Why You Should Visit Nairobi – It’s Unforgettable

Why you should visit Nairobi: Okay so, when people think of cities like Nairobi, it’s often for work, or as a place you’ll pass through onto another destination. I’m here to tell you though that it is worth spending time specifically in Nairobi! This can be a standalone trip, like we did it when we went for a conference that Aliasgher was speaking for, or you can do it on the way to something else (within Kenya, like Mombasa, the many national parks, or an off-the-grid experience, or as a stopover to another country). However, our way to experience Nairobi even as a stopover is a lot more intentional. So here is why you should visit Nairobi specifically.

Things to Do

Our Joburg experiences taught us that metropolitan cities like Nairobi are actually quite underrated, because people assume they’re boring. However, this is exactly the reason why the activities in such cities are so vast in genres. We enjoyed a museum that had so much more than history alone, visited a museum of illusions, went to see crocodiles and tortoises, visited a national park within the city limits to see so many animals, including lions and giraffes, went to an elephant sanctuary, fed giraffes, gazed upon farmland from a distant viewpoint, and so much more!

If we had more time, we probably would’ve done some day trips or overnight getaways to nearby towns. There is so much beauty and peace that Nairobi allows you to have both, a busy, let’s-try-everything trip, as well as a chilled, what’s-the-internet kind of one.

Food

Oh. My. God. The food in Nairobi is really unparalleled. My mouth still waters when I think about it. East African food is so unique. Everything has flavour, no matter what type of cuisine you try. We had mix, bbq (the equivalent of braai), curries, chinese food, fast food. Flavour everywhere. And the portions are nice – we had leftovers pretty much with every meal. There’s also a crazy number of options for where you can eat that cater to more dietary requirements, such as being halaal.

Shopping

You’re probably thinking well, I don’t always want to shop on a trip. We understand that! We didn’t plan to shop at all in Spain, until we saw the difference in the prices and style options. But in Nairobi, it’s not just about the different brands you can find. It’s about how pretty the malls are, plus how fun a general shopping experience is even at a grocery store/supermarket. You want bread? Sure, here are 30 options. Breakfast? Here are prepacked, homemade-style meals. Yoghurt? No problem, would you like one with granola that you can have on the go? Tea, coffee, sauces, everythinnggggg has options! So now just imagine the options in clothing, eyewear, sportswear, etc., etc., etc., haha

Nightlife

This doesn’t specifically refer to clubbing, although it does extend to it. The nightlife in Nairobi is so vibrant – there’s lights on everywhere, people going here and there. One of the nights, we were out for dinner with our family friends till 11ish, and there were still people on the roads. Another night, after midnight, and it was fine. In Cape Town, especially post-COVID, you’d think we are pre-apocalypse at that time of night. It was really refreshing!

Visit Nairobi Accommodations

We stayed at 3 different places during our 10 day trip. One was an Airbnb in Kileleshwa, which was sooo lush and green, a night at the Raddison for the conference, and another Airbnb in Westlands. This was intentional, because we like to understand distances, connectivity, and how a city really works based on the location you stay at. As in all metropolitan cities, the hotel was businessy, but the Airbnbs were lovely and so homey. The hosts were incredibly welcoming and the places were affordable too. With the awesome grocery options, staying in an Airbnb is perfect.

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