Nairobi, Kenya — Activities
Nairobi Culture
The Kenya National Theater, on Harry Thuku Road (tel: (020) 225 174), is Nairobi’s main theater, and lays on classic and contemporary showings of plays, with the emphasis heavily on Kenyan drama. The Professional Center on Parliament Road (tel: (020) 241 230) hosts the well-known Phoenix Players theater group, who regularly perform productions by western and Kenyan playwrights.
The GoDown Arts Center, in a converted warehouse on Dunga Road (tel: (020) 557 5785), is set up to promote contemporary African art, music and dance. There are also workshops, a recording studio and an art gallery here. The more centrally located Mzizi Arts Center on Moi Avenue also hosts contemporary dance and musical performance evenings.
Other good art galleries promoting African art include the privately owned Gallery Watatu on Standard Street (tel: (020) 228 737; website: www.gallerywatatu.com) and the Rahimtulla Museum of Modern Art (Ramoma) on Upper Hill Road (tel: (020) 729 181).
Cinemas showing the latest releases include the NuMetro Cinema, Village Market, Gigiri (tel: (020) 522 128), Fox Cineplex in the Sarit Center in Westlands (tel: (020) 227 959) and Odeon on Latema Road.
Nairobi Tours
Walking tours of the city center with a local guide are run by a number of agencies and include visits to the Parliament buildings, the Kenyatta International Conference Center (KICC), Nairobi’s signature building, and the city market. There is also a ride to the top of the KICC to admire the city’s skyline and the views across the national park. Try East Africa Shuttles on Muindi Mbingu Street (tel: (020) 248 453; website: www.eastafricashuttles.com) or Let’s Go Travel (website: www.lets-go-travel.net), which has offices on Standard Street (tel: (020) 213 033), Waiyaki Way (tel: (020) 444 1030) and in the Karen Shopping Center (tel: (020) 882 168).
Nature Kenya (tel: (020) 374 9957; website: www.naturekenya.org) organizes bird-watching walks from the National Museum once a week, when you can expect to see black kites, Marabou storks, sacred ibises, hornbills, bee-eaters and sunbirds.
