15 BEST PLACES TO VISIT WHILE IN NAIROBI

Some of the things to do in Nairobi are some of the most unique things that you can do in the world.  Most of the tourist attractions listed below are a bit outside the city core excluding the Masai market.  Being the financial hub and largest city in all of Eastern Africa, Nairobi is very unique in that it blends the vast wildlife with the various cultures in the region.  You can get a great taste of nature since most of the tourist attractions include getting up close and personal with animals.

 

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 1.  Nairobi National Park

In spite of Nairobi's increasing expansion and population, this is still a place where, with a bit of luck, you can see a fair sample of Kenya's wildlife. This is a park in the middle of the capital city of Kenya.

At the Nairobi National Park you will find all your safari needs. While on safari then you can see all of The Big 5 (excluding the elephant) at the park. You can picnic at the park and for those that are adventurous you can even camp there as well.  There are plenty of opportunities to see a variety of animals throughout the park.

In the park there are some attractions visible. This are the Animal orphanage and the Nairobi safari walk.

Safari Walk

Safari Walk is located at the main entrance of Nairobi National Park and is a great place where you can learn about Kenya’s parks and reserves as well as seeing a variety of animals.

Nairobi Animal Orphanage

The animal orphanage is also at the main entrance of the national park and is a great place to get up close and personal with all kinds of animals.  At the orphanage you will have the opportunity to play with a cheetah.

 

       2. The Giraffe Center

Located right next to the popular Giraffe Manor (hotel that features giraffes), you can stand on a platform and touch and feed the giraffes.  It’s a great way to get up close and personal with giraffes and take great pictures as well.

3.David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

For the conservationists, and those who love elephants, this is a MUST SEE.    It is not far outside Nairobi City Center the elephant orphanage is inside the Nairobi National Park.  To see the orphan elephants you must go between 11am and 12pm (daily). You can also sponsor the orphans if you would like. Take Shillings to buy souvenirs’ including T-Shirts, Bags, Soap stone carvings and other memorabilia in support of the elephants.

 

4.     Karen Blixen Museum

Karen Blixen Museum was once the centre piece of a farm at the foot of the Ngong Hills owned by Danish Author Karen and her Swedish Husband, Baron Bror von Blixen Fincke. Located 10km from the city centre, the Museum belongs to a different time period in the history of Kenya. By visiting the museum you will get to know much about the location of Out of Africa and hearing the stories about this woman who did so much. Well-maintained, informative guide and worth the quick trip over.

  

5. Karura Forest Reserve

Karura Forest Reserve is located in the northern part of Nairobi city. At 1,041 hectares, it is one of the largest urban gazetted forests in the world.  The forest contains nearly all the 605 species of wildlife found in Nairobi. This is a perfect place to recollect and relax looking at the plantations such as the Eucalyptus saligna, indigenous trees such as Croton megalocarpus locally known as ‘leleshwa’ and also some shrubs such as Solanum incanum locally known as (Mutongu) and listening to the music from the birds. Other attractions include: Mau Mau caves,Scenic waterfalls and rivers, Picnic sites, Marked walking trails, Small wetlands that are habitats for birds, The incinerator formerly used by Central Bank of Kenya to burn old currency notes and The area about which the late Professor Wangari Maathai carried out a campaign against illegal acquisition of forest land. Karura is good for Forest walks,  Forest drives, Bird watching, Butterfly watching, Cycling,  Running, picnicking retreat, prayers etc and more so nature lovers its take you there.

   6.  Nairobi National Museum 

The Nairobi National Museum is the flagship brand for the National Museums of Kenya. Located on Museum Hill, the museum showcases Kenya's rich Heritage with four distinct themes representing Kenya's Culture, Nature, History and Contemporary Art. Other attractions within the compound include the Snake Park and Botanical Gardens as well as a State of the Art Auditorium that occasionally hosts concerts, film shows and other events. Dining and shopping facilities await you after your tour with us in our commercial wing. Enjoy your visit with us at the National Museum.

Nairobi Snake Park

The Snake Park is an exciting place to visit, whether you have stopped in Nairobi and are looking for something to do or you have some free time on your hands.

