Nairobi - Revision history

151.230.234.96: /* By plane */

2013-06-10T19:44:50Z

‎By plane

196.200.24.229: updated listing Nairobi National Museum

2013-06-02T15:27:37Z

updated listing Nairobi National Museum

196.200.24.229: /* Mid-range */

2013-06-02T15:24:49Z

‎Mid-range

88.105.144.159: /* Buy */

2013-05-27T13:28:09Z

‎Buy

Melanie1127: /* See */

2013-05-17T18:20:29Z

‎See

Jal62: /* See */

2013-05-16T19:24:33Z

‎See

Jal62: /* Mid-range */

2013-05-16T19:20:33Z

‎Mid-range

Jal62: /* Buy */

2013-05-16T19:18:47Z

‎Buy

Jal62: /* See */

2013-05-16T19:16:08Z

‎See

41.41.46.102: /* See */

2013-03-19T05:40:10Z

‎See

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 ===By plane===
-Regular flights to Nairobi are operated by Air France,Air Kenya, British Airways, Egypt Air, Etihad Airways, Fly Emirates, Kenya Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Swiss International Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic. Kenya Airways is the national airline and travels throughout Europe, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region. Nairobi’s main airport is '''JKIA Jomo Kenyatta International Airport''' ({{IATA|NBO}}), 15 kilometers (9 mi) southeast from the center of the city.
+Regular flights to Nairobi are operated by Air France,Air Kenya, British Airways, Egypt Air, Etihad Airways, Fly Emirates, Kenya Airways, KLM, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Swiss International Airlines and Turkish Airlines. Kenya Airways is the national airline and travels throughout Europe, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region. Nairobi’s main airport is '''JKIA Jomo Kenyatta International Airport''' ({{IATA|NBO}}),  () southeast from the center of the city.
-If taking a taxi from JKIA, use a reputable taxi; many are waiting outside to give you conveyance, and the cost should be very near 1,500KSh to the city center; Westlands or such places more west or north will be more. When taking a taxi to your accommodation, avoid being talked into taking their recommendation for accommodation, although this is very at your own risk. There is also Wilson Airport, 11 km (7 mi) south from the city's center, for domestic flights. Lighter, Cessna-type aircrafts can be seen there. The military/government airport is in Eastleigh district (pron: "East-Lee"), a very large residential area of housing in the east/north-east of Nairobi, but the government airport is fenced around and does not handle civilian traffic. From the center, you can take Bus #34 for 50KSH, to the international airport, from the front of the Ambassador Hotel.
+If taking a taxi from JKIA, use a reputable taxi; many are waiting outside to give you conveyance, and the cost should be very near 1,500KSh to the city center; Westlands or such places more west or north will be more. When taking a taxi to your accommodation, avoid being talked into taking their recommendation for accommodation, although this is very at your own risk. There is also Wilson Airport,  () south from the city's center, for domestic flights. Lighter, Cessna-type aircrafts can be seen there. The military/government airport is in Eastleigh district (pron: "East-Lee"), a very large residential area of housing in the east/north-east of Nairobi, but the government airport is fenced around and does not handle civilian traffic. From the center, you can take Bus #34 for 50KSH, to the international airport, from the front of the Ambassador Hotel.
 ===By train===

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 *'''Tana River''', is an hour's drive from the city. White water rafting throughout cataracts, which leads to the 14 falls can be done here. The rafting trip also includes a full BBQ lunch.
-* <see name="Nairobi National Museum" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="" email="" fax="" url="http://www.museums.or.ke/" hours="8:30AM-5:30PM" price="">Where visitors can learn about Nairobi, its history and culture. The museum celebrated 100 years in 2010.</see>
+* <see name="Nairobi National Museum" alt="" address="" directions="" phone="" url="http://www.museums.or.ke/" hours="8:30AM-5:30PM" price="" lat="" long="" email="" fax="">Where visitors can learn about Kenya, its history and culture. The museum celebrated 100 years in 2010. A live snake compound is adjacent but not for the timid.</see>
 *'''National Railway Museum''', visitors can learn more about the history of Kenya’s railroads and the Kenya/Uganda railway. It also houses, some of the engines and rolling stock from the country’s colonial period.

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 * '''InterContinental Hotel'''.  Located only 5 minutes from the city center and 15 min from the airport with views of the city.
-* '''Nairobi Hilton'''.  Part of the Hilton family of hotels and located near the city center.
+* '''Nairobi Hilton'''.  Part of the Hilton family of hotels and located near the city center.  Several different restaurants, open air pool but some rooms need refurbishment
 * '''Nairobi Safari Club'''.  Kenya's only all-suite hotel.

