As the capital of Kenya, Nairobi is an exciting and cosmopolitan introduction to urban Africa. Many travelers use Nairobi as an entry and exit point for the country or as a base for safaris, but the city itself offers some great recreational activities, a buzzing nightlife and its own wildlife reserves. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport services international and domestic arrivals.
Nairobi, just a century old in 1999, has risen from a brackish uninhabited swampland to a thriving modern capital. When railway construction workers reached this area in 1899, they set up a basic camp and supply depot, simply called ‘Mile 327’. The local Maasai called this highland swamp Ewaso Nai’beri – the place of cold water.
The camp became a rustic village, and then a shanty town, which by 1907 was the capital of all of British East Africa. It was soon an important centre for the colony and a mecca for adventurers, hunters and travelers from all over the world.
Modern Nairobi is still the safari capital of the Africa, but the modern world has quickly caught up with the city. A frontier town no more, Nairobi has become one of Africa’s largest, and most interesting cities. Nairobi is Africa’s city that never seems to sleep.
Today, Nairobi has real claims to Western-style sophistication. The entire city has boundless energy, and is a thriving place where all of human life can be found. A place of great contrasts where race, tribe and origin all become facets of a unique Nairobi character.
This is not a modern capital separated from the great wilderness that surrounds it. Just outside the city is Nairobi National Park. The park is home to large herds of Zebra, Wildebeest, Buffalo, Giraffe and more. Rhino, Cheetah, and a large number of Lions are all found here, living wild within 20 minutes of the centre of town.
Image via Wikipedia
Further out of town, the spectacular 'Fourteen Falls' waterfalls at Thika are perfect for a scenic day trip. Nearby Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park, is centered around an imposing mountain.
The adventurous types can take an hour's drive from town and discover white water rafting on the beautiful Tana River. From the wildlife to the nightlife, Nairobi is a city unlike any other. With a fantastic music scene, excellent international restaurants and an endless and colorful array of shops and markets, there is plenty to offer visitors
If you're interested in getting to know the real Kenya, Nairobi is as compelling a place as any and displays enormous vitality and buzz. It's hard to imagine a city with a more fascinating variety of people, and almost all of them newcomers. Most are immigrants from rural areas, drawn to the presence and opportunities of money, and Nairobi, on the surface at least, seems to accept everyone with complete tolerance. On any downtown pavement you can see a complete cross-section of Kenyans, plus every variety of tourist and refugees from many African countries.
Nairobi's rapid growth inevitably has a downside however (read any newspaper or talk to any resident and you'll hear some jaw-dropping stories of crime and police shootings), and you should certainly be aware of its reputation for bag snatching and robbery, frequently directed at new tourist arrivals.
If you plan to stay for any length of time, learn the art of survival; with the right attitude, you're unlikely to have problems. For the few days that most people spend in Nairobi – if initial misgivings can be overcome – it's a stimulating city!
-LM
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