Nairobi Archives

I think Kenya as a whole is such a beautiful country. There is so much to see and experience that it could take you years to uncover all of its treasures. Most travelers only get to visit Nairobi and the safari camps. However, if you have time, there are several day trips from Nairobi worth taking. Here are 5 great getaway trips that are easy to get to within two hours of the city limit that I recommend.

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Lake Naivasha

One nicest day trips outside of Nairobi is a visit to Lake Naivasha. About 90 minutes outside of Nairobi, Lake Naivasha is a perfect destination to experience nature in a different way than a traditional safari. Lake Naivasha is a freshwater lake located northwest of Nairobi and is part of the Great Rift Valley. Named Nai’posha, meaning ‘rough water,’ by the Maasai for the sudden rain storms that cause rough, high waves.

The lake is home to over 1500 hippos and 400 different species of birds, making it a great place for nature lovers. Boat trips can be taken from many lakeside lodges and campsites. It’s a good opportunity to see the hippos up close, but proceed with care.

They are the most dangerous animals in Africa; strong swimmers and runners (for short distances). To give you an idea of their strength, only the female hippo bite strength has been measured because the male is too aggressive to test.

Cost: $20-25 for boat/$30 for Crescent Island
When to go: All year around
What to bring: Sunscreen, lots of water, snacks
Wildlife: variety of wildlife

The lake is surrounded by the most beautiful forests of yellow Acacia Xanthophlea trees. While on your day trip to the lake, make a stop at Crescent Island to get an even closer look at non-predatory animals, such as the giraffe, which were born on the island.

Mount Longonot

Traveling to Mount Longonot was one of the hardest day trips I took from Nairobi. An inactive volcano almost 9000ft above sea level, Mt. Longonot offers one of the most difficult hikes and some of the most beautiful views in Kenya.

Less than 40 miles outside of Nairobi, Mt. Longonot National Park gives you a chance to see if you can keep up with the Kenyans on this difficult hike. Try not to be embarrassed as they pass you barely breaking a sweat and hiking in flip flops with ease.

The hike is steep and the terrain is made mostly of volcanic rock and fine dust, which can be slippery and becomes muddy when it rains. There are several view points along the way. Most of my group was not fit, but it would have certainly helped.

The hike takes about an hour from the Park Gate to reach the rim and a little more than an hour to hike around the rim, so plan for 4 hours total. Unless you are an avid hiker, you will be proud of yourself once you complete the journey. I highly recommend packing a snack or lunch and bring lots of water and sunscreen.

Cost: $26
When to go: All year around
What to bring: Sunscreen, hat, and snacks
Wildlife: Buffalos, Gazelles, Impala and Giraffe

Hell’s Gate National Park

Hell’s Gate National Park was one of my favorite day trips from Nairobi. Looking for a less intensive hike than Mount Longonot with the same reward of beautiful landscapes and views? Hell’s Gate National Park is Mt. Longonot and Lake Naivasha’s neighbor in the Great Rift Valley and the location of what the Lion King location is based from. It is rocky and covered ash from the last volcanic eruption at Mt. Longonot, but a relatively easy hike. Established in 1984, it is home to many forms of wildlife. It is definitely my favorite hike!

When you arrive, there are guides available to take you on the hike, which I highly recommend. They not only show you the way, but they help you navigate slightly difficult terrain. It takes about 2-4 hours to hike, depending on your speed and if you choose to visit pride rock.

Cost: $26pp, approx. $20 per group for a guide
When to go: All year around
What to bring: Sunscreen, water
Wildlife: buffalo, zebra, eland, hartebeest, Thomson’s gazelle and baboons are common. There are over 100 species of birds in the park.

Brown’s Cheese

Brown’s Cheese is one of the closest day trips from Nairobi. One thing I love about Kenya are the gems you can find outside of the city. Kenya is not generally known for its cheese. As a matter of fact, Brown’s Cheese, an all natural cheese company, started because cheese was hard to find in Kenya up until 1979 when Brown’s Cheese was established.

Brown’s Cheese is located about an hour outside of the city center on a beautiful farm in the middle of the tea plantations in Limuru, Kenya. It offers tours of its factories and farm and lunch where you can tastes their yummy cheese.

I have done this day trip and tour three times. When you arrive, they serve homemade lemonade or some other homemade, refreshing drink. The cheese platter is accompanied with homemade bread and jams. They provide a tasting menu card that describes the cheese and the best jam parings. Since their cheeses do not contain additives, coloring, or coating the taste is super fresh. I am not a fan of stinky cheeses, but their feta and blue cheeses are my favorites.

After the cheese tasting, lunch is served, followed by homemade ice cream. I recommend the salted caramel!

Cost: Approximately $40
When to go: All year around

Kiambethu Tea Farm

Kiambethu Tea Farm is also one of the easiest day trips from Nairobi. It is also located in Limuru, in the rolling hills covered tea plants, the Kiambethu Tea Farm was established in 1910 and is still run by the same family.

The farm is very peaceful. You can enjoy a cup of tea, hear the history of the farm, and then walk through the indigenous forest surrounding the farm.

