bottle filled
with water on the asphalt, which appears to be rolling uphill. If you
ask them if they pushed the bottle, they empty the contents onto the
road. The water appears to be slowly flowing uphill.
12 Swara Plains
Conservancy. Swara Plains is a fenced area where zebras, giraffes,
ostriches, monkeys and many other "non-predators" can be observed. Here
you can go for a walk or a bike ride, which is almost everywhere
forbidden in the national parks, but is fun for children.
Olorgesailie prehistoric saddles . This site is the site of a great
many stone tools from prehistoric times.
13 Magadi Lake (Ziwa Magadi)
. Salt lake with hot springs for SPA, soda and salt production and many
flamingos.
14
Hells Gate National Park (Hifadhi ya Taifa ya Hell's Gate) . A nice
alternative to the more traditional safari. Given the absence of
dangerous animals, it is possible to visit this park on foot or by
bicycle. The landscapes are very impressive, especially the descent into
the canyon where you can observe zebras, wildebeest, buffalo, warthogs,
and several endemic species of birds and insects.
Kereita Forest zip line. Located in Kereita Forest near Kiambu along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway, East Africa's longest zip line is over 2.4km of flight over the lush bush landscape. Open: 08:00-18:00.
By plane
1 Jomo Kenyatta International (Uwanja wa ndege wa
Kimataifa wa Jomo Kenyatta, IATA: NBO). This airport is one of the most
important in Africa and has good international connections. The
development of the airport was driven primarily by the growth of the
local airline Kenya Airways, which offers worldwide flights. There are
several connections from Europe, including Condor from Frankfurt, Swiss
from Zurich and KLM from Amsterdam. The Arab airlines Emirates and Qatar
Airways also connect Nairobi with their hubs. Depending on the traffic
situation, the journey between the airport and the city center takes
about 20-60 minutes.
Taxi: Many taxis wait outside the airport.
The cost of a trip to the city center should be around 2,000 Ksh.
Westlands or places further west or north are more expensive (around
1€/km). Immediately after leaving the customs area there is an official
KAA taxi counter where you can buy a voucher for a fixed price. You will
then be escorted to a taxi. If you take a taxi to your accommodation, do
not be tempted to accept their recommendation for accommodation. Uber
costs from Ksh1000 from the airport to the city centre.
Airport Bus:
To or from the centre, airport bus number 34 for Ksh80. You can catch
the bus from the international airport or outside the Ambassador Hotel
on Moi Avenue in the city centre. 6am-8pm.
Local Train: There is a
new local train in Nairobi which departs from Embakasi Village station
and goes to the Nairobi Central Station. Large buses run from the
airport to/from this station eight times a day. Departures from JKIA
airport are by DMU Express at 6am and 11.50am. Simple Commuter Bus:
6.40am. 7.35am. 9.50am. 11.45am. 1.55pm. 6.50pm. The fare is 250
shillings for the DMU Express and 140 shillings for the one-way commuter
service. It takes about 1 hour from JKIA airport to the city center.
Airport hotel 67 airport. popular budget airport hotel. Also
organizes airport shuttle.
2 Nairobi Wilson (Uwanja wa Ndege wa
Wilson, IATA: WIL) . Most domestic flights, especially those linked to
safaris to the tourist areas, depart from Nairobi Wilson Airport, which
is located just a few kilometers from the city center. A taxi should not
cost more than 800 KSh, a good price is 600 KSh and the journey takes
about 15-45 minutes from the city center.
There is no official
taxi counter at the Wilson and each airline operates from its own
terminal. It may be difficult to order a reputable taxi on arrival, but
there are many waiting outside the airport.
By bus
Nairobi is
the center of Kenya's (most reliable) bus system. There are many bus
companies that travel to and from the various cities in the country.
By train
The new 530km route to Mombasa has been completed since
June 2017. The journey time has been significantly reduced to the
scheduled 5 hours. The most modern express train sets are used. The
cheapest 3rd class tickets cost 1000 Ksh, significantly cheaper than
buses (2017: 1500 Ksh). In 1st class, 3000 Ksh are due. Timetable and
prices. Since the train station is far south of Nairobi near the
airport, there is a connecting train that takes passengers to the
center.
