Nairobi

Kenya's capital and the start of almost every safari: flights from India land at Jomo Kenyatta, and bush flights to the parks leave from Wilson airport across town. Nairobi National Park, with lions, rhinos and giraffes against the city skyline, is twenty minutes from the centre; the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's elephant orphanage, the Giraffe Centre and the Karen Blixen Museum fill a day in Karen. A large Kenyan-Indian community means vegetarian Gujarati, Punjabi and South Indian food is easy to find in Westlands and Parklands.

Highlights

• Lions and rhinos in Nairobi National Park with the skyline behind
• Baby elephants at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust orphanage
• Feeding Rothschild's giraffes at the Giraffe Centre
• Karen Blixen Museum
• Nairobi National Museum
• Maasai Market for beadwork and kikoys
• Karura Forest walks
• Nyama choma at a local grill
• Vegetarian Indian food in Westlands and Parklands

Things to do

• Early game drive in Nairobi National ParkMorning · 4h
• Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage (book ahead)Morning · 1h 30m
• Giraffe Centre, KarenAfternoon · 1h 30m
• Karen Blixen MuseumAfternoon · 1h 30m
• Nairobi National Museum and Snake ParkAfternoon · 2h
• Maasai Market shoppingAfternoon · 2h
• Karura Forest walk to the waterfallMorning · 2h 30m

Tours & tickets

When to go

Best time: June – October, January – February

• Diwali · 8 Nov — Kenya's Indian community lights up the Hindu temples of Nairobi (Parklands, Westlands) and Mombasa, with fireworks and sweets shops busy for days. Visitors are welcome at the big temples.