From 2008 to the end of 2009 Matt & I lived in Ngong just
outside of Nairobi, Kenya. On our very first weekend in Nairobi we excitedly
got out our guidebooks to find our very first adventure in our new city. We
were a bit baffled to find that all of the various brands of guidebooks not
only had very little information on the city but in fact were rather disparaging
of it! One said, and I’m paraphrasing here, that there is no point visiting
Nairobi other than as a stop off point to get somewhere else in Kenya, but if
you do get stuck there’s nothing to do so go to the mall and watch a movie!
Having spent as much time as we did in Nairobi
I can say with absolute confidence that this is complete nonsense – the city is
packed with all sorts of historical, cultural and wildlife experiences. Here
are my favourite 5:
1) Kitengela Glass
It's a long and rather rough road to get to this magical wonderland but worth every second of the trip! You know you're getting close when strange but beautiful statues made of glass, metal, wire, tyres and more start appearing in the landscape. The first thing that makes the trip worth while are the spectacular views of the Nairobi skyline en route and then you arrive in a make believe surreal world ideally set in the Kenyan bush...
Here you can wonder around the property filled with quaint, straight out of a story book sort buildings - some filled with shops, other workrooms and even some accommodation; visit the actual hot glass workshop as well as get some fabulous deals at the factory shop. For more visit Kitengela's website or follow them on Facebook.
2) Tradestar Exim Agencies
Not only an amazing empowerment project completely locally run but also the place that offers the best variety and quality sisal woven handbags in the entire city. Located on Mbono road, parallel to Thika road near Muthaiga, it can be a little tricky to find but the weaving women usually sitting outside working in the sun should help. The best part of supporting this initiative is that you can pick your own handles, style, colours etc. for your bag and have it made while you wait! You will also find beaded belts, sisal & beaded wine holders, beaded necklaces, sisal place mats among many other unique gems not available in the local markets. Contact Charles at tradexim4@yahoo.com for more.
3) Olorgesailie Pre-Historic Site
A 90 minute drive from Nairobi straight down to the bottom of the Rift Valley is this prehistoric site with fossil findings still in their original spots, excavations in progress open for viewing and wide, open, quiet spaces in one of Kenya's most unique landscapes. Located on Magadi road, Olorgesailie has excellently preserved biological and cultural evidence about the evolution of man and human tools are the most prominent of all fossils found here. In fact it is currently on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites tentative list and so will soon be considered for full status. It is very hot on the Rift Valley floor and there is no shop at the museum so be sure to take plenty of cold drinks and water. There are camping facilities available too, but again be sure to bring everything you may need with you. A great lunch stop 20 minutes away from Olorgesailie is Ribs Village, a local spot with the best Nyama Choma of any we tasted in Kenya! For more information visit the National Museums of Kenya website or the UNESCO site
4) David Sheldrick Rhino & Elephant Orphanage
This incredible centre on the outskirts of Nairobi looks after orphan elephants and rhinos, ensuring that they are able to be re-introduced into Kenya's national parks. Each elephant or rhino is assigned a keeper who stays with them for the duration of their stay at the centre. Their role is to hand rear their charges, even sleep next to them and most importantly accompany the orphans into the Nairobi National park each day, thus ensuring they spend as much time in their natural environment as possible. Once a day for only an hour the public are allowed to witness feeding time and get up close and personal with these sweet personality filled creatures. For more visit their website or follow the centre on Twitter
5) Giraffe Centre
A 15-20 minute drive from the David Sheldrick Rhino & Elephant Orphanage, here you can interact with, feed and even kiss a giraffe at eye level on raised platforms. This very special and rare experience is enhanced by excellently informed and multilingual staff always close at hand to teach you something or put nervous visitors at ease. The centre also has a great restaurant right next to the raised platforms, nature trails, accommodation, one of Nairobi's best priced and greatest variety gift stores and some very entertaining, very fat warthogs to boot! Best of all every cent of profits goes towards conservation and education so not only fun but sustainable & responsible tourism too! For more information visit their website or find them on Facebook.
By Tracy Angus -Hammond (@T2T_Trace)
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