Dan and I spent a long weekend in Nairobi, Kenya earlier this month en route to a safari in Masai Mara National Park.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, and I had a bit of difficulty pre-planning, but we ended up having an enjoyable stay (with only one possible attempt to scam us in a taxi). For those planning a visit or layover, you need at least one full day to see the main sights, and two are preferable.  This post details where we stayed, what we saw, and where we ate, plus a few practical tips for visiting Nairobi, Kenya!

WHERE WE STAYED IN NAIROBI, KENYA

Given our Marriott status and that we need to stay a certain number of Marriott nights per year to maintain said status, we limited our Nairobi hotel search to Marriott properties, of which there are several. We selected the Sankara Nairobi, an Autograph collection property, as the JW Marriott Nairobi, which we would have preferred, was not yet open. The Sankara is an upscale Autograph Collection hotel located in The Westlands neighborhood of Nairobi. The Sankara is located inside its own “complex”, which contains 6 floors of rooms, several restaurants, a rooftop pool, restaurant, and champagne bar, and an Executive Lounge. We stayed on the 6th floor and our room was quite nice, aside from hearing the rooftop lounge until 4 AM on Saturday night… We  received access to the Executive Lounge with our status, which offered a decent selection of drinks and food in the evening. I would stay at the Sankara again, but the hotel could use a bit of a “lift.”  The area around the hotel is not exactly “walkable,” but there are a few places in the immediate vicinity to which one can walk.

WHAT WE DID IN NAIROBI, KENYA

We stopped in Nairobi only as a necessity to get on our safari, but it ended up being a cool city to spend a couple nights. If you are flying via Nairobi to a safari, ensure that you have enough time between flights, as its likely you need to change Nairobi airports (Jomo to Wilson). Below are some things that we did during our time in Nairobi.

Giraffe Center! My absolute favorite thing that we did in Nairobi was visit the Giraffe Center. Located in the Karen neighborhood of Nairobi (20 kilometers/40 minutes from the Sankara), the Giraffe Center is a non-profit whose main purpose is to educate Kenyan school children and youth on their country’s wildlife and environment, as well as give local and international visitors an opportunity to come into close contact with the world’s tallest species, the giraffe. And of course, the Giraffe Center is home to numerous beautiful Rothschild giraffes, and yes, you can pet and feed them! Each visitor receives 1 small bowl of giraffe food, which one can freely feed the giraffes. Its a really cool experience that I highly recommend to visitors to Nairobi. I would also note that the Giraffe Center is in the back yard of the instagrammable Giraffe Manor. Plan to spend between 1 and 2 hours at the Giraffe Center. Besides feeding the giraffes, there is a short video on the center and a tea house and coffee shop on site.

Elephant Nursery in Nairobi National Park. Nairobi’s elephant orphanage or nursery is a famous project of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. In brief, this nursery rescues, raises, and reintroduces baby elephants and rhinos that have been orphaned in the wild. Tourists are allowed to visit the babies for one hour per day, when the baby elephants are brought out for a late afternoon bottle of human baby formula. The elephants are ADORABLE and sometimes walk up to gets for pets (they did on our visit!). Guests are encouraged to take pictures and ask questions of the elephants handlers. For guests wanting to visit, advance reservations are essential and guests should wear shoes that can walk through mud. A small gift shop, as well as restrooms, are available near the elephants. Be sure to arrive on time as the elephants are only brought into public view for exactly one hour.

Karen Blixen Museum. Our of Africa is a famous book and an adapted 80s film (starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford) about the African life of Karen Blixen, a Danish woman who lived for a number of years in Karen, Nairobi. Karen Blixen’s former farm is now a small museum and tea house. The museum tour is interesting, especially if you read the book or watched the movie, but I would not say its a “must visit.” It is close to the elephant nursery and the Giraffe Center, so pairing the three sites in one day is pretty easy (what we did with a tour company). Plan to spend between 1 and 2 hours here, slightly longer if you plan to eat in the Tea Garden.

Utamaduni Shops: Not necessarily a “site”, the Utamaduni Shops are a group of shops selling Kenyan made souvenirs. The Utamaduni shops are a good souvenir stop near Karen, Nairobi. Credit card accepted.

Village Market: Again, not a “site” but a nice indoor mall with lots of shops and restaurants. A safe place to walk around and a good place to find dinner, in addition to anything you may have left at home (clothes, personal hygiene products, etc.).

WHERE WE ATE IN NAIROBI, KENYA

Food in Nairobi was better than we expected, but we didn’t have anything truly fantastic. Somebody tell me where to eat next time!

Hero Nairobi: Our best meal was at a cocktail bar recommended by a wine guy we met in NYC. Located on the 9th floor of the Trademark Hotel in Village Market, Hero serves amazing cocktails and Japanese inspired food, including sushi, with a comic book character theme. Everything was very good, but the cocktails were fantastic (and reasonably priced!). The fact that Hero is located inside a hotel inside a mall makes it easy to get reach and feel very secure. Reservations recommended, and I would definitely return in Nairobi.

Artcaffè Nairobi: Artcaffè is a chain of coffee shops, restaurants, and markets throughout Nairobi serving very good coffee and tasty casual food – think pizza, sandwiches, etc. We had breakfast here one morning and returned later for dinner because it was a solid find. Barak Obama even had a coffee at Artcaffè.