Located at the Nairobi National Museum grounds, the snake park is what scientist or museum experts, would call a 'live exhibition'. And you can understand why, the "exhibits" are truly alive, unlike the ones in the museum itself.

Here you will find more than just snakes, let the name not fool you. The main attraction is the snakes of course but there's also plant life that you could learn from, an aquarium with all sorts of fish (like catfish, tilapia), crocodiles, alligators, birds, lizards, monitor lizards, turtles and tortoises. Plan to spend no less than an hour as you go through the park.

    7. Bomas of Kenya

Bomas of Kenya is a tourist village in Langata, Nairobi. Bomas (homesteads) displays traditional villages belonging to the several Kenyan tribes. Each boma (homestead) in this cultural village was built using traditional specifications of myriad Kenyan tribes; through architecture, crafts, music and dance this village serves to preserve Kenyan culture.

8. Nairobi Railway Museum

Kenya Railways represents the historical growth of this country and Nairobi Railway Museum narrates the tale of this country’s evolvement; indeed it is the rail that developed Kenya to the country it is now! The Nairobi Railway Museum provides answers to many unanswered questions concerning the early history of the railway and Kenya’s development.

9. Kenya National Archives

The Kenya National Archives and Documentation Service was officially established by an Act of Parliament in 1965.This centrally located collection contains historic photographs, Kenyan crafts and paintings. 

 

10. Nairobi Gallery  Built in 1913, this Old PC's office building was fondly referred to as 'Hatches, Matches and Dispatches' because of the births, marriages and deaths that were recorded here.  The Nairobi gallery is located right in the heart of Nairobi City next to Nyayo House. Today, the museum holds temporary exhibitions all year round giving visitors something new to look forward to.  Currently they are displaying an amazing exhibit of photographs from the 2007-2008 election crises entitled Kenya On Fire. These amazing and tragic photos are not to be missed.

   11. Kibera 

Kibera is a division of Nairobi Area, Kenya, and neighborhood of the city of Nairobi, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the city centre. Kibera is the largest slum in Nairobi, and the largest urban slum in Africa. This is a place worth visiting as one gets to see how people in the slums dwell.

 

12. Maasai (Masai) Market

The Maasai Market is the destination where you want to buy all of your tourist souvenirs.  You can find the market in Nairobi on weekends where you will find a massive collection of all kinds of things to buy.  You can find anything from clothes to wooden and brass carvings. 

   13.  The Matatu Experience

After you ride a Matatu your experience with local transportation will never be the same.  Blaring sound systems and giant flat screen TVs are part of the ride.  At night you will find neon lights both inside and outside the vehicles.  These type of Matatus are typically unique to Kenya.

Friendly tip: Make sure you ask how much the ride is before you get on.

    14. Ngong Hills

The Ngong Hills are peaks in a ridge along the Great Rift Valley, located southwest near Nairobi, in southern Kenya. This is a beautiful area for a day trip or afternoon drive - made famous in Out Of Africa as Karen Blixen loved them. Mostly people a hike and it’s a best place for relaxation

      15. African Heritage House 

The African Heritage House overlooking the Nairobi National Park is described by the Architectural Digest as "an architecture arising from the sere Kenyan plain like an outcropping of earth, a vision of usefulness informed by the African genius for decoration" .Inside one journeys through a spectrum of African textiles, masks, art, artifacts, crafts, books and photographs. Designed by American Alan Donovan, co-founder of the African Heritage, Africa's first Pan African Gallery, the house is a combination of the mud architecture from across Africa.

BIRD WATCHING SAFARIS

WHY  A BIRDING SAFARI IN KENYA? LETS TELL YOU WHY!

Kenya is  a bird watcher's paradise. Perched on the equator, Kenya offers an ideal climate for thousands of migratory birds and provides a year round home to many resident birds!  Not only does Kenya have great weather conditions, but an immense and diverse variety of habitats ranging from the open savannah to the tropical rainforest and more. It is undoubtedly, a land full of promises for any bird enthusiast.

