Nairobi

Kenya's capital and biggest city is Nairobi. Its name derives from the Maasai words Enkare Nairobi, meaning “cool water“, which refers to the Nairobi River running through the city. Nairobi also goes by the nickname Green City in the Sun.

British East Africa established Nairobi in 1899 as a rail depot on the Uganda Railway. The town expanded so fast that by 1907 it had taken over from Mombasa as Kenya's capital, and when the country gained independence in 1963 it became the capital of the Republic of Kenya. To this day it remains the heart of the coffee, tea and sisal industries that date back to colonial times.

Nairobi today

Modern life has swiftly overtaken the city. No longer a frontier town, Nairobi now ranks among Africa's biggest and most fascinating cities, and it is a place that never really seems to sleep. Boundless energy runs through the whole town, a thriving place where every side of human life is on show. It is a city of sharp contrasts, in which race, tribe and origin all form part of its singular character. At the same time, Nairobi has kept hold of its past: there is an excellent museum, and the historic home of Karen Blixen, who wrote Out of Africa, is open to visitors. With thousands of businesses, international companies and organisations based here, Nairobi is a well-established centre of business and culture.

Nearby attractions

Nairobi National Park lies only a short drive from the city centre. Its wide, open grassland starts right at the city boundary and shelters a range of wildlife: lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, buffalo, giraffes and a rich birdlife of more than 400 species. It is also the best-known place to see the endangered black rhino, of which more than 50 still live here, and it is to them that the park owes its nickname “Kifaru” (rhinoceros).

Right beside the park sits the highly regarded elephant orphanage of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, which protects elephants, rhinos and giraffes and operates the most successful rescue and rehabilitation programme for orphaned animals anywhere in the world.

Nairobi also serves as a starting point for safaris to the Masai Mara Natural Reserve.

Attractions in Nairobi

• Nairobi National Park
• Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
• Karen Blixen Museum
• Giraffe Manor

Excursions from Nairobi

Among Africa's largest game reserves, the Masai Mara Natural Reserve lies roughly 270 km from the capital Nairobi, a flight of only about 45 minutes. With more than 95 mammal species and over 400 bird species, it ranks among Kenya's most visited tourist destinations.

Solio Ranch is another draw: a fenced sanctuary in private hands, devoted entirely to rhino conservation. You'll find it in the valley between the high slopes of Mount Kenya and the Aberdare peaks, just north of Nairobi. As many as 40 rhinos share the ranch peacefully with other animals, among them buffalo, zebra, giraffe and plains game such as eland, oryx, impala, waterbuck, Thompson's gazelle and warthog.

Best time to visit

Nairobi can be visited all your round.

Flying in from Kilimanjaro international airport in Tanzania, you reach Nairobi in about an hour.