The Alchemist: The Alchemist is a combo music venue, bar, shopping area, with various food stalls sprinkled in. Seemingly very cool and local, I imagine some very cool Nairobi youngsters hang out here on the weekends. We stopped in for a drink, mozzarella sticks with mango mayo, and pork gyoza on our last afternoon in Nairobi, mostly because it was located close to our hotel. I enjoyed the food, the vibe, and the shopping, but the drinks were a little lack luster. Come here for a cool evening out in Nairobi. I would note that you probably want to take a car here, as there surrounding buildings are neither well lit nor busy. Credit card accepted at all stalls.

Papa John’s: Ah, our hotel overlooked a Domino’s and I just couldn’t leave Nairobi without trying an American chain pizza. Thus, we ordered a Papa John’s pepperoni pizza one afternoon for lunch, complete with garlic sauce. While this was certainly not the best pizza I have ever had, it was the best pizza I ate in Nairobi and Dan proclaimed it “better than in the US.” A good option if you are missing American food or just want a standard pizza. Delivery was very quick via Uber eats.

Sarabi Rooftop Restaurant: Sarabi Rooftop Restaurant was one of the restaurants in our hotel, the Sankara. Given this, we dined at Sarabi our first evening and visited for drinks a couple other times. Sarabi is billed as one of Nairobi’s best rooftops, and it does have city views, albeit behind the hotel’s only pool (which closes at 6:00 PM). The food at Sarabi was just OK – not fantastic but certainly edible. I found the drinks to be slightly better. The crowd was hotel guests and cool locals.

The Courtyard Kitchen: The Courtyard Kitchen is the restaurant in the Utamaduni Shops complex. I was not expecting too much from this restaurant, but our food was pretty tasty. The Courtyard Kitchen also had numerous vegetarian options. Staff preferred payment in cash, but we patiently waited for the credit card payment machine to restart and were able to pay by credit card.

Peppertree: I found Peppertree on the World’s 50 Best list (not a “50 best” but it received a mention for Nairobi) so Dan and I ate here on a Saturday evening. Peppertree is a cute restaurant located not too far from the Sankara. While aesthetically pleasing, we found the food to be mediocre at best.

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR VISITING NAIROBI 

1. The Kenyan Shilling is the local currency, but we found almost everywhere took credit card and US dollars, with credit card being king.
2. Nairobi has a bit of a dangerous reputation, but we felt pretty safe in town, just taking normal city precautions. That being said, I do not suggest walking too far, especially at night.
3. And on that note, Uber is super easy to use and very reasonable. Highly recommend.  Uber Eats also works well (and delivered our Papa Johns!).
4. Nairobi is close to the equator and the sun is insane. Bring sunscreen.
5. Nairobi is a big city. It takes time to get to different parts of the city. Plan accordingly.
6. Nairobi has two airpots – Jomo for most international flights and Wilson for most domestic flights, including those going to the Masai Mara. Be sure you are going to the correct airport and if you are connecting same day, that you know which airport(s) you are using.
7. There is security almost everywhere in Nairobi – in entering hotels, visiting shopping malls, entering some restaurants, etc. This is common; it doesn’t mean it is actually dangerous.
8. We found that tourists could wear pretty much whatever anywhere, including safari style clothing in restaurants, etc. This was common and no one batted an eye. I did notice that most locals dressed a bit conservatively, with pants certainly being common. I wore pants and a short sleeve stop everywhere; Dan wore shorts and an unbranded polo shirt.
9. If you are going on safari and need to store luggage, many hotels, especially the Western ones, offer this service. We left our big bags at the Sankara while on safari for free. We had no issues. I understanding Wilson airport also offers luggage storage.
10. Popular tours, especially the Elephant Orphanage, must be booked in advance given the limited number of tickets available per day.

STEAL OUR TRIP

Sankara Nairobi, Autograph Collection: 05 Woodvale Grove, Nairobi, Kenya. Security, numerous restaurants, Executive Lounge, rooftop pool.  Secure parking on site.

Karen Blixen Museum: Karen Rd, Nairobi, Kenya. Open daily 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM. Plan to spend 1 -2 hours.

Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Elephant Nursery (a/k/a the Elephant Orphanage): 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM daily. $20 USD entrance fee, plus $40 USD entrance fee per adult to Nairobi National Park (should be purchased in advance online). Note, entrance to the Sheldrick Nursery must be pre-booked. I further note that it takes some time to get into the park and to the nursery. Arrive early!

Giraffe Center: Duma Rd, Nairobi, Kenya. Open daily 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. 1,500 Kenyan Shillings per non-resident adult, 750 Kenyan Shillings for non-resident children. Plan to spend 1 – 2 hours.

Utamaduni Shops: Bogani East Road, Langata, Nairobi. Open 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM daily. Credit card accepted.

Village Market: Open daily 8:30 AM – 10:00 PM. Entrance free.

Hero Nairobi: 9th Floor, Trademark Hotel, Gigiri, Nairobi. Open Tuesday – Thursday 5:00 PM – Midnight, Friday and Saturday 12:00 PM – 1:00 AM, Sunday 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM.  Closed Monday. Reservations suggested.

ArteCaffe Nairobi: Many locations throughout the city. Check the individual location for hours and menu. Reservations probably not necessary.

The Alchemist: Parklands Rd, Nairobi, Kenya. Open daily 12:00 PM – late. Check Instagram for concerts, etc.

Sarabi Rooftop Restaurant: Inside the Sankara Nairobi, 05 Woodvale Grove, 69671 00400, 05 Woodvale Grove, Nairobi, Kenya. Open daily 12:00 PM – 12:00 AM, until 3:00 AM on Saturday. Reservations suggested for non hotel guests.

The Courtyard Kitchen: In the Utamaduni complex. Open daily 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM.

Peppertree: Delta Towers, 2nd floor Waiyaki Way, Nairobi, Kenya. Open daily 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM.