Nairobi travel guide

The name Nairobi comes from the Masai ‘enkare nyarobe’ meaning sweet (or cold) water, for originally this was a watering hole for the Masai and their cattle. Just 110 years ago Nairobi hardly existed. It began life in 1896 as a railway camp during the building of the Uganda Railway from the coast to the highlands. The location was chosen due to its central position between Mombasa and Kampala, just before the railway was to make its difficult descent and ascent of the walls of the Rift Valley. It was also chosen because its rivers could supply the camp with water. It grew steadily, and by 1907 had become a town sufficient in size to take over from Mombasa as capital of British East Africa. Its climate was considered healthier than that of the coast, as its temperature was too cool for the malaria mosquito to survive, and its position was ideal for developing into a trading centre for the settlers who farmed the fertile farmland around Nairobi and beyond into Western Kenya, referred to as the White Highlands, which attracted some 80,000 European settlers between the 1920s and 1950s. These ‘intrepid adventurers’ included Karen Blixen of Out of Africa fame – her house is now a museum on the outskirts of the city. Nairobi’s famous Norfolk Hotel opened in 1904, and was once the social meeting place for this privileged community; today you can still enjoy a gin and tonic in the bar. The local Kikuyu who were losing their land to these white settlers and were dispersed further by the Mau Mau rebellion in the 1950s , moved into Nairobi and the city swelled. It became a municipality in 1919, received city status in 1950, and after Independence in 1963 became capital of the republic.

The euphoria inspired by Independence brought with it a wave of construction in the city centre, which resulted in the many not terribly attractive 1960-1970s blocks that still stand today among the more modern gleaming skyscrapers. With 19 floors, the Hilton Hotel became the city’s tallest building in 1969 before it was superceded by the Kenyatta International Conference centre with 33 floors in 1972, which in turn was overtaken by the New Central Bank Tower in 2000, which with 38 floors is currently the tallest building in Nairobi. Westlands pioneered the under-one-roof shopping mall when the Sarit Centre was built in 1983, and now modern shopping malls feature in almost every fairly affluent neighbourhood with more being built all the time.

Like many African cities, Nairobi today has bustling markets, alarming matatu drivers, potholed roads, shanty towns and leafy suburbs. As well as being the seat of government and commerce for Kenya, it is also the most important city in East Africa and is home to many diplomatic agencies, NGOs and multinationals and is an important base for the UN. Over the years it has also attracted many of Kenya’s rural poor seeking employment in the big city, which has resulted in large slums developing around the city centre. Nevertheless it’s a lively African city, which boasts a generally good infrastructure, amazingly friendly, interesting and intelligent people from all walks of life, and excellent facilities for tourists.

Nairobi lies 145 km south of the equator but it’s far from hot. The city is at 1870 m, so temperatures are a moderate 15-25°C year-round and rarely reach over 30°C. September to April are the hottest months, with maximum temperatures averaging 24°C, but falling at night to around 13°C. May to August is cooler, with a maximum average of 21°C, and minimum of 11°C at night. The main rainy seasons are March to May and October to December, when it gets slightly humid and the streets become flooded and muddy.

Banks

There are banks all over central Nairobi that offer foreign exchange services and can give KSh and US$ cash off a credit card. All have ATMs, which can also be found in the shopping malls and at some petrol stations. Try to avoid banks on the last Fri of the month (payday), when there are long queues.

There are also numerous bureaux de change, also known as forex bureaux. Exchange rates are about the same in most, though commission is charged on changing TCs so shop around for the best deal. Hotels will also change money but at excessive exchange rates. Some shop keepers and curio stall holders will take US$ cash so ensure you know what the current exchange rate is.

Courier companies

DHL, International House, Mama Ngina St, city centre, T020-692 5120, http://www.dhl.co.ke. Federal Express, 12th floor, Bruce House, Standard St, city centre, T020-211 307, http://www.fedex.com. TNT, Kiambere Rd, Nairobi Hill, T020-723 554, http://www.tnt.com.

