Wondering what to do in Kenya while in Nairobi, here are 5 top things that should not miss on your to do list. To ensure you have a great time, there are many things you can experience and at Masai Mara Holidays, it’s always a pleasure sharing these tips with you. Let’s start with a list of things to do or see in Nairobi, Kenya
Visiting the Maasai village
A visit to Kenya, you will hear this word: Maasai so many times simply because Kenya is home to the Maasai tribe. Maasai tribe is an indigenous ethnic group living mainly in Kenya and northern Tanzania. The Maasai are internationally well known for their unique cultures and tribal dress. This gives you clear reason as to why you should go to visit the tribe and learn more about their traditions and way of life.
On your visit, you will be taught different things about how they do things and what they eat. They regularly drink cow’s milk and blood and eat mainly cows meat every day. Polygamy is common there and interestingly, it’s the wife’s duty to build the houses except if they are elderly or pregnant. Houses are typically made of small branches, poles, mud and cow dung. Check out our tailor made short an long safaris to that take you for a visit to the Maasai people. Normally this visit is coupled with a Masai Mara Safari
Visit at least one Safari
This is an absolute must when you are in Kenya and if you’re tight on time, you can opt for the Nairobi National Park which is the only Safari you can do within the city (In the World) but if you have loads of time to spare we highly recommend the beautiful Maasai Mara Game Reserve. It’s not in Nairobi but that’s the best Safari you will ever experience in Africa and recommended number of days is at least three days. It is roughly a 6-hour drive from Nairobi and the reserve expands over 2000 square kms.
You will have the chance to see the BIG FIVE ,these are the elephant, lion, leopard, water buffalo and rhino. Also that’s the only reserve in the world where the unique wildebeest migration also takes place from Serengeti (Tanzania) to Maasai Mara (Kenya) and vice versa. Make sure you go during the correct season to catch that. This Safari can be coupled with a visit to the Maasai village as we explained earlier.
This Safari experience is exciting and the other small safaris you have probably been to before in your life just cannot compare to Maasai Mara. It’s the king of the safaris! If you are interested to go for it and you want the best value we have worked out a deal at Masai Mara Holidays for discounted Maasai Mara Safaris, all you have to do is contact our experts to ask for this friendly quote. If you wish to have more details about our Masai Mara Safaris, kindly checkout our professionally tailor made safaris
Visit a Maasai Market
This is one great experience you don’t want to miss in Nairobi, especially if you love buying souvenirs and shopping in general. At this open-air markets, you will find various things: paintings, drawings, clothes, jewellery and many other hand crafts made by the Maasai community. That’s the place to buy souvenirs for your family and friends back home but you will have to bargain your way through. Initial prices will be expensive but after haggling down the prices you could get away with some very good deals.
However, do note that the market is not always in one place. It moves around the city each day of the week and generally runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. For you to know where the market is, feel free to contact an expert from our Masai Mara Holidays team for more information before you go. Usually, tourists are not aware that the market moves then end up not finding the market.
Visit the giraffe Centre in Nairobi
The giraffe Center is a nonprofit organization which was set up to rescue Rothschild giraffes in the late 70s. It was at this period where there was mass killing of those tall creatures to make room for settlements such that they would not be dangerous to humans. As a result giraffe population had decreased to a staggering 120, thankfully Giraffe center was set up and today, more than 600 giraffes have been bred through it and these giraffes are safe in different parts of Kenya.
At the centre, you will have the opportunity to learn in more details about the giraffe, feed them and just watching them gracefully walking around. Get your camera’s ready as this will be the only place in Kenya where you will have incredibly close pictures and selfies with a giraffe. The center is open from 9 am to 5 pm including weekends and public holidays.
The entrance fee is 1,500 Kenyan shillings for non-resident adults, residents and children would pay lower. There’s a cafe we can grab some lunch and also a nature walk you could take for bird-watching and if you’re lucky you could see some animals too. It is recommended to go in the early morning
Visit to the Elephant orphanage
This is a magnificent place heard orphaned baby elephants are reared. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Nairobi rescues these orphans and reintegrates them back into other national parks. So a visit to this place assures you that your money is going to help the animals and not to someone who is just looking for profit. The entrance fee is Kenyan 500 shillings to watch them from 11:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m. It is open every day except on the 25th of December. Like the giraffe center, this is the only time you will get close selfies with elephants in Kenya.
There are other activities to do in Kenya other than the ones I have shortlisted for you, The country is placed with over 8 major National Parks, historical sites and relaxation on the amazing Kenya coastal beaches