Travel to Nairobi with the travel experts at Ker & Downey. Nairobi derives its name from the Maasai phrase “Enkare Nyirobi,” which translates to “the place of cool waters.” Situated on the Nairobi River, Nairobi certainly lives up to its name, with over three million citizens flocking to the cool waters of the Nairobi and Tana rivers intersecting within Kenya’s capital city. Nairobi is not only the largest and fastest growing city in Kenya, but one of the biggest in Africa. It is a melting pot of people and attractions and a central hub for a wealth of African economic activity, big business, and political significance. Even the United Nations office in Africa is located in Nairobi alongside its United Nations Environment Program.

Unlike other cities, Nairobi is surrounded by 70 square miles of plains, cliffs, and forests that make up the impressive Nairobi National Park. The only National Park in the world located at the edge of a major metropolitan city, Nairobi National Park is a uniquely untouched wilderness on the doorstep of one of Africa’s most cosmopolitan cities, home to large herds of buffalo, giraffe, lion, leopard, baboon, zebra, wildebeest, rhino, and cheetah. Game drives in Nairobi National Park are rare and unusual, with Nairobi’s towering skyscrapers serving as the backdrop alongside the savannah grass. Another unforgettable excursion close to Nairobi National Park is the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, an organization dedicated to hand-rearing orphaned elephant calves and rhinos for reintroduction into the wild.

When you travel to Nairobi, you may also benefit from a visit to the Out of Africa memorialized Karen Blixen Museum and the Giraffe Center, where the endangered Rothschild giraffe now thrives under special care. The center is lauded worldwide for its conservation and education programs for Kenyan school children and offers guests an elevated feeding platform where they can meet the giraffes face to face for a kiss.

Nairobi travel is the gateway to some of Ker & Downey’s most memorable luxury Kenya safaris and an essential on any East African adventure. Contact Ker & Downey to include this incredible city on your next luxury Kenya safari.