Luxury hotels in Nairobi

Nairobi guide

Nairobi: giraffes, elephants and a national park in the city

The world's only capital with lions on its doorstep, and two of Kenya's great conservation projects.

Nairobi National Park lies just outside the city, with lions, rhinos and giraffes against a backdrop of skyscrapers, and an early game drive is a fine start to any Kenyan safari. The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's elephant orphanage and the Giraffe Centre in Karen are the other visits on every list.

The Karen Blixen Museum, the house from Out of Africa, sits nearby. Most travellers spend a night or two in Nairobi before flying on to the Mara or Laikipia, and the Karen area makes a calmer base than the centre.

Nairobi National Park

Nairobi National Park, the only national park in the world bordering a capital city, is one of Nairobi's most cited experiences: a morning game drive can reveal lions, black rhinos, giraffes and buffalo with the city's skyscrapers in the background.

The park's entrance is about twenty minutes from the centre, and an early start gives the best sightings. At the park's edge, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust cares for orphaned elephants, with a public visit late each morning.

The Karen Blixen Museum and the Giraffe Centre

The Karen Blixen Museum, the farmhouse at the foot of the Ngong Hills where the author of Out of Africa lived, is one of Nairobi's most cited visits. Nearby, the Giraffe Centre lets visitors hand-feed endangered Rothschild giraffes from a raised platform.

The Kazuri bead and pottery workshops employ local women, and the suburb of Karen has gardens and restaurants. Nairobi is the gateway to the Maasai Mara, Laikipia and Amboseli, with short flights from Wilson Airport.