Nairobi, Kenya's capital is well-planned modern city of
over three million inhabitants. It is justly described as a
garden city as its broad avenues are lined with flowering
plants and shrubs. Situated at an altitude of 5,550 feet, it
enjoys hot sunny days and cool evening. Places of interest
to the visitors includes; the Municipal City Market, the
Ornate Jamia Mosque and the National Museum with its
adjacent snake park and aviary.
There are several art galleries exhibiting work by local
artists, displays of tribal dancing, two theatre, a variety
of food restaurants and a wealth of fascinating curio shops.
NOTE: This tour can be combined with any of the above day
excursions.
ARK 02.Nairobi African Butterfly Centre Excursion - 3 hours
Butterfly Center in Kenya is the second world largest
butterfly center after the main British Museum of Natural
History in London. The butterfly center offers visitors a
special informative and impressive excitement on butterflies
rearing and their beauty with an added attraction offered to
Eco-tourists.
The main aim of the center is to create awareness of
conservation of African butterflies and butterfly experts
from all over the world will be able to do their research in
the library there. Steve Collins, the founder named one
butterfly in honour of Leaky, who once headed the Kenya
Wildlife Services, as a sign of his service to conservation
in Africa.
NOTE: This tour can be combined with any of the above day excursions.
ARK 03. Bomas of Kenya.
Bomas of Kenya is located 12Kms from Nairobi city center.
Boma is a Kiswahili word for homesteads or fort. The place
is a done with many homesteads depicting Kenyan's cocktail
of tribal cultures. This is a cultural tour that introduces
you to the traditional village life of Kenya's major tribes.
The highlight of the visit is afternoon performances of
traditional dances and professional acrobats inside the
center's magnificent arena.
NOTE: This tour can be combined with any of the above day excursions.
ARK 04. Masai Cultural Tour (4 HRS).
For those whose interest is to is to explore the Masaai
culture without driving many Kilometers out of Nairobi,
Masaai footsteps is only 40 minutes drive from the city.
Visit the pastoralists in their natural environment leading
to life influenced by the world of mechanization. Masaai
people share a common environment with wildlife and nature.
Their traditional belief in conservation prohibits the
indiscriminate killing of wildlife, thus a protection of the
natural eco-system.
Leaving Nairobi, you travel into Ngong hills passing through
Ngong Township. Arrival at a view point overlooking the
Great Rift Valley where our guide gives you a brief
introduction insight into the Masaai culture.
Descend into the picturesque and scenic countryside. At a
prepared site, you are met and taken to the home. There is a
unique Masaai wedding ceremony, fire making, traditional
dancing, and other Masaai customs are enacted for you. A
leisurely walk takes you to a local Masaai Enkang for an
inspection, enabling you to interact with the residents.
Return to your hotel before sunset.
NOTE: This tour can be combined with any of the above day excursions.
ARK 05. Karen Blixen and Giraffe Centre (Manor).
Karen Blixen was the author of the famous movie `Out of
Africa'. After she died, the Government bought her house
where she had lived for many years and turned it into a
museum. Most travellers from Scandinavian countries find it
imperative to pay a visit to this place. Karen herself was a
Danish. After getting a thorough literature of her
autobiography, you can then have a walk in the farm compound
to view some of the farming activities she used to do. You
later proceed to the Giraffe Manor to see and feed these
rare species (Rothschild).
Opened in 1984 after the death of Jock and his wife Betty
who founded A FEW which are duly credited with saving the
endangered Rothschild giraffe from extinction . To activate
this they captured a baby This tour departs anytime from
0830 hrs. And is scheduled for 3-4 hours.
NOTE: This tour can be combined with any of the above day excursions
ARK 06. The Carnivore Experience/ Luncheon or Dinner.
The Carnivore restaurant is located 6kilometres from
Nairobi City Centre. Among the many top class restaurants in
the City, the Carnivore stands in a class of its own. It is
famous for its succulent steaks, barbecued normal beef, pork
and chicken but Game meat like Giraffe, Gnu, Zebra,
Crocodile, Hartebeest and Ostrich are served in a festive
atmosphere. The tender hearted are also adequately catered
for; here it is unlimited supply of savory beef, fish and
chicken. The restaurant guarantees to satisfy the most
demanding of appetites. After the meal, you may choose to
move to the Simba Salon and shake down the meat or dance the
night out. We strongly recomend this as an excellent
compliment to a holiday in Kenya, especially as a welcome or
farewell.