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 ==Buy==
-There are quite a number of networked banking machines in major shopping areas of Nairobi as well as the arrivals area of the airport. A Barlays ATM can be found near Gate 9 within the security area, easily accessible when arriving, and another one on the left side immediately after leaving the security area. Most transactions are cash only, so it is best to have enough cash on hand to pay for purchases and transport. Major banks such as Barclays, Kenya Commercial Bank, and Standard Bank give better exchange rates than any of the FOREX bureaus. Independent machines such as Pesa-point have lower cash limits and may have a higher fee. For example, in 2007, Barclays did not charge any additional fee for a cash withdrawal but gave a lower exchange rate than Kenya Commercial Bank. KCB charges a CDN$5 fee for a withdrawal with a maximum of 40,000/= per day.
+There are quite a number of networked banking machines in major shopping areas of Nairobi as well as the arrivals area of the airport. A Barclays ATM can be found near Gate 9 within the security area, easily accessible when arriving, and another one on the left side immediately after leaving the security area. Most transactions are cash only, so it is best to have enough cash on hand to pay for purchases and transport. Major banks such as Barclays, Kenya Commercial Bank, and Standard Bank give better exchange rates than any of the FOREX bureaus. Independent machines such as Pesa-point have lower cash limits and may have a higher fee. For example, in 2007, Barclays did not charge any additional fee for a cash withdrawal but gave a lower exchange rate than Kenya Commercial Bank. KCB charges a CDN$5 fee for a withdrawal with a maximum of 40,000/= per day.
 Cash is dispensed in units of 1000/=. Note: Many smaller businesses do not have much change, so be sure to have a good selection of smaller notes before going shopping for curios.

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 *'''Nairobi National Park''', just outside Nairobi. This is home to large herds of Zebra, Wildebeest, Buffalo, Giraffe, Lion, Cheetah, Hippo, Rhino and even birdlife (over 400 species). Here you can also go on the Nairobi Safari Walk, an educational centre to make people aware of wildlife and habitat conservation. Also in the park is the Nairobi Animal Orphanage.
-*'''Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage''', close to the Nairobi National Park. This Orphanage takes in elephant calves and rhinos from all over Kenya which were orphaned by poaching.  Showing is only once per day at 10am and gives you a great opportunity to interact directly with baby elephants.
+*'''Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage''', close to the Nairobi National Park. This Orphanage takes in elephant calves and rhinos from all over Kenya which were orphaned by poaching.  Showing is only once per day from 11am-12pm (admission 500Ksh) and gives you a great opportunity to interact directly with baby elephants.
 *'''Giraffe Centre''', in Lang'ata right outside of Nairobi. The Centre breeds the endangered Rothschild Giraffe and has conservation/education programmes for Kenyan children. It also has many warthogs.  Here you can feed giraffes by hand and even get a kiss (their tongues can get up to 20" long and are antiseptic).

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:24, 16 May 2013
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	*'''Giraffe Centre''', in Lang'ata right outside of Nairobi. The Centre breeds the endangered Rothschild Giraffe and has conservation/education programmes for Kenyan children. It also has many warthogs. Here you can feed giraffes by hand and even get a kiss (their tongues can get up to 20" long and are antiseptic).		*'''Giraffe Centre''', in Lang'ata right outside of Nairobi. The Centre breeds the endangered Rothschild Giraffe and has conservation/education programmes for Kenyan children. It also has many warthogs. Here you can feed giraffes by hand and even get a kiss (their tongues can get up to 20" long and are antiseptic).
		+
		+	*'''Mamba Village'''. Typically the 3rd stop for most tourists after the Elephant Orphanage and Giraffe Center, this pleasant park is home to ostriches and crocodiles. Surprisingly quite interesting as you get the chance to interact directly with crocodiles and even hold a baby, with very knowledgable employees serving as guides.
		+
		+	*'''Lake Naivasha'''. About 1.5hrs outside of central Nairobi, this area is a haven away from the chaos of the city where many 3rd and 4th generation British colonialists continue to reside. Crescent Island [http://www.africanspicesafaris.com/crescent_island_lake_naivasha_kenya.html] is a particularly nice place to visit, even if you have already done a safari. Unique because it gives you the opportunity to walk around the grounds literally alongside giraffes, zebras, wildebeest, impalas, etc.

