Nairobi Safaris

Kenya's capital is cosmopolitan, lively, interesting and pleasantly landscaped. The name 'Nairobi' comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyorobi, which translates to 'the place of cool waters'. However, the city is popularly known as the 'Green City in the Sun'.
Originally little more than a swampy watering hole for Maasai tribes, today Nairobi is the most populous city in East Africa. Nairobi grew with the advent of the railway and become a substantial town by 1900. The city is one of the most prominent cities in Africa both politically and financially. Home to many companies and organizations, Nairobi is established as a hub for business and culture.

Nairobi Price Guide

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How to get there

Most international flights arrive too late to connect with the safari charters at Wilson Airport, hence we recommend an overnight in Nairobi. Even though Nairobi has not got the best reputation, by selecting the correct hotel and going on an organised tour, there are many interesting sights and experiences to this vibrant city. SUNSAFARIS can arrange tours to the Giraffe Centre, Nairobi National Park, Karen Blixen museum, shopping excursions, etc.
Air
Nairobi is served primarily by Jomo Kenyatta International Airport which is the largest airport in East and Central Africa. The airport is a major transit hub for passengers flying to East Africa's attractions and cities. The airport directly serves intercontinental passengers from Europe and Asia. It is situated 20km from Nairobi city centre.
Wilson Airport is a small, busy airport in south Nairobi. It handles small aircraft that generally operate within Kenya.

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Nairobi which means 'cool water' in Maasai, is a great transport hub, springing into being because it was a convenient place to put a railway terminus during the building of Kenya’s famous 'Lunatic Line' in 1899. Since then, Nairobi has sprawled upwards and outwards to house a population of nearly three million. Its low-level colonial buildings now jostle equally for space with mirror-fronted skyscrapers, concrete apartment blocks and rickety tin shacks. Sadly, the city currently has a bad reputation for robbery and street crime.  However, it is also undoubtedly the greatest city in East Africa.  It is a pleasantly laid-back place surrounded by magnificent scenery and a great centre for souvenir shopping.

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Ngong House

Ngong House is a luxurious private home situated in the Karen/Langata area of Nairobi. The lodge overlooks the Ngong Hills which is only a few minutes away from what used to be Karen Blixen's coffee farm. Ngong House can accommodate up to 24 people in its luxurious Tree-houses. Each tree-house is comfortably designed with some comprising of two levels with bedrooms upstairs and living areas on the lower floor.

Ngong House

Giraffe Manor

Giraffe Manor is surrounded by 140 acres of indigenous forest, some 30 minutes drive from Nairobi city centre. The Manor has superb views of Ngong Hills. Built in 1932 by Sir David Duncan, it was not until 1974 when two highly endangered Rothschild giraffe were brought to the estate. Here they thrived and produced several further generations of giraffe.

Giraffe Manor

Nairobi National Park Game Viewing

Introduction

The city is adjacent to the eastern edge of the Rift Valley with the Ngong Hills in the west as the most prominent feature of the Nairobi area. Mount Kilimanjaro is situated towards the south-east and Mount Kenya in the north both visible from Nairobi on a clear day.
Although not a prime tourist destination, Nairobi does have several tourist attractions. The most famous is the Nairobi National Park. It is the only game reserve of this nature to border a capital city. The park is home to lion, giraffe and over 400 species of bird. The Giraffe Centre located in Langata, approximately 5km from Nairobi city centre is popular for the endangered Rothschild giraffe. The main attraction for visitors is feeding the giraffes from a raised observation platform. The Daphne Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage is easy accessible from the Giraffe Centre. The park is too small to sustain any adult elephants, but they take in orphaned elephants from all over Kenya. They also take rhinos, so if you are lucky you will get the chance to see a young rhino.

Game Viewing

Nairobi is also home to several museums. A large collection of artefacts including the full remains of a homo erectus boy can be found at the National Museum of Kenya. The Karen Blixen Museum situated in the suburb of Karen provides guided tours around M'Bogani House, the main building of 'The Out of Africa' writer's coffee farm.
Bomas of Kenya is a tourist village in Nairobi's suburb of Langata. These homesteads display traditional villages belonging to several Kenyan tribes. The complex also contains the biggest theatre in Africa with 3,500 seats. Traditional dances from a variety of tribes are performed here every day.
Other attractions of note include Jomo Kenyatta's mausoleum, Kenya National Theatre, the Kenya National Archives, Rahimtulla Museum of Modern Art and the Mzizi Arts Centre.

Seasons

At just under 6 000ft (1820m), Nairobi enjoys a fairly moderate climate. The altitude can make for some chilly evenings, especially during June and July when the temperature can drop to 10C (50F). December through to March is the sunniest time of the year when temperatures hover around the mid-20C (mid-70F) during the day. Although there are two rainy seasons but rainfall can be moderate. As Nairobi is close to the equator, the differences between the seasons are minimal and the timing of sunrise and sunset does not vary tremendously throughout the year.