Nairobi Activities

Daphne Sheldrick’s Elephant Sanctuary** - The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a small flexible charity established in the name of the founder Warden of Tsavo East National Park, pioneered the hand–rearing and complicated strategy of successfully rehabilitation of black rhino calves, into established wild rhino communities. They have been responsible for saving many orphaned rhino calves, and their hands on practical experience and inside knowledge of this species is unmatched.

His wife, Daphne Sheldrick, was the first person in the entire world, to successfully hand rear fully milk dependent African Elephant orphans. By 2008, the Trust had successfully raised over 82 infant African Elephant calves. Others are still in the gradual process of reintegration, and others yet are in early infancy at the Daphne Sheldrick Elephant & Rhino Nursery. The Sanctuary has a team of competent Elephant Keepers who take the place of the orphan’s lost elephant family, until such time as their transition to the wild herds has been accomplished – this can take up to 10 years, since elephants develop through age progression.

In addition to the rearing of orphaned rhinos & elephants, the Trust also contributes to part of the electrical fencing of the northern boundary of the Tsavo National Park, continues to pressure CITES to uphold the ivory ban through aggressive public campaigns, works to repatriate other animal species, runs desnaring operations and a Mobile Veterinary project, as well as establishing many boreholes & windmills and general conservation issues in Tsavo National Park.

The Giraffe Centre is located at Langata, approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the centre of Nairobi, Kenya. It was established in order to protect the endangered Rothschild giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi, that is found only in the grasslands of East Africa. The Giraffe Centre was started by Jock Leslie-Melville, the Kenyan grandson of a Scottish Earl, when he and his wife Betty captured a baby giraffe to start a programme of breeding giraffe in captivity at their home in Langata - home of the present centre. Since then the programme has had huge success, resulting in the introduction of several breeding pairs of Rothschild Giraffe into Kenyan national parks. In 1979, Leslie-Melville added an education centre to his (then still private) giraffe sanctuary. By 1983 he had raised enough money to establish the Giraffe Visitor's Centre as a tourist destination in Nairobi.

The house was once owned by the Danish author, Karen Blixen, who together with her Swedish husband, Baron Bror von Blixen, ran a farm at the foot of the Ngong Hills. The house, located 10 km from Nairobi city centre, was the centre piece of the farm and after Karen’s return to Denmark in 1931, it passed through many owners before being bought by the Danish government and presented to the Kenya government in 1964, as an independence gift. In 1985, the movie ‘Out of Africa’, an autobiographical movie about the life of Karen Blixen, was being filmed in Kenya, and the Museums of Kenya acquired the house and opened a Museum in 1986. The house gained international fame after the release of the movie, and opens the door to a different time period in the history of Kenya. It was restored to the period of Karen’s occupation of the house, and you will be able to see some of the original furniture that Karen used. You will also be able to see, the Ngong Hills, so beloved to Karen.There is a museum shop, selling handicrafts, posters, postcards, the ‘Out of Africa’ movie and other souvenirs

Located just south of the city, Nairobi National Park is Kenya’s first game reserve and the only protected area in the world that sits so close to a nation’s capital. Visitors to the vast wildlife park are likely to spot black rhinos, lions, giraffe, and zebra, as well as some 400 bird species.

Nairobi National Park ranks among Africa’s most accessible wildlife experiences, offering the chance to spot some of the continent’s most iconic species in as little as a half-day trip from downtown Nairobi. Explore on a safari tour, enjoy picnic sites and campsites, and hike an assortment of walking trails in this nature escape. Half-day and full-day tours allow visitors to drive through the park’s grass plains with the capital’s skyscrapers as a backdrop, spotting endangered animal species in their natural habitat. It’s also possible to visit on a more comprehensive Nairobi tour to also see nearby highlights such as the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, the Giraffe Center, the Karen Blixen Museum, and the Nairobi National Museum.

Nairobi National Park is home to four of the Big Five safari animals: lions, buffalo, leopards, and rhinos. In fact, the park contains the highest density of black rhinos anywhere in Kenya. What you won’t find here are elephants. While the park once had an African elephant population, the animals were relocated to reduce unnecessary contact between humans and wildlife.

The Kiambethu Tea Farm is located in Limuru, which is a pleasant 70 minute drive from the outskirts of the city. You will pass through various small towns, giving you a glimpse of Kenyan rural life, and when you enter the highlands area, you will begin to see the tea plantations.

You are welcomed by your host, the soft spoken Fiona, who takes you into her lovely home and over some tea and coffee, tells you about the history of the tea farming and also some fascinating details about early colonial life. Fiona is 3rd generation Kenyan and her family is one of the pioneers in tea farming, as well as the founder of the Limuru Girls School, across from the tea farm.

Begin your tour with pickup from your central Nairobi hotel in time for a 9.45am departure. Traveling in the comfort of a private vehicle, set out on the around 45-minute drive to Limuru, situated at 7,200 feet (2,195 meters) above sea level. On arrival at the Kiambethu Tea Farm, follow your guide on a walking tour of the plantation. Hear the history of the farm, which was set up by AB McDonell in 1910 and is still run by the same family, then learn more about the growing, picking, and processing of the tea leaves. As you explore the farm, keep a look out for exotic birds and Colobus monkeys. Back at the farmhouse, take a seat on the verandah, looking out over the tea fields and the distant Ngong Hills, and sample the freshly brewed tea for yourself. Finally, tuck into a delicious 3-course buffet lunch, all made with produce fresh from the farm.

The Carnivore Restaurant is situated 4 km from the Nairobi City Centre and is a meat speciality restaurant. Strikingly different from anything ever seen in Nairobi, the Carnivore does not follow the normal restaurant traditions of ordering food from a menu. Guests simply take a seat at the table and the feast begins. Whole joints of meat….legs of lamb and pork, ostrich, rumps of beef, sirloins, racks of lamb, spare ribs, sausages, chicken wings, skewered kidneys and even crocodile, that have been roasted over a huge, charcoal pit until cooked to perfection, are brought to your table by friendly waiters. This “beast of a feast” is preceeded by the soup of the day with home baked brown bread and butter. Accompanying side dishes include a wide selection of salads and vegetable, as well as exotic sauces made from the Carnivore’s own recipes.

The feast goes on until guests concede defeat by lowering the white paper flag on the table, and then dessert and coffee is served. The atmosphere of the restaurant is one of a medieval banqueting hall in a rural setting, and the name Carnivore is synonymous with the “dawa” – their signature vodka cocktail, brought to you by Mr Dawa himself (Dawa in Kiswahili means medicine or magic potion). The dawa is now one of the most widely consumed cocktails in Kenya. Adjoining the main restaurant is the informal restaurant, the Simba Saloon, where you can order a la carte meals, and which turns into a nightclub when the sun sets.