Why Women Should Visit Nairobi, Kenya (From a Local)

Things to do in Nairobi

Here are a few tips to savour the city. Nairobi the central business district is busy city and traffic can be a challenge. If you are street smart and enjoy walking the city, the central part as it was designed pre and post-independence boasts the Parliament Building, art-deco architecture, urban gardens, the McMillan Library, the Supreme Court Building by the Kenyatta International Convention Centre which was the country’s tallest at 32 stories. Completed in 1974, it towered over the city for 26 years.

Away from the CBD, you’ll find the suburbs of Karen, Westlands and Gigiri where the United Nations Environment Programme is based. They are popular for their shopping malls and restaurants.

Nairobi is a foodie’s city from the local ‘nyama choma’ (roasted meat) to fine dining and fast food. Discover the hundreds of restaurants in the malls, hotels and in the gardens.

Nature Lover

Surrounded by indigenous forests in and around it, they are fascinating for their bird life, small wildlife and plants. Walk your 10,000 steps in the heart of the city forests – Karura and Sigiria – safe for women to walk on their own. City Park forest (take a guide for safety) near the Nairobi Museum has a sculptor garden in Murumbi Peace Memorial Garden with masterpieces by some of the first generation of independent African artists. The Nairobi Arboretum showcases many indigenous species including the African baobab, Africa’s oldest living monument.

Wildlife

Nairobi is the world’s only capital with a national park that has indigenous free-ranging wildlife like the black rhinos, lions, leopards, antelopes, reptiles, raptors and the open space fenced only on the city side. Read more on Nairobi National Park here.

Giraffe Centre

Meet eyeball-to-eyeball with the Rothschild giraffe, Kenya’s most endangered giraffe. How this giraffe came to Nairobi and was saved from going extinct is a fabulous tale centred on the late Betty Leslie-Melville and her husband Jock. The bespoke Giraffe Manor is next door. Discover the Giraffe Centre here.

Sheldrick Elephant Sanctuary

A must for die-hard rhino and elephant lovers is to visit here to watch the adorable orphans come to feed and entertain fans with their antics. Read Dame Daphne Sheldrick’s books and the story of Tsavo East, Kenya’s largest national park from its creation in 1948.