Kenya's birding safari is highly regarded as being amongst the best in the world. As far as facts go, 11% of the world's bird species reside or migrate here… Imagine that!  More than 1000 bird species are found in this country.  This is an overwhelming number ranging from the cristicolas, weaver birds, hornbills, secretary birds to the larger pelicans, flamingos and ostriches! There is really no better way to get close to the birds than to take a birding safari.   Most safaris are designed specifically to track mammals such as the lion and giraffe, but you will always come across birds, so plentiful that they are.  However, there are safaris that specialize in bird-watching and if it's birds that you are really after, then take a specialized trip.  The organizers will be a lot more knowledgeable towards birds and where to look for them. Many people opt for a two week safari, that way they can see as much of the different habitats that Kenya offers.

The Ostrich

The world's largest bird, the ostrich can be found both in the South and North-Eastern regions of Kenya.  Kenya has all the 3 subspecies of the ostriches

Species: Struthio camelus (Common Ostrich)

Subspecies: S. North cameluscamelus (African Ostrich), S. camelusmolybdophanes (Somali Ostrich), S. camelusmassaicus (Masai Ostrich), S. camelusaustralis (South African Ostrich)

Basic ostrich facts:

1.      Ostriches are flightless birds that are built for running. They're the fastest running bird species, with a maximum running speed of more than 40 mph (64 kph), and they can cover 10 to 16 feet (3 to 5 meters) in a single stride.

2.      Ostriches can maintain a speed of 30 mph (48 kph) for long periods of time, helping them escape nearly any predator.

3.      Ostriches are also the heaviest and largest bird species, weighing as much as 400 pounds (181 kilograms) and growing up to 10 feet (3 meters) tall.

4.      Female ostriches are brownish gray, while males are black with white wing and tail feathers.

5.      They have specialized feet with two toes on each foot (all other bird species have three or four toes). They also have a 4-inch (10-centimeter) claw on each foot, which they use to defend themselves.

6.      Ostriches are omnivores, chewing down on whatever is available. Their diet is mostly plants — especially leaves, seeds and roots — but they'll also eat insects and small animals like lizards.

7.      Ostriches can eat things other animals can't digest because their intestines are especially long and tough and help them absorb nutrients. They also have a gizzard, which, along with the stones and sand they swallow, helps grind up the food they eat.

8.      Ostriches are social birds, sometimes gathering in flocks of 100 or more (but usually just 10 or so). The groups have a pecking order, with a dominant male that defends the flock's territory and a dominant female called the "main hen."

9.      During courtship, the black-and-white male uses his striking colouring to attract a hen. He slowly sinks to the ground, almost like he's bowing, then begins to wave and shake his wing feathers while moving his tail up and down. Then he approaches the female, holding his wings out and stomping to impress her. If she enjoys the show, she'll mate with him.

10.  Male and female ostriches share the job of incubating eggs and caring for their chicks. Each female lays two to five eggs in a communal nest. The main hen puts her eggs in the centre of the nest so they have the best chance of hatching.

11.  The eggs hatch after about 40 days. A few days later the chicks leave the nest, which is really just a big scratch in the dirt, and travel with their parents. An adult ostrich will then take a chick under its wing — literally — to shelter it from sun, rain and predators.

12.  Ostriches usually live for 30 to 40 years, and some live for more than 50 years.

 Odd facts:

1.      An ostrich's kick is powerful enough to kill a lion.

2.      Ostriches don’t burry their heads in the sand.  If a predator threatens its nest, an ostrich will flop to the ground and remain still, laying its head against the sand to try to blend in with it. Only its body is visible, so from a distance, it looks like the ostrich has buried its head in the sand!

3.      Ostriches lay the biggest egg in the world, weighing 3 pounds (1.3 kilograms) and measuring 6 inches (15 centimetres) in diameter. One ostrich egg is the equivalent of two-dozen chicken eggs.

4.      Ostriches don't have the special gland many birds have to waterproof their feathers, so ostrich feathers can get soaked in the rain.