A homemade, delicious three-course lunch will be awaiting you upon your return from the walk. It is recommended you book in advance, as space is limited and tours are generally offered once a day.

Cost: Approximately $35
When to go: All year around
What to bring: A light jacket

How to get there? See: 5 Tips for Easy Travel in Kenya

Kenya as a whole is one of the most beautiful countries I have visited. Its capital city Nairobi is definitely one of my favorite cities on the planet. It was the first Sub-Saharan African country that I visited. During this time, I discovered that it is such an interesting and cosmopolitan city. I had already been to North Africa or other Arab countries, however, those parts of Africa are quite different than Sub-Saharan Africa. Culturally, they seem more like the Middle East. So, I did not know what to expect to see or experience when I landed in Nairobi. There is so much to experience there, so it is hard to imagine spending just one day in Nairobi.

As a hub for East Africa, it is a very busy city with lots of character and charm. I have spent A LOT of time in Nairobi. Despite that, I still feel like there is so much I have not seen or experienced. It is the only place in the world where you can shop, eat, and experience a happening night life in the vicinity of a national park where wild animals roam freely and have occasionally made their way out to the city streets.

I know that many people traveling to Kenya only stop in Nairobi before transiting to the Mara or other safari locations. To truly get a feel for Nairobi, I recommend dedicating at least 3-4 days of your trip just to Nairobi. However, if you only have one day, I still think it is worth your time.

To make things easy no matter how much time you have, you can book a tour that will hit most of the city’s highlights through Viator.com. If you want a little more freedom, you can easily navigate the city by hiring a taxi driver for the day for approximately the same cost as a tour.

Nairobi National Park

The Nairobi National Park is a safari park located in Nairobi’s city center. Because of its accessibility, the the National Park is one of the most visited safari parks in the country. It is something you should not miss if you have several hours to spend in Nairobi. It is an especially great alternative, if going to a safari park outside of Nairobi is not an option. The park is the only one in the world where animals roam freely in a loosely enclosed space in the middle of a major city. There you can view zebras, lions, buffalo, rhinoceros and skyscrapers at the same time. There are over 400 species of some of the most colorful birds in the world the park. The only significant animal missing is the elephant because it needs a lot more space to roam than what the park offers.

As with any safari, you should visit early in the morning or later in the day when the animals are most active. Arriving early also gives you enough time to hit the other tourist highlights in Nairobi in the same day.

Elephant Orphanage

During my first trip to Kenya, I fell in love with elephants and it would have been hard not to after visiting the Sheldrick Elephant and Rhino Orphanage in Nairobi.

All of the elephants are orphans, usually due to poaching. Sometimes momma elephants die of natural causes, reject their young or from time to time the baby elephant may be too weak to keep up with the herd.

Elephants are full of personality, which will be evident during your visit. What I love is that each elephant is assigned a keeper. They feed them every few hours and sleep with them through the night. They essentially be come their new moms.

For 500 shillings (approx $5), you can visit the orphanage during a public feeding of some 20 elephants aged from a couple of months to three years old. In about 30-40 minutes time, you will hear stories about each elephant, watch them drink milk from huge bottles, and enjoy their play time. I recommend that you arrive at least 30 minutes early to queue up. Crowds are generally large and you will want to be up front to have the best view of the elephants.

Giraffe Center

How many times can you say that you had the opportunity to get up and close with a Giraffe? Giraffes make my favorite animal list. Their tall, lanky legs give a kick powerful enough to kill a lion and their beautiful eyelashes seduce you. They are just magnificent creatures.

Sadly, the number of Giraffes left on earth has fallen by at least 40 percent in the past 15 years. For some species, it has fallen by almost 80 percent. The Giraffe Center in Nairobi helps breed giraffes in their natural habitat to boost the population. Calves are released into the wild at two to three-years-old when they are independent enough to survive on their own. So far, the center has released 40 giraffes into game parks around the country.

For 1000 shillings (approx $10), visitors can learn about giraffes in Africa and discovering how the center cares for them. One of the highlights of your visit will be be feeding the Giraffes from a a tall platform. Giraffes are very sociable and will eat right from your hand. Some people are courageous enough to put the treats in their mouths to receive a very wet kiss from the giraffes.

Shopping In Nairobi

Nairobi has a vibrant shopping scene, where you can get anything from traditional African products and souvenirs to handmade customized furniture. Some of my favorite products are handmade clothing, jewelry and leather handbags. Whenever I travel to a new country, I try to buy earrings made in that country. So, I bought a lot of earrings ranging from very inexpensive to very expensive jewels during my time there.

One of my favorite places to buy jewelry is at the Kazuri Bead Factory. Located in Karen, Nairobi, single mothers make ceramic beads and pottery by hand, which are sold all over Nairobi. If you visit the factory, you can choose from a large variety of earrings, necklaces, and bracelets as well as some pottery. You will also get to meet the women who complete the long, multi-step process to produce beautiful and unique pieces of jewelry.

Nairobi

Day Trips from Nairobi: 5 Great Getaways