There are four commuter rail lines in the Nairobi region. There are
3-4 daily trips per line. Trips only take place during rush hour and are
very crowded.
Taxi. Prices should always be negotiated before the
trip and paid afterwards (only cash is accepted, often only limited
change is available). This can be difficult as it requires you to be
informed about the market price of the desired trip. You can expect to
pay around 1 euro per km. Taxis can usually be found in hotels, shopping
centers and tourist areas. Taxis are marked with a yellow line on each
side. It is best to ask a local or inquire at your hotel. The shuttle
services Uber, Taxify, Ke / Little, are very popular due to their
convenience, cost and higher quality of service.
Buses. Matatus
(minibuses) are generally used for trips between downtown Nairobi and
the suburbs. It is the cheapest mode of transport, usually overcrowded,
poorly maintained and often driven by inexperienced and reckless
drivers. Each bus has a cashier hanging halfway out the side door
shouting the price (usually Ksh 20-50) and the location where the matatu
is going. The government banned 14-seater matatus in the city centre to
reduce traffic and accidents in the city. The best choice is probably
the City Hoppa bus service and the revived Kenya Bus service. Beware of
traffic jams on the main roads, not just during rush hours.
On foot.
Walking around central Nairobi is fairly easy as the attractions are
close together and the centre is relatively small and flat. However,
there are some areas within the city that tourists should not go to and
walking around at night should be avoided at all costs.
Car rental.
Renting a car is convenient as it gives the freedom to explore Nairobi
at your own pace. Most rental companies in Nairobi offer self-drive or
chauffeur-drive options. You can rent both automatic and manual
transmission cars. All rental cars are right-hand drive. It is advisable
to rent a vehicle with a local driver or chauffeur who is familiar with
both the chaotic traffic and road conditions. Although a good number of
local car rental companies are reliable, one should either take photos
of the car before renting or carefully note and agree to any dents or
scratches on the car. Also, read the rental agreement carefully to check
the rules regarding insurance liabilities in case of an accident or
theft of the vehicle.
Shoping malls. There are many shopping malls in the city including
the Galleria, Westgate Shopping Mall, Sarit Center, Thika Road Shopping
Mall, Garden City Mall, Two Rivers Mall and The Hub Karen among others.
Flea markets - Maasai markets. Of tourist interest are the homemade
handicraft products such as Maasai beadwork, carved products made of
wood and soapstone, as well as lesos (African wraps), kikoys (sarongs)
and Maasai shukas that are sold at the local flea markets. The Maasai
markets are the best places to hunt for these items and they are held in
the parking lots of various shopping malls.infoedit
MONDAY: The only
Maasai market on Monday is held at the Galleria Shopping Mall.
TUESDAY: At the Prestige Plaza Shopping Mall on Ngong Road and Westgate
Shopping Mall in the upper parking lot,
WEDNESDAY: At the Capital
Centre on Mombasa Road.
THURSDAY: at the Garden City Mall in the open
air car park.
FRIDAY: At the Village Market in Gigiri suburb from 8am
to 6.30pm. This is the oldest Maasai market in Nairobi.
SATURDAY: The
Nairobi Court of Appeal car park is the busiest Maasai market in
Nairobi. It is held in the huge court car park. It is centrally located
in the city centre, right next to the KICC and just behind the Hilton
Hotel. Vendors come from the most remote areas of Maasailand. This is a
shopper's paradise. There is also a market at Adam's Arcade, the oldest
pre-independence shopping centre in Nairobi.
SUNDAY: At the Yaya
Centre in the upmarket Kilimani residential area, along Argwings Kodhek
Road and at Adam's Arcade and in the Appellate Court car park
Medium
Jungle Junction . Simple hostel. In addition to rooms of
various categories, you can also camp there. Chris, the owner, is German
and married a Kenyan woman. The price level is not cheap by Kenyan
standards at four USD per person for camping, but if you can afford it,
you will really find an oasis of peace there.
