Hello readers! Thank you for always catching up with us! Have you ever travelled to Africa? Are you planning to travel to Africa? Are you already in Africa? If you answer yes to the above, this is for you. Kenya has been ranked the most beautiful destination in Africa and 10th in the world! Nairobi is Kenya’s capital, also known as the green city under the sun; This blog will share the top 5 destination spots to see in Nairobi!
Did you know, Nairobi comes from the Maasai phrase “Enkare Nyrobi”, which means “Cool waters”? About 4 million people from all tribes and races live in Nairobi. Residents of this city enjoy a relatively warm climate. Here are a few things that make Nairobi a must-see destination in Kenya.
- Nairobi is nicknamed the World's Safari Capital and has many hotels to cater for safari-bound tourists.
- Nairobi is the cultural hub of arts and other high-end events and concerts. The Kenya National Theatre and the Kenya National Archives are located in the city. Additionally, there are several town art galleries including but not limited to the Rahimtulla Museum of Modern Art, the Mizizi Arts Centre, the Nairobi National Museum, The Karen Blixen Museum and the Kuona Art Center for visual artists in Nairobi.
- Giraffe Manor in Nairobi is the most Instagram-worthy hotel. This luxury boutique hotel in Nairobi offers a unique experience whereby guests get to have breakfast and afternoon tea with Giraffes. These fantastic creatures are naturally photogenic, and they love to be photographed!
- Nairobi's nightlife is popular with tourists, young and old. From a collection of gourmet restaurants offering local and international cuisine, Nairobi has something to offer to every age and pocket. The most commonly known food establishments include The Carnivore and The Tamarind Restaurants, which have outlets in Langata, City Centre, and the Village Market.
Now that you know a little bit about Nairobi, here are our top 5 recommendations for places you should see when you visit Kenya! These places will give you a rich experience and unforgettable memories to take home.
1. OCEAN SOLE
Ocean Sole is a social enterprise that makes recycled art sculptures from discarded flip-flops collected from waterways, landfills and weekly beach clean-ups at the coast of Kenya. In Nairobi, Ocean Sole is located at The Karen Village in Karen. When you visit the workshop, you’ll be offered a workshop tour and can see how the artisans make recycled art . The art sculptures could serve as personal gifts or gifts to family and friends. If you’re big on sustainability, most sculptures could serve as recycled art home décor, e.g. is the pineapple sculpture.
Additionally, these recycled art sculptures come in all sizes and collections. The Bahari collection features some marine wildlife; in this collection, you’ll find large turtle art pieces, whale shark pieces, reef fish and others. In the safari collection, you’ll find recycled art sculptures of safari animals like large giraffe art pieces, lion, rhino art pieces and others. In addition, they have a collection of functional products that one can use, e.g. a phone holder made from recycled flip-flops! Apart from the workshop, the Ocean Sole team has a wealth of knowledge about conservation, and they will be happy to share that with you during your tour. Ocean Sole has an excellent rating and reviews on Trip Advisor; make this part of the list of places to visit when you come to Nairobi!
Artisans at Ocean Sole making recycled art
2. NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK
Nairobi is the only city in the world with a national park that borders it. While at the Park, one can see the wildlife with a city skyline backdrop. The Nairobi National Park is made of wide-open grasslands and is home to Giraffes, Rhinos, Zebras, Lions, buffaloes, and other wildlife. Emara Ole- Sereni hotel borders the Nairobi National Park just off Mombasa Road. Ole-Sereni captures the essence of Nairobi, the only city in the world that boasts a natural game park within its precincts. The hotel offers its guests views of animals in their natural surroundings at the waterhole in the park from the restaurant, bar, swimming pool and other parts of the hotel. Relax and unwind as you enjoy the spectacular view of the Nairobi National Park.
Furthermore, the park is open to locals and international visitors daily from 6am-6pm. A lot of people who have visited the Nairobi National Park prefer to go for a game drive. A game drive is an adventure excursion by a vehicle into the park providing an unforgettable experience due to the abundance of wildlife and spectacular landscapes. You do not need to worry about exorbitant costs because the Nairobi National Park game drive charges are affordable. Many tour operating companies have an affordable game drive package to make your experience at the park worthwhile.
Zebras at the Nairobi National Park
3. SHELDRICK WILDLIFE TRUST
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust operates the world's most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is based in Nairobi, Kenya, with a field headquarters bordering Tsavo East National Park. They provide a haven for rescued orphaned baby elephants. The Nursery offers the first stage in the hand-rearing and developing of milk-dependent baby elephants. Once they graduate from the Nursery, aged 2-3 years, the elephants move to one of their Reintegration Centres in Tsavo East National Park, where they will ultimately return to the wild. They open doors to the public for one hour every day from 11am-12pm. This special, time-honored tradition invites the public to learn more about their conservation work and meet the orphans in their care. Those wishing to visit must make a booking in advance to ensure availability. The baby elephants will surely put a smile on your face!
Baby elephants at the David Sheldrick Trust
4. GIRAFFE CENTRE
The Giraffe Centre's primary purpose is to educate Kenyan school children and youth on their country’s wildlife and environment and allow local and international visitors to come into close contact with the world’s tallest species, the giraffe. The Centre is home to the Rothschild giraffes, which as of 2018, have been listed as “Near Threatened” by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Giraffes have quite a sweet tooth, and you can spend quality time feeding them with food items at the Centre. Also, you can learn more about conservation and shop for sustainable art products. The Giraffe Centre is open daily from 9am-5pm.
Giraffes at the Giraffe Centre
5. OPPORTUNITY FACTORY
The Opportunity Factory is the home of collective enterprises that offer experiential crafts each representing the very best of contemporary Kenyan craft. They offer various activities to see and engage in, such as beading, bras jewelry making, Canvas and leather bag making, ceramic sculpture making, screen printing, stained-glass making, bucket hats making experience and much more!. It’s the perfect place to learn something new and create something you can take home. They are open every day from 8am-6pm. The hands-on experience gives every visitor something to look back on.
Bead making at the Opportunity Factory
These are our top five recommendations for the things you should do in Nairobi, however, Nairobi is a big city with a lot more to offer so when you wrap up this list please check out other amazing places in Nairobi! We hope you get to see as many and have so much fun because Nairobi is truly a magical city!
Email us,hello@oceansoleafrica.com for any enquiries, custom orders, projects, partnerships and collaborations or to see how to get involved with our mission.