NOTE:
The Carnivore Restaurant was voted to be among the top 50
best places to eat in the World by a London based “
Restaurant Magazine”
Timings:
Lunch starts at 1pm while dinner is served from 7pm. We
allow adequate time for our clients to sample all the
excellent cuisine on offer. The tour runs for about 2 hrs.
This is something you will be talking about it for a long
time to come!!
Important: This arrangement can be combined with any of
our many excursions.
ARK 07. Nairobi National Park.
The Nairobi National Park is 9 km south East of Nairobi city
center. The small park (28,000acres, and 117 sq kms )
contains all the major animals except the elephant.
The sight of wildlife grazing majestically against the
backdrop of the city skyline is a pleasant experience.
Close to the entry point of the Park is the Nairobi animal
Orphanage, founded in1963 to provide a home for injured and
orphaned young animal. Here the animals are nursed to good
health and then released to the wild. Altitude:
1,533-1,760m. Bird Life: There are some 500 species.
Vegetation: Dry transitional savannah on the plain with
gallery forests in the valley.
NOTE: This tour can be combined with any of the above day
excursions.
ARK 08. David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage
Watch tiny orphans at their bath and being fed with milk and
learn how each one has to be loved and brought up. This is
where you come close to elephant calves! Daphne Sheldrick as
part of the David Sheldrick Conservation Foundation
rehabilitates baby elephants and other wildlife here at her
home just outside of Nairobi National Park. These babies
have lost their mothers to poaching, death, injuries, on
getting lost in the wild or other tragedies. Daphne and her
dedicated staff raise them to be released back into the wild
when they are ready.
It’s worth visiting and see humanitarian care to the
wildlife and the heart it takes to care. They charge an
entrance fees and you can also buy a souvenir or donate for
the conservation.
NOTE: This tour can be combined with any of the above day
excursions.
ARK 09.Nairobi Shopping.
If you'd like to take home more than just memories of your
trip to Kenya, you'll find a wide range of local products
that make ideal souvenirs or gifts.
Kenyan products are as diverse and unique as the country
itself. There are traditional artefacts, fantastic jewellrey,
beautiful carvings, the world's best coffee, precious
stones, furniture, beautiful cloth, excellent local music,
wonderful modern art and so much more to be found.
Excellent, well stocked gift shops can be found in may
hotels, lodges and camps throughout the country. But often
real finds can be found a little further off the beaten
track.
For the dedicated bargain hunter, Kenya's markets are the
place to be. Markets selling all kinds of local arts and
crafts can be found all over the country. In Nairobi, there
are large open air markets held each week.
Bargaining is the expected norm in Markets and even in some
shops throughout Kenya. The art of bargaining has deep roots
in Kenyan culture, and is regarded as an essential business
skill. Visitors to Kenya should never be afraid to bargain,
it is expected and rarely considered offensive. Opening
prices are always an exaggerated gambit, and considered the
first step in a long process of bargaining. The real price
is usually somewhere in the lower vicinity of half the
initial price. How close you come to the real price is up to
you. Bargaining can be a long and convoluted process,
involving protracted negotiations. Some westerners can find
this frustrating, but it is an essential and usually
amicable custom.
If you are in a hurry and need to move on, it is the usual
practice to finalize proceedings by declaring your 'absolute
final price' (the Bei ya Mwisho) and asking for theirs. If
you can both agree a figure between the two then the deal is
done. The basic rule of bargaining is this: Bargain hard but
don't be unreasonable.
Don't forget that some work, especially good quality
carvings and beaded jewellrey, takes a long time to make and
involves a lot of hard work. Prices need to be fair from
both sides.
Some tourists barter goods like old t-shirts, pens and other
items for local handicrafts. This practice can be culturally
questionable, and it is usually much preferred to use money.
Giving sweets and candy for children should definitely be
avoided.
Colpro on Kimathi Street has one of the best selections of
safari clothing and has a wide choice of bush jackets, hats,
etc. Eