Nairobi
No other city we know splits opinion as much as Nairobi does. You certainly either love it or you hate it! It is true to say that Nairobi (or Nai’robbery as it often known!) is a lively bustling African city with a VERY wealthy upper class and an exceptionally poor lower class. Masai warriors in full regalia speak on mobile phones and ride motor bikes here, while tourists haggle with street sellers for African curios under vast tower blocks or by shanty towns. It is certainly a fascinating city, but we are sorry to say that Nairobi does live up to its nickname; you have to keep your wits about you when exploring here!
There are a number of activities and day trips that can keep travellers occupied whilst passing through. The giraffe’s of Giraffe Manor and the David Sheldrick Elephant orphanage are favourites while the slums of Kabira offer an insight into the reality of lower end Nairobi life (we would send you in with 4 armed guards!). Nairobi National Park offers zoo like safari that we tend to avoid, whereas the city is the best place in East Africa for shopping.
Nairobi: Accommodation choices As with any capital city, Nairobi has a wealth of different accommodations. For good value then the city centre is the place to stay, with hotels like the Norfolk, Serena, Fairview and Palacina offering good accommodations at affordable prices. The best accommodation is found in the affluent residential area of Karen with the likes of Giraffe Manor, House of Waine and Karen Blixen Cottages being the best options.
Recommended lodges in this area:
Nairobi
This itself contains 5 rooms and has the feel of an English country house, but instead of peacocks, it is rangy giraffe that mow the lawn. If giraffes are your thing and you would like to share breakfast with one then this is the ideal spot!
Nairobi
We have been going out to East Africa for the last 12 years and have, either routing through to the safari lodges or on to the beaches, spent many a night trying out all of the hotels in Nairobi. The Palacina is the best of them! Stunning little hotel with a great restaurant and rooms….at this price it is certainly the pick of the bunch.
Nairobi
There are quite a few hotels that are located in the Karen district of Nairobi and this is certainly the best of them…both from a price point of view but also for the fact that it has a personal feel. Where quite a few of the hotels in and around Nairobi have a faceless rapport with their clientele, the House of Waine can easily be recommended for a couple of nights, used as a basing point to visit the nearby Giraffe Centre or Blixen Museum
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