Experiences in Nairobi | Timbuktu Travel

Explore the highlights of Nairobi

A metropolis dropped into a landscape of epic wildlife and never-ending plains, Nairobi is a heady mix of busy streets lined with vendors, art galleries and history. You can most certainly shop until you drop at the Maasai Markets where hand-crafted leather items and wooden carvings make for amazing souvenirs. When hunger strikes, the City Park Hawkers offer some sizzling local food like ugali and nyama choma (grilled goat). When you fancy a good dose of nature, the Botanic Gardens are as lovely as promised. Westlands has a bevy of vibrant bars and live music venues for a taste of the night life.

Go on a game drive in Nairobi National Park

Nairobi may be Kenya's big and bustling capital city but that doesn't mean you have to skimp on safari time. Head out on a game drive across the sprawling grasslands of Nairobi National Park, where zebra, buffalo and plains game gather in their hundreds to graze. Eye out the docile lion as they take a nap in the shade and search for the tell-tail sign of a leopard hiding in the trees. You have a good chance to spot a black rhino as they lollop through the veld! Enjoy some top-notch wildlife-spotting with the towering skyscrapers of Nairobi as your backdrop.

Take the Nai Nami storytelling walking tour

Experience Nairobi through the eyes of a street child. Change your perspective on life through unforgettable stories shared by former street children on a personal tour of downtown Nairobi. After connecting with your personal guide at the Hilton Hotel, you’ll go on a three-hour walking tour around downtown. You’ll learn how they ended up and survived on the streets, experience the places where they lived and get to know who they were and what they’ve become through Nai Nami. Local lunch is included at the end of the experience.

Visit the DSWT sanctuary for rescued elephants

Spend a morning or afternoon at the Sheldrick elephant sanctuary in Nairobi. As the most successful program for orphaned elephants in the world, your time spent here won't easily be forgotten. The calves are hand-reared by their keepers and develop a bond that is amazing to see. Watch as they run and splash in muddy pools, before they guzzle down a bottle for lunch. Each calf has a name and a story (they arrive from all over Kenya) and you can even adopt one of the elephant before heading home.

Learn from entrepreneurial grandmothers in Nairobi

On this enlightening One Horizon cultural tour, you meet some endearing and entrepreneurial grandmothers who are beating their generational cycle of poverty. Many Kenyan grandmothers play a vital role in raising their grandchildren and extended families, and you’ll visit a pig farm, which is a project supported by One Horizon to improve the livelihoods of grandmothers by empowering them through small-scale farming. They invite you to assist with farming activities, help cook a traditional meal, and by sharing lots of laughter and listening to their inspirational stories, you’ll get a real insight into the strength and resilience of these remarkable Kenyan women. A cultural tour like no other.

Meet the residents of the giraffe centre, Nairobi

Kenya's leading role in wildlife conservation is well-known and Nairobi is no exception. Before you begin or bid farewell to your safari, spend a few hours with the gentle Rothschild giraffe at their haven just outside of Nairobi. The centre was created to protect this endangered sub-species, which is only found in the grasslands of East Africa and calves are born at the sanctuary before being rehomed at a reserve. These creatures will quickly steal your heart as they lick up pellets straight from your hand - you may even get a kiss in thanks. Grab a cuppa and watch the giraffe snack and stroll, or hike to the View Point for a stellar view of Nairobi before returning to your hotel.

Visit the Karen Blixen Museum in Nairobi

Anyone winging their way to Kenya will have likely heard the name, Karen Blixen. After arriving in Nairobi, her home-turned-museum makes a good first port of call. Karen Blixen's story was made famous by 'Out of Africa', which portrayed her life in the hills of Nairobi. The hundred-year-old house she once lived in was given to the Kenyan government after gaining independence. It has since become a museum, recounting the the life and work of Karen Blixen, with a collection of fascinating letters, books and art.