Upscale
Giraffe
Manor. Luxurious all-inclusive hotel in a 1930s mansion with gardens and
a herd of giraffes on the western edge of Nairobi National Park in a
tourist village with cultural shows. The real attraction is that the
giraffes are tame and "steal" the bread from the guests' plates during
meals or beg for food with their long necks in the rooms on the first
floor. Price: from 825 US$ upwards per person per night.
Excavations in the area of the Kantis Fossil Site on the outskirts
of Nairobi have shown that Australopithecus afarensis, early ancestors
of humans, existed in the city area around 3.5 million years ago.
Nairobi grew out of a railway camp and supply depot that the British
administration of Uganda built in the swampy area in central Kenya in
1896. A year earlier, construction of the railway line that was to
connect the coast and Uganda had begun from Mombasa. The location in the
highlands, populated by the Maasai and Kikuyu, was chosen for the
railway camp because of the surrounding rivers and the favorable
climate. In 1899, the administration of the Uganda Railways moved its
headquarters to Nairobi, and in the same year the administration of the
Ukamba province moved from Machakos to Nairobi. In December 1901, the
first city council was formed. At that time, the place still had the
character of a huge tent camp; one observer described it as "the most
lawless and dangerous place in Africa".
Six years later, Nairobi
became the capital of the British Protectorate of East Africa (as the
later colony of Kenya was called until 1920), replacing Mombasa. It had
already grown enormously during this phase. More than 1,200 white people
now lived here. Nairobi was a commercial and cultural center for the
growing number of European settlers in the nearby highlands and a base
for booming hunting tourism. The construction of most of the buildings
was undertaken by the Indian merchant and building contractor Alibhoy
Mulla Jeevanjee, who had already proven himself through a contract with
Uganda Railways for the shipping of Indian construction workers and
their supplies.
The city, which was actually planned for the
European and Indian residents of the colony, also attracted many
Africans, who made up the vast majority of the residents from the very
beginning. In addition to African and Indian railway workers who lived
in barracks, Sudanese and Somali traders and soldiers settled there,
porters from all parts of East Africa and the auxiliary soldiers of the
colonial troops, especially the Maasai, Nandi and Baganda from the
neighboring colony. In addition, numerous Kikuyu from the surrounding
area moved into the city. They lived on the outskirts of the city, in
illegal quarters, some of which were quickly demolished, others of which
remained for a while. In 1921, around 12,000 Africans lived in eight
different African districts, including Mombasa, Masikini, Kaburini,
Kariokor and Kibera, Pumwani and Pangani. The origins of the first
organized anti-colonial movement emerged in these African districts. In
particular, the tea rooms in Pangani's eastern suburbs and - on Sundays
- the district's sports field were meeting places for politically active
people until Pangani was demolished in 1938.
Immigrants flocked
to the city of Nairobi early on. They often settled on the outskirts of
the city, and slum-like conditions developed in many places. The city
has one of the highest crime rates in the world.
At the beginning
of the 1990s, the population's opposition to Kenyan President Daniel
arap Moi grew, which resulted in several riots. University students also
repeatedly demonstrate in the city.
On August 7, 1998, 213 people
were killed in a terrorist attack on the US embassy in Nairobi. Today,
there is a green memorial with a chapel on the site.
In January
2007, the seventh World Social Forum took place in Nairobi, where the
residents of Korogocho had an opportunity to draw the world's attention
to their living situation.
On September 21, 2013, Islamist
extremists from the Somali Al-Shabaab militia carried out an attack on
the Westgate shopping center in the Westlands district, killing at least
68 people.
The National Museum with a comprehensive collection on early African
history, the ♁Railway Museum, the Parliament Building, the Town Hall,
the Court, the National Theater and the National Library are all
interesting. The State House is the official residence of the President.