5.      An ostrich's eye is the largest eye of any land animal — almost 2 inches (5 centimetres) across.

6.      Ostriches chase the insects and small reptiles they're planning to eat in an awkward zigzag pattern.

7.      The male ostrich warns its flock of danger by making a "boo-booo-boooo" call that sounds like a lion's roar. 

They are quite easy to spot in small numbers throughout the grasslands of National Parks such as the Samburu National Park, Tsavo National Parks and the Masai Mara Reserve.

Flamingoes

The word flamingo comes from the Spanish word “flamengo”, an earlier form of “flamenco.”  These words were derived from the Latin word “flamma,” which means 'a flame'. The habitat of these birds comprises large shallow lakes, lagoons, mangrove swamps, tidal flats, and sandy islands above the low tide mark. Adult flamingos range from 36 to 50 inches in height, with a wingspan of about 60 inches, and weigh around 8.75 lbs on an average. However, these statistics differ for different species. The bird has such a distinctive appearance, that in any given locale it is likely to be the only tall, pink bird. They have long, sinuous necks, slender legs, and black-tipped bills that achieve a downward bend upon maturity. The greater flamingo has and pink feathers and black-tipped wings. It has a very long neck, long pink legs and webbed pink feet with three toes. It has a large hooked bill with a black tip that is curved down. Males and females look alike, although the male is a little larger. The flamingo is a filter feeder and it is uniquely adapted to feed on small algae.  The flamingo has two rows of lamallae or comb-like bristles that line the inside of its bill. It also has bristles on its tongue that help it filter food out of the water. The flamingo's long neck and legs also help it to feed in deep water and its webbed feet help it stand on mud.  The flamingo is a large wading bird with shades of pink and scarlet plumage. There are many interesting facts about flamingos, including the fact that its eye is actually larger than its brain!

Flamingos often stand on one leg, the other tucked beneath the body. The reason for this behaviour is not fully understood. Recent research indicate that standing on one leg may allow the birds to conserve more body heat, given that they spend a significant amount of time wading in cold water. However, the behaviour also takes place in warm water. As well as standing in the water, flamingos may stamp their webbed feet in the mud to stir up food from the bottom.

East Africa's lesser flamingos are nomadic and feed in a chain of alkaline soda lakes along the Rift Valley but fly to Lake Natron in Tanzania which  is the only significant nesting site.

The gathering of the flamingos on Lake Natron for breeding  is one of nature's "fantastic spectacles" in the world.

 After this basic information, let's get down to learn some interesting facts about these beautiful creatures.

Facts You Should Know About Flamingos

1.   Flamingos’  beautiful colour comes from the algae, diatoms, and small crustaceans that they eat, which are rich in the carotene pigment.

2.      Their interesting feeding technique involves stirring up the mud and water with their long legs and webbed feet. They then bury their bills, or even their entire heads upside down in the water, and suck up both mud and water. They shake their head from side to side to expel the excess mud and water, hold back and eat the plankton, tiny fish and fly larvae. When feeding, flamingos hold their breath.

3.      They are commonly witnessed preening, which takes up a considerable amount of time every day. They preen using their bills to spread oil from a gland near the base of their tail through their feathers.

4.      Contrary to their appearance, these are surprisingly fluid swimmers. Their webbed toes help them swim and stand in soft mud. However, they don't swim unless the water is too deep to waddle in.

5.      They live in groups referred to as flocks or colonies. The large numbers provide safety against predators (flamingos have a few natural predators), especially while they feed with their heads underwater. They also don't nest unless there are other flamingos around.

6.      They share equal responsibility in parenting. Both the male and female pile up mud to build a nest in which the female lays one egg. After about 30 days of incubating, which is done in turns, the egg hatches to produce a chick with gray or white plumage.

7.      Both parents regurgitate food which is fed to the baby, and both mother and father secrete a milk-like substance that provides their young with proper nourishment. This goes on till the baby's beak is fully developed and is capable of hunting for its own food.

8.      A flock of flamingos taking off is a truly magnificent sight. They gather speed by running prior to taking off and flap their wings almost constantly during flight. A flock can reach to a speed of 31 to 37 mph.

9.      In recent times, changes in flamingo migration patterns have been witnessed due to environmental changes and global warming. These birds easily travel long distances and can cover over 300 miles at a stretch in a single night.