Cultural centres

Regular films, concerts and talks are on offer, and in some, libraries and language courses. The Alliance Française and the Italian Cultural Centre are particularly good venues for the arts. Alliance Française, Loita St, city centre, T020-340 054; British Council, Upper Hill Rd, Nairobi Hill, T020-283 6000, www.british council.org/kenya; Goethe Institute, Maendeleo House, Monrovia St, city centre, T020-222 4640, http://www.goethe.de/ins/ke/nai; Italian Cultural Institute, Woodvale Grove, off Waiyaki Way, Westlands, T020-445 1226, http://www.iicnairobi.esteri.it.

Embassies and consulates

Australia, ICIPE House, Riverside Drive, Westlands, T020-444 5034, www.kenya. embassy.gov.au. British High Commission, Upper Hill Rd, Nairobi Hill, T020-284 4000, http://www.ukinkenya.fco.gov.uk. Canada, Limuru Rd, Gigiri, T020-226 987, www.dfait-maeci. gc.ca/nairobi. Ethiopia, State House Av, city centre, T020-273 2050, ethioemb@ kenyaweb.com. France, Barclays Plaza, Loita St, city centre, T020-277 8000, www.amba france-ke.org. Issues visas for Togo, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and the Central African Republic. Germany, 113 Riverside Dr, Westlands, T020-426 2100, www.nairobi. diplo.de. Netherlands, Riverside Lane, Westlands, T020-428 2000, www.nether lands-embassy.or.ke. South African High Commission, Roshanmaer Place, Lenana Rd, Kilimani, T020-282 7100, nairobi@foreign. gov.za. Sudan, Kabarnet Rd, off Ngong Rd, Kilimani, T020-575 159, www.sudanembassy nrb.org. Tanzania, Continental House, Uhuru Highway, city centre, T020-331 056, tanzania@users.africaonline.co.ke. Uganda, Uganda House, Kenyatta Av, city centre, T020-311 814, www.ugandahigh commission.co.ke. United States, United Nations Av, off Limuru Rd, Gigiri, T020-363 6000, http://nairobi.usembassy.gov.

Immigration

Nyayo House, Kenyatta Highway, T020-222 022.

Internet

A vast number of places now offer inexpensive internet access all over the city, including most of the hotels and shopping malls and Wi-Fi is available at the airport and the more expensive hotels. Options range from smart internet cafés with fast reliable connections, to tiny corner shops that have just one computer and sometimes erratic connections.

Medical services

Hospitals

The 2 main private hospitals both have world-class facilities: Nairobi Hospital, Argwings Kodhek Rd, Nairobi Hill, T020-284 5000, http://www.nairobihospital.org; Aga Khan Hospital, Parklands Av, Parklands, T020-374 2531, http://www.agakhanhospitals.org. The Kenyatta Hospital, on Hospital Rd, Nairobi Hill, T020-726 300, is well equipped, but as a public hospital, has long queues. If you are planning to travel in more isolated areas, consider the Flying Doctors’ Society of Africa, based at Wilson Airport. For an annual tourist fee of US$50, it offers free evacuation by air to a medical centre or hospital. This may be worth considering if you are visiting remote regions, but not if visiting the more popular parks in the north as adequate provision is made in the case of an emergency. The income goes back into the service and the African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF) behind it. You can contact them in advance on T020-602 495, http://www.amref.org.

Pharmacies

These are found all over downtown Nairobi and in all shopping malls but are generally expensive. The major hospitals have 24-hr pharmacies.

Police

Police emergency T999, Central Police Station, University Way, city centre, T020-225 685, other police stations can be found on the website; http://www.kenyapolice.go.ke. Always inform the police of any incidents – you will need a police form for any insurance claims.

Post office

Moi Av, half-way between Kenyatta Av and Tubman Rd on the east side, T020-227 401. There is also a post office on Haile Selassie Av, T020-228 441, where you will find the fairly reliable, and free, poste restante. There are also post offices in the shopping malls and there’s a useful branch locator on the post office’s website; http://www.posta.co.ke. Opening hours are generally Mon-Fri 0800-1700 and Sat 0800-1200.