	*'''Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park''', 65 km from Nairobi, is centred around a 2,146-m (7,141 ft) mountain. This is a mountain forest and plain land, with a large population of Buffalo. It also serves as a refuge for Colobus monkeys, bushbuck, duiker, leopard, and a large variety of bird species.		*'''Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park''', 65 km from Nairobi, is centred around a 2,146-m (7,141 ft) mountain. This is a mountain forest and plain land, with a large population of Buffalo. It also serves as a refuge for Colobus monkeys, bushbuck, duiker, leopard, and a large variety of bird species.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:20, 16 May 2013
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	Nairobi has a fantastic array of mid-range eateries.		Nairobi has a fantastic array of mid-range eateries.
		+
		+	'''Open House''' [http://openhousenairobi.com/] is an excellent Indian restaurant nearby Westlands area of Nairobi. With such a high predominance of Indians in the country, this is one of the best places to get authentic cuisine in an upscale environment at a reasonable price. Do not miss the ginger chicken wings - very unique!

	'''Mesob''' is an authentic Ethiopian restaurant located at the '''China Centre''' on Ngong Road near the Chinese embassy. Meals cost around Ksh 500 and the food is excellent.		'''Mesob''' is an authentic Ethiopian restaurant located at the '''China Centre''' on Ngong Road near the Chinese embassy. Meals cost around Ksh 500 and the food is excellent.

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 The Sarit Centre will be recognizable to any Western traveller as a shopping mall, with an Uchumi supermarket inside. Clothing, shipping, and Internet are all available here. In addition, there is a small movie theater. Other malls in Nairobi include '''Yaya Centre''' near Hurlingham and '''The Mall''' in Westlands.
-Nakumatt Westgate is a just finished competitor to Sarit Centre. It is a large building with many spaces for stores to move in to (they have yet to move in at the time of this writing, however the building is still unfinished). Currently, the primary occupant is the Nakumatt itself, which has modeled itself to emulate a Super Wal-Mart type experience.
+Nakumatt Westgate is a just finished competitor to Sarit Centre. It is a large building with many spaces for stores to move in to (they have yet to move in at the time of this writing, however the building is still unfinished). Currently, the primary occupant is the Nakumatt itself, which has modeled itself to emulate a Super Wal-Mart type experience.  Any taxi driver will know these two shopping centers by name, so getting there is not a problem.
-−
 Any taxi driver will know these two shopping centers by name, so getting there is not a problem.
 An additional smaller supermarket, catering more to expatriates, is in ABC Plaza, along Waiyaki Way. Chandarana supermarket carries a wide variety of imported goods, Zucchini greengrocer is a highly dependable spot for clean and varied veggies, and Gilani's is a well stocked western style butchery.
-For local curios and souvenirs, the most easily accessible and tourist-friendly is the Maasai Market, held on Fridays at the Village Market, an upscale, open concept shopping center near the United Nations and American Embassy complexes. [[Haggle|Bargaining]] is necessary, and one should probably not spend more than 1000KSh on one item, except in extraordinary circumstances.
+For local curios and souvenirs, the most easily accessible and tourist-friendly is the Maasai Market, held on Fridays at the Village Market, an upscale, open concept shopping center near the United Nations and American Embassy complexes. [[Haggle|Bargaining]] is necessary, and one should probably not spend more than 1000KSh on one item, except in extraordinary circumstances.  The Masai Market is also held on Thursdays at the parking lot of the Junction Shopping Center and Tuesdays at the parking lot of the Westgate shopping center.  Bargain hard, and do not let that deter you from speaking with many of the friendly shopkeepers who are apt to offer gifts with no other incentives.
 For slightly better prices, visit the Tuesday market in town, just down from the Norfolk hotel. This market is less secure, but is larger and offers more variety and opportunity for bargaining.

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 ==See==
 Nairobi is known as the safari capital of Africa, however the city has still managed to keep up with modernization. Unlike other cities, Nairobi is surrounded by 113 km² (70 mi²) of plains, cliffs and forest that makes up the city’s Nairobi National Park. The city is filled with many things to do during the day and the night. Tourists can have their pick from numerous safaris (wildlife, cultural, sport, adventure, scenic and specialist), ecotourism tours, restaurants, culture, shopping and entertainment. While in Nairobi, tourists can also engage in numerous sports from golf, rugby, athletics, polo, horse-racing, cricket and football (soccer).
-[[Image:Martyna Zambrzycka Millspaugh (13).JPG|250px|thumb| The Maasai (Masai) prepare cow for traditional ceremony ]]
 *'''Nairobi National Park''', just outside Nairobi. This is home to large herds of Zebra, Wildebeest, Buffalo, Giraffe, Lion, Cheetah, Hippo, Rhino and even birdlife (over 400 species). Here you can also go on the Nairobi Safari Walk, an educational centre to make people aware of wildlife and habitat conservation. Also in the park is the Nairobi Animal Orphanage.