10.  The lifespan of these birds is somewhere between 20 - 30 years in the wild, though these may live up to 50 years in captivity.

11.  A total of six species of flamingos have been identified, namely, Greater Flamingo, Lesser Flamingo, James's Flamingo, Andean Flamingo, Chilean Flamingo and Caribbean Flamingo.

12.  Greater Flamingos are largest of all the species and can grow up to 5 feet tall, whereas Lesser Flamingos are the smallest attaining a height of about 3 feet.

13.  Resting on one leg is a technique which these birds have adopted to minimize the loss of body heat to cold water of shallows.

14.  In some areas, flamingo fat is considered to be a treatment option for tuberculosis.

15.  The long and slender neck of a flamingo consists a total of 19 bones.

16.  Keratin, a very tough substance, is the major structural material of the beak and feathers of these birds.

17.  These birds are often seen producing different vocalizations ranging from growling, honking and grunting.

18.  The Andean Flamingo is categorized as vulnerable species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with figures showing only 30,000 of them alive in the wild.

19.  Females lay only one egg per year and do not lay another one if, by any chance, the egg suffers damage.

20.  Flamingos are defenceless creatures which do not fight back and simply fly away when they feel threatened.

21.  These have a good eyesight and colour perception, a good hearing ability, but have a poor sense of smell and taste.

22.  As observed in the Philadelphia zoo, these birds display group activities with hundreds of birds participating together. Group displays like "wing salutes", "head-flagging" and "marching" are a measure to regulate hormonal cycling for the mating season.

23.  Lesser Flamingos found in East Africa form the largest flocks of birds with greater than one million of them flocking together.

24.  The beauty of flamingos has never failed to grab human attention and that's the reason why many people wish to keep them pets. However, since these birds are better left alone in the wild, one must refer to respective state laws to learn the legalities governing their ownership. You would also be surprised to know that on one hand, the Ancient Egyptians related a flamingo to the god Ra, whereas on the other hand, Ancient Romans enjoyed the bird's tongue as a delicacy. Strange! Isn't it?

25.  If you find yourself in the proximity of any of the great lakes; Lake Nakuru, Lake Bogoria  Lake Baringo or Oloidien, you will be in for a treat. These lakes are all within what is known as the Great Rift Valley, the home of millions of Lesser Flamingos and Greater Flamingos.

26.  Their plumage is a pinkish white, derived from the algae Spirulina, of which they most commonly feed on. Greater flamingos, although less in number, can also be found around the great lakes.

Fun Facts

·         The beta-carotene in their diets which comes mostly from algae and shrimps gives their feathers that famous pink colour.

·         They eat by dipping their beak upside down into mud and water and then filtering out the mud and water until just the food is left.

·         Flamingos and pigeons feed their young a milk-like substance that is formed in their digestive tract.

·         Flamingos have good hearing but basically no sense of smell and - like other birds - can’t taste things very well.

·         When flying as a flock, flamingos will fly at up to 37 mph (60 km/h) and they’ve been witnessed traveling over 300 miles (500 km) a night.

·         Flamingos may group together by the thousands. In Africa, more than a million lesser flamingos (a species of flamingo – not a “lesser” animal) will group together in one place! This is the biggest flock of birds anywhere.

Hornbills

There are a number of Hornbills to be discovered:

·         Red-Billed hornbills

·         Eastern Yellow-Billed hornbills

·         Southern Ground hornbills

·         Crowned hornbills

·         African Grey hornbills

·         the Von Der Deken's Hornbills

They are truly absorbing to watch. The largest from them, the Southern Ground, wanders the floors of open habitats in search of insects and small reptiles/mammals to feed off. They are fearless in nature and dignified in manner. It is characterized by its black plumage and vivid red patches of bare skin on the face and throat.

This is just a handful of the birdlife that Kenya has to offer. You are also very likely to see Pelicans, Herons, Egrets, Storks, Spoonbills, Kites, Eagles, Vultures and even the rare Lammergeyer - the list is endless!  This safari is never a disappointment.  Join us on one of our bird watching safari to experience more.