Telephone

Local and international calls can be made from Telkom Kenya public coin and card phones in red or yellow booths on the street or in post offices. Phone cards are available from post offices. Some internet cafés also double up as public phone and fax places. If you are using a Kenya service provider for your cell phone, top up cards for Kenya’s 2 cell networks, Cellnet and Safaricom, are available from their specific shops all around the city and from just about every street vendor.

Tourist helpline

Based at Nairobi National Park main gate, Langata Rd, T020-604 767.

Central Nairobi is bounded by Uhuru Highway to the west, Nairobi River to the north and east and the railway to the south. Across the Uhuru Highway is Uhuru Park and Central Park. In the southwest of this central triangle of about 5 sq km is the crop of high-rise buildings where most of the government buildings, offices, banks, hotels and shops are located. In the northern section the buildings are closer together and there are many less expensive shops and restaurants, while to the east of the triangle is the poorer section where there are cheaper hotels and restaurants, shops and markets. This is the area around River Road, which is very lively, full of character and has the authentic atmosphere of the African section of a great city (although it is an area in which visitors should take care over their safety).

Southeast of the city centre around the Mombasa Road is the concentrated industrial area that peters out near the airport. By contrast, to the south of here is the 117 sq km Nairobi National Park, which makes up about one fifth of the city’s area. To the west of the city centre and hemmed in by the Langata and Ngong roads is the congested Kibera slum , and beyond here and past the Main Gate to Nairobi National Park are the affluent suburbs of Langata and Karen where many of the sights are located. Much of this area was sold for development by Karen Blixen, the Danish authoress, when she left Kenya in 1931, and these leafy suburbs are isolated from the rest of Nairobi by the Ngong Road Forest Sanctuary. There is a semi-country status with seemingly more dogs and horses than human residents. This is changing however, as clusters of homes are being built on what were once large plots with single dwellings, and estates of houses occupy former farmland.

Walking around central Nairobi is relatively straightforward, as the city centre is small and accessible. Taxis are widely available, convenient and are parked on just about every street corner. Any make of car can serve as a taxi, although all Nairobi taxis are white and marked with a yellow line along each side. There is also a large fleet of London black taxis operating within the city. Taxis are not metered, and a price should be agreed with the driver before departure. Expect to pay in the region of US$5 for a short hop across the city centre rising to US$15-20 for a ride to outlying areas.

City buses are numbered and operate on set routes throughout the city, and can be boarded at any stop and tickets purchased on board. You can catch buses as far as Karen and beyond, and the main city bus terminal is located at the end of River Road. There are also main bus stops outside the Hilton Hotel on Moi Avenue, outside Nation House on Tom Mboya Street, outside the Railway Station at the end of Moi Avenue, and outside the General Post Office on Kenyatta Avenue. Matatus (minibuses) also operate on set routes and are the most popular form of local public transport. Again, like taxis most are white with a yellow stripe. Their destination is clearly written on the side. There are countless matatu stands throughout Nairobi, with continuous arrivals and departures throughout the day.

Most tour operators are able to arrange a tour of Nairobi, which is a very useful way of familiarizing yourself with the layout of the city, as well as seeing some of the sites that are further out. The tours will usually include a trip to the City Market, the Parliament buildings and the Nairobi National Museum. You can also hire a car for a day or two to explore on your own, but only do so if you have had any experience of manic, congested traffic typical of an African city, although the suburbs like Karen, and the Nairobi National Park, are easy to negotiate by road.

The best maps of Nairobi are the City of Nairobi: Map and Guide, published by the Survey of Kenya in English, German and French. If you want more detail or are staying a while it may be worth getting A to Z Guide to Nairobi, by RW Moss (Kenway Publications), which is clear and easy to use. There are several other maps on offer, so it’s just a case of finding one that suits you. Try the bookshop in the Stanley Hotel, or the bookshops in the shopping malls, which all have a good selection.

