Nairobi

Understand

alt=Colors of Nairobi|thumb|Colours of Nairobi

Get in

For general information about visas and vaccinations, etc., see the Kenya article.

Get around

Be careful getting around Nairobi. Traffic is very bad like any other major city, but if you use common sense and a local or guide you should be able to get where you want.

See

Nairobi is known as the safari capital of Africa; however, the city has still managed to keep up with modernization. Unlike other cities, Nairobi is surrounded by 113 km² (70 mi²) of plains, cliffs and forest that makes up the city’s Nairobi National Park. The city is filled with many things to do during the day and the night. Tourists can have their pick from numerous safaris (wildlife, cultural, sport, adventure, scenic and specialist), ecotourism tours, restaurants, culture, shopping and entertainment. While in Nairobi, tourists can also engage in numerous sports from golf, rugby, athletics, polo, horse-racing, cricket and football (soccer).

Eat

thumb|Food at a hotel

Nairobi has a wide range of Indian restaurants that speaks to the significant South Asian community in Kenya. The city also offers other restaurants specializing in different European and Asian cuisine. Restaurants serving international cuisines can be found in downtown and in the areas of Westlands, Hurlingham, Kilimiani, and Lavington. Among the many cuisines available are Italian, Brazilian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, German and French restaurants.

In addition, there are several local restaurants that cater to local cuisine like sukuma wiki (green spinach-like vegetable, 'Kale' in English), ugali (corn bread, ground maize flour and made to a tasty white bread/porridge form), nyama choma (literally: meat roast), chapati and other specialities.

There are also many of the internationally well-known fast-food chains in the city and they are also very popular with the Kenyan youth.

Stay safe

Nairobi has a reputation for thievery. Beware of snatch and grab, con artists, or groups of people following you. Scams are elaborate and can involve up to 10 or more people working together. The best advice for a tourist is to stay in the city centre, know where you are at all times, and pretend you know where you're going (even if you don't). If you find yourself in an unfamiliar area your best bet is to find a taxi (although you will probably pay dearly if the driver suspects a panicked westerner!) Don't carry large quantities of money or passports on the street, and assume that anyone trying to engage you is up to no good or trying to sell you something. If you stay smart and play safe, without going around much after dark, Nairobi can be a safe place to stay. Most locals are honest people who will happily help you if you approach them. The areas where you have to take special care are: Globe Roundabout, Archives, Ambassadeur, Muthurwa Market, around Nation Centre, Landies Road, Nyamakima, Kirinyaga Road, and Uhuru.

Kenyans are proud people and there is not a lot of begging like you find in some other countries. Some opportunistic people will hang around shopping centres and beg, but they will generally accept a simple 'sorry' and leave you alone if you do not give. Many of these 'beggars' are middle-class kids or adults who have realised they can profit from exploiting white guilt, and should not be encouraged. If you are ever lucky enough to visit a slum as a local (no…

Stay healthy

thumb|Skyline from Nairobi National Park

It is recommended that before tourists come to Nairobi, that they should be vaccinated well in advance (6 weeks) of their trip. The most common recommended vaccines for people traveling to Africa are tetanus, diphtheria, polio, typhoid, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, yellow fever, rabies and meningitis.

Connect

There are very many internet cafés around Nairobi, but connection speeds and computers are not always super fast, but still you will manage to open your email, probably even use a webcam or watch YouTube. Prices are usually at ranges from Ksh 0.5/minute to Ksh 1/minute, usually with a minimum fee of Ksh 5-20. The more expensive internet cafés are rarely better and the best ones charge Ksh 1/minute with discounts for using the internet for longer. Most of the good cafés are found in Norwich Union which has quite a number just opposite Hilton Hotel next to Nandos while the expensive ones are found in malls in Westlands. Although it may be more appropriate for tourists to use the ones in Westlands since they are usually less crowded and are more exclusive but not necessarily faster or better in terms of equipment.

Free wireless internet is available at Java House restaurants and Doorman's coffee shops in the city and malls. Some bars like Havana in Westlands also offer free wifi. The internet cafe in Sarit Centre also has wireless internet available at a good speed and a reasonable price.

Mobile phones are ubiquitous in Kenya with fairly good coverage from all providers Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom that extends to most populated parts of the country. Safaricom has the best national coverage especially if you are using 4G data. The phone system is GSM 900 and 3G-4G 2100 (Asian and European standard) on Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom Phones and SIM cards are available at many loca…

Go next

Kisumu Kakamega Rainforest: the last primeval rainforest in the country, and home to various monkeys and hundreds of bird species Lake Naivasha is worth at least a day's visit and has enough to keep you occupied for two or three days. Lakeshore country clubs are a good place for lunch. You can take a boat ride on the lake to see hippos, go for a walk among zebra and giraffes on Crescent Island, ride thoroughbred horses among zebra, giraffes and wildebeest at the Sanctuary Farm, and ride bicycles among wildlife and dramatic scenery at Hell's Gate National Park. Nakuru National Park, although further afield, deservedly warrants a 1-night stay for a late-afternoon and early-morning game drive. Maasai Mara National Reserve: Kenya's most important National Park Mount Longonot National Park: Daytrip to hike on a 2700m volcano Aberdare National Park: known for high population of rhinos Ol Pejeta Conservatory provides a sanctuary for great apes and rhinos