Nairobi National Park
The Nairobi National Park was opened in
1946. The park is only 7 km from the city center, is 120 km² in size and
is home to a variety of animals: 80 species of mammals and over 500
species of birds have been identified. The park is fenced on three
sides, the fourth side is bordered by the Athi River. Most of the park
is open plains. Some of the last black rhinos live in the park, as well
as Masai giraffes, Cape buffalo, bush pigs, Thomson's and Grant's
gazelles, lions, leopards, cheetahs, panthers and hyenas. The most
common species in Nairobi National Park are black-backed jackals,
wildebeests, hartebeests and zebras.
Langatta Giraffe Center
The Langatta Giraffe Center is run by AFEW (African Fund for Endangered
Wildlife) in the Langatta district. The main attraction, especially for
children, is feeding Rothschild giraffes face to face from a tower.
Opposite the center, a 1-2 km long nature trail begins in a pristine
forest area. Information about the plants and animals along the trail
can be found either in a brochure or from one of the rangers, who also
offer guided tours.
Karen Blixen Museum
The house that is now
the Karen Blixen Museum was once home to the Danish writer Karen Blixen,
who became world famous through the film adaptation of her novel Africa
- a dark, alluring world under the title Out of Africa. Her house was
bought by the Kenyan government and has been a museum since 1986, partly
furnished with original furniture, but also partly with props from the
film Out of Africa. Karen Blixen spent 14 years in this house on a
former coffee plantation (on whose land the Karen district now lies)
until her lover Denys Finch Hatton died. The farm itself went bankrupt,
so Karen Blixen gave it up and returned to Denmark.
David
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
The Nairobi Elephant Orphanage is located in
the Nairobi National Park and can be reached via Magadi Road, although
there is no entrance fee for the national park. Here, under the expert
guidance of biologist Daphne Sheldrick, mainly elephants and a few
rhinoceros babies are raised, who have been orphaned by poaching or
other circumstances. Since visitors have a major impact on the work of
the keepers and biologists, the gates are only open to guests between
11:00 and 12:00 or by prior arrangement. Here you can watch orphaned
elephants playing while keepers and biologists give lectures about the
animals.
The Gymkhana Club Ground was one of the venues for the ICC KnockOut 2000 and the Cricket World Cup 2003.
Nairobi is located in the south of Kenya on the Nairobi River, a tributary of the Athi. Built at an average altitude of 1624 m, it is one of the highest capital cities in Africa. Nairobi is located just south of the equator at the geographical coordinates latitude 1° 17′ south and longitude 36° 49′ east.
The city is in the tropical climate zone, but has a very temperate
climate due to its altitude. The average annual temperature is 19
degrees Celsius, and the annual rainfall is 1024.2 millimeters on
average.
The warmest month is March with an average of 20.5
degrees Celsius, the coldest is July with an average of 16.8 degrees
Celsius. The most precipitation falls in April with an average of 219.4
millimeters, and the least in July with an average of 17.5 millimeters.
Around 60 percent of Nairobi's residents live in slums, of which
there are more than 200. In the northeast of the city lies the oldest
slum in the city, located in the Mathare Valley. Along the railway line
in the southwest is also the Kibera slum, with around 200,000
inhabitants. Earlier estimates that this was the largest slum in Africa,
with up to a million inhabitants, were refuted by a census. Other slums
are Korogocho and the clusters in Kariobangi.
In the south of
Nairobi lies the sophisticated suburb of Karen, named after the Danish
writer and farmer Karen Blixen, who lived there for many years.
Nairobi generates around a fifth of Kenya's total economic output and
a large part of its industrial production. In 2017, the GDP per capita
in Nairobi County (which is the same as the city) was 317,700 Kenyan
shillings (approx. 6,344 international dollars or approx. 2,720 euros).
Nairobi is the economic and communications center of Kenya, and its high
growth rate makes it stand out in comparison to the rest of Africa.
Important industrial products in Nairobi are textiles, clothing,
means of transport, building materials and food. Tourism has also
increased recently, which means that it is of great economic importance
for Nairobi. Nyayo Motor Corporation tried to become an automobile
manufacturer in the 1980s and '90s. However, the project failed due to
financial difficulties.
In a ranking of cities according to their
quality of life, Nairobi ranked 186th out of 231 cities worldwide in
2018.
The city is the headquarters of the Central Bank of Kenya.