2 days in Nairobi

[loukkcat]

Hi,

We have 2 days to kill at the end of our trip in Nairobi...we will already have covered off one day there at the start and one day as part of our safari. I've heard mixed reports of what to do there....I've looked at one day tours and they all seem really expensive. Is it safe to sightsee on your own (three girls) or would we need to go as part of a tour or hire a driver? Which is recommended?

Is there anything that we must see/ do? I would love to go to a masai market, but don't think these are on every day? We will be there on a Wednesday and Thursday. Would also love to visit the giraffe centre, but tours seem really expensive.

Also any advice on decent, budget places to stay? We are booked into Hotel Sixty Eight just before our safari starts, but would like somewhere a little cheaper when we are on our own.

Will three girls be safe to wander around?

We'll be there this time 3 weeks.

Thanks
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[apoint]

Hi,

On Wednesdays the Maasai Market is at capital Centre- so don't worry, you can still catch up with your souvenirs.


Sightseeing the city (especially day time) is very safe provided you keep off dingy places and backstreets. Like any other city in the world - basic street wisdom applies.

If you would like visit Giraffe Centre, On route there is Bomas of Kenya too - where you can enjoy Kenya Traditional Dances and also learn a bit of Kenyan Culture.

If you are really on a budget and would like to take advantage of that to have a Nairobi commuter experience, a Matatu Route 24(fare no more than fifty shillings) should take you there. It however requires basic acquaintance with the city. Better still,you might hire a driver.

Here is an overview article of the Nairobi city life:

http://www.africapoint.net/africa-city-life/nairobi.html


For a hotel a little cheaper I don't know how much exactly you are willing to spend but I think Methodist Guest House, Bounty Hotel or Even Gracia Gardens are good hotels to explore.


Karibu Nairobi - the city has much to offer for Three Wise Girls!
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[TheZanzibari]

Hiring a tour guide that also drives would be a good idea for those 2 days.
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[richard222]

Well I don’t know much about Nairobi but I have read couple of articles about must visit attractions of Nairobi. The list was comprised of Nairobi National park, Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park, 14 Falls, National Railway Museum and yes the last one was Westlands by night. So if you visit these places plz do share you experience as well at the same forum…

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[WildinTanzania]

Girafe Manor just outside town is well worth a look.
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[WildinTanzania]

Oldonyo Lengai in Tanzania is the only active carboniferous volcano in the world so it is well worth a visit.
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[cobliecallicat]

I will recommend Nairobi National Park & Nairobi National Museum.

The following are some resources that I found online, hope it could help.

Nairobi National Park

Definitely the biggest tourist destination in Nairobi. The Nairobi National park is an underrated, full safari game reserve only 7 km away from the downtown center of the city. It's so close that you can even manage to get some pictures of wild animals with a skyscraper on the horizon.

The park commonly sees lions, zebras, giraffes and more. There is one unfenced border to the park so the population of animals changes all the time. The only animal you will miss is the elephant, which doesn't frequent the area. But other than that, you never know what you are going to see. Admission to the park is around US$40, and it is well marked with roads and a walking trail.

Nairobi National Museum

Originally the museum was intended as a place to house natural history specimens and displays, but once Kenya became an independent nation, the focus changed to include exhibits about the history and people of Kenya as well. Particularly interesting are the prehistoric artifacts discovered by the Leakey’s, the famous anthropologists who unearthed much evidence that the first humans in history actually originated in Kenya.

Major renovations are underway to enlarge the facility and modernize the exhibits. The fee to enter the museum is about $12US. If you like culture and history, you'll find several other smaller museums scattered around Nairobi that you should look into.
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[Wagat1]

Hi,
I can recommend Oakwood Hotel. Its right in the city center and its quite affordable.

I would definitely not recommend you to walk alone sightseeing. You can have a guide and pay him a small fee of around USD 30 per day (excluding transport/car hire) and he/she will take you to all the spots you want.

Try out Giraffe Manor (get a kiss from the Giraffes ) and also ostrich park (ride the ostriches), go to Naivasha and marvel at the thousands of Flamingos that we have and definitely don't miss the Nairobi Safari Walk!!

Have a lovely time in Kenya

[GetsHolidays]

i know these places to visit in Nairobi like:

Nairobi National Park and Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage
The Giraffe Centre
Nairobi National Museum
Karen Blixen Museum

[WildinTanzania]

By if I were you I'd hire a driver-guide for these 2 days - he will keep you safe and take you to see things you could otherwise miss. Safety in Nairobi is an issue not to be dismissed as there is a lot of street crime.
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[Adventurepanorama]

One of the best things you can do while in Nairobi on a free day is to get out of the busy city center, especially on a weekday, I would suggest you ask around for a budget tour to giraffe center, karen blixen,bomas of kenya or animal orphanage.

You can devide the days into 2, the first day, you can do the excursions and the last day, depending on where the masai market will be, you can go and buy the souvernirs and get back to your hotel and park before leaving for home,
All the best and welcome to Africa.

[peterlee]

I love to visit these kind of places like Nairobi. There is a good Giraffe Center, Park and all for having fun.

[mellg]

Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is surrounded by several expanding villa suburbs. The people of Nairobi are popularly nicknamed 'Nairobians'. I wish to been there once, because I never been there.

[londontour]

We had a guide from a firm called Caveman and Vikings - they are based in Kenya but the guy who owns it use to go to university with me in the UK. They are a great team and helped us sort out our whole Kenya experience for our honeymoon but they would be happy to help you with your Nairobi portion I am sure.

[JohnGoldSmith]

Though not a specific tourist destination in its own right, from the wildlife to the nightlife, Nairobi is a city unlike any other. With a good music scene, excellent international restaurants and an endless and colourful array of shops and markets, there is plenty on offer for the visitor.

Nairobi National Park is a must choice. Other places include: The Ngong Races,
Karen Blixen Museum, Daphne Sheldrick's Animal Orphanage.