Nairobi is the most important air transport hub for East Africa, and international and domestic flights touch down at Jomo Kenyatta International (15 km southeast of the city off the Mombasa Rd, T020-661 1000, http://www.kenyaairports.co.ke). Although an untidy old building that is in desperate need of refurbishing, airport facilities are fully functional and include cafés, several banks (with longer banking hours than the rest of the country), ATMs, hotel booking, tour-operator and car-hire desks, and air-side, extensive duty free and souvenir shops and a branch of the excellent Nairobi Java House coffee shop, which also sells coffee beans for those wanting to take a lasting taste of Kenyan coffee home with them. Once through immigration and customs in the international arrivals hall, taxi drivers will start to badger you, but they are easy enough to deal with and move on to the next arrival if you say you are not interested or already have arranged a transfer. If you do want a taxi, expect to bargain to around US$20-30 depending on the time of day (and traffic) for a ride into the city centre. Outside the domestic terminal (a short trolley push across the car park) is a desk for the Airport Taxi Operators Association and a taxi from the airport into the centre should cost around US$20. Pay at the desk, where they’ll give you a receipt to show the driver. This is the better and slightly cheaper option, and by the time you read this, the association may have established a desk at the international terminal. Most hotels and tour operators also provide transport inclusive of a holiday package or at the very least can arrange a shuttle bus. There is also a bus service (0600-1800) to and from the airport, number 34 (to get on it ask for the bus stand at the airport), and to the airport, board outside the Hilton Hotel in the city, US$1.10, journey time 40 minutes depending on traffic and time of day, although this is best avoided if you have a lot of luggage as the buses get crowded nearer the city.

Nairobi’s second airport is Wilson Airport (6 km south of the city on the Langata Rd, T020-603 260, www.kenya airports.com). This airport is used for domestic scheduled and charter flights by the light aircraft airlines, as well as being the base AMREF – the flying doctor service, and the annual host for the Nairobi International Air Show in November. A taxi into the city centre should cost around US$8.

There are good road connections into the city from all directions. The long-distance bus station is on Landhies Road from where there are daily departures to most destinations. Akamba Bus is one of the better organized and safer of the many bus services travelling long distance within Kenya and to neighbouring countries. Their terminus is in Lagos Road. There are also several shuttle bus companies offering a daily service to/from Arusha and Moshi in Tanzania.

The railway station is at the southern end of Moi Avenue. It is easily spotted thanks to the coloured lights around the main entrance. There is currently only one passenger rail service from Nairobi to Mombasa, with the train travelling overnight through Tsavo National Park. Part of the railway in the north of the country was destroyed during the 2008 riots, so until it is repaired the service between Nairobi and Kisumu has been suspended.

Historically, crime in Nairobi has been well documented with frequent muggings, bag snatchings, car-jackings and robberies. These can certainly be a problem if you are not extremely sensible, and if you walk around with a camera hanging from your neck, an obviously expensive watch, jewellery or a money belt showing, then you are very vulnerable. If you are at all unsure take a taxi that you should lock from the inside if possible, and make it a rule to always do so at night. Places to definitely avoid walking around are River Road and its neighbouring streets; as a rule of thumb do not wander casually much farther west than Moi Avenue. Some thieves specialize in jostling, robbing and snatching from new arrivals on buses and matatus and on these do not take items to eat offered by strangers, as they may have been drugged to aid robbery. Despite all this, things have improved in central Nairobi since the mid-1990s. The Nairobi Central Business District Association (NCBDA) has worked with police to provide better policing of the streets and CCTV cameras have been installed, resulting in a marked decline in petty theft. Nevertheless it is always wise to exercise caution when walking around Nairobi, avoid walking around the city centre on Sundays as businesses are shut and the streets are virtually empty, and never walk around at night. If driving, be wary of car hijacking, especially at traffic lights in the suburbs. It’s a good idea to travel with the windows closed and the doors locked. Remember, almost all car-jackers are armed and will use their weapons when faced with resistance.