NairobiNairobi is best characterized by its variety of locally-given descriptive names, representative of the city's contrasting images - of wealthy spacious suburbs, charming flower-lined streets and a refreshing climate, alongside crime, corruption, filth and poverty. Names like 'Green City in the Sun', 'City of Flowers' and the Masai name 'Place of
Cool Waters' attempt to overshadow the all too real version of 'Nairobbery' that stands as a well-found warning to newly arrived tourists.
Nairobi is one of
Africa's largest and most interesting cities. It is a place of enormous
energy, a tireless and thriving bustle of people, and a city of differences. Assorted races, tribes and origins are all a part of its make-up. Rural immigrants and refugees are drawn by the hope of wealth and opportunity, international businessmen are attracted by profitable business prospects, and tourists are promised the makings of the perfect safari. The city center buzzes with the energy, aspirations and opportunism of moneychangers, safari touts, would-be thieves, food vendors and trinket sellers, prostitutes, shoppers, security guards, and sharp-eyed shoe shiners assessing the footwear of the hurried throngs. Among them are the disillusioned faces of the unemployed, the beggars and the destitute.
Kenyatta Avenue is the city's favorite tourist image, a broad avenue fringed by trees and flowers that was originally designed to allow a twelve-oxen team to make a full turn. There are several museums and places of interest in the center, including the National Museum and Snake Park. There are numerous markets selling traditional crafts, especially the appealing Masai market. Just outside of the center is the
Nairobi National Park, and the nearby Bomas of
Kenya host performances of traditional dancing and singing. The
Langata Giraffe Center offers visitors the chance to hand-feed the Rothschild giraffes that inhabit the area.
Nairobi is also the safari capital of Africa and a good base for travel in Kenya. From here excursions and safaris can be arranged to any of the national parks or reserves in the country.
Getting Around: The most popular form of public transport in
Nairobi is the matatu, usually a
Nissan minibus, which operate on set routes collecting as many passengers as possible en route, with people boarding and disembarking wherever and whenever they choose. Loud music goes along with the ride in these cheap but unregulated and usually overcrowded vehicles that have become part of Kenyan culture. No less risky, but not as colorful, are the local bus services which operate on set routes and schedules through the city streets, renowned for overcrowding and speeding. Taxis are widely available and convenient, usually congregated in the street around hotels and areas frequented by tourists. Taxis are not metered and the fare should be agreed upon before departure. Nairobi taxis are marked with a yellow line along the side of the vehicle, or they are, surprisingly, large black
London taxis. The better taxi companies have more modern vehicles, which can be booked by telephone. Three-wheel auto-rickshaws, or 'tuk-tuks' are also used as taxis in Nairobi.
Climate: Situated at a high altitude, Nairobi has a moderate climate. The summer months are sunny and warm without blistering temperatures, while winters are mild to cool, with very chilly evenings. Rainfall is also moderate, the wettest part of the year being late summer to autumn, when cloudy, drizzly days are common.
The Great Rift ValleyMillions of years ago the earth's crust was weakened and it tore apart creating a split thousands of kilometers long down the continent of Africa, up to 62 miles (100km) wide in places. Volcanic eruptions on either side caused the floor to sink into a flat plain creating the
Great Rift Valley. It is one of Kenya's characteristic features and divides the country in half, from north to south, with stunning panoramas and beautiful escarpment backdrops. The wide valley is scattered with a few volcanoes and several lakes; it is inhabited by grazing animals, Masai herders and small-town dwellers.
The string of alkaline lakes known for their stunning scenery and variety of bird life include Lakes
Naivasha, Elementeita,
Nakuru, Bogoria and Baringo. The uniqueness of these lakes lies in their high concentration of sodium carbonate from the surrounding volcanic rocks. This creates an ideal breeding ground for algae and a thriving environment for fish, which in turn attracts millions of birds to feed on the abundant food supply. Each of the lakes has a different water composition ranging from freshwater to very saline and brackish, with different bird life attracted to each.
The freshwater ecosystems at
Lake Naivasha and Baringo, the nature reserve at Lake Bogoria, and the Nakuru National Park are a source of endless fascination, teeming with an incredible diversity of birds and large concentrations of animals.
Hell's Gate National Park allows visitors to walk or cycle among the wildlife, and nearby
Elsamere Conservation Center provides a look at the life of
Joy Adamson and the lioness Elsa, of 'Born Free' fame.
The CoastThe Kenyan coast is lined with a mixture of beautiful white sand beaches and tourist resorts, interspersed with Arab and Portuguese forts, overgrown ruins of Swahili outposts and old trading port towns that are the remnants of its fascinating history. The first traders along the coast were Arabs from the
Persian Gulf and several settlements developed during the 12th century. The KiSwahili language that evolved as a means of communication between the locals and the Arab traders is still spoken today. Trade continued even after the Portuguese took control of the whole coastal region in 1498 and throughout the towns the architecture reflects the changes in occupation and their cultural differences.
Spectacular coral reefs with colorful plant and fish life provide world-class snorkeling and diving among pristine coral gardens in the pleasantly warm waters of the
Indian Ocean. The marine parks at
Malindi, Watamu Bay and Shimoni contain undisturbed coral reefs and enormous fish due to the lack of coastal fishing traffic.
Mombasa is the center of activity in the region and Kenya's second largest town. North of
Mombasa the coast is lined with resort complexes catering mainly to package tourists, with luxury accommodation, fine cuisine and excellent services. Calm waters and palm-backed beaches are in abundance. Further north is the resort town of Malindi, as well as Watamu Bay, and the islands of the Lamu Archipelago.
The south coast was once remote and inaccessible, covered in lush forest and renowned for its slave trade and tropical plantations, but today little of the forest remains and it has become part of Kenya's mainstream tourism. The region's popularity is due to its image as an idyllic haven with white beaches and azure waters, where sheltered waters protected by coral reefs invite underwater exploration. The coast is host to a wide range of resorts offering excellent facilities, but also has many less developed getaways. Further south the small fishing village of Shimoni is home to a series of deep coastal caves and is a popular base for diving and deep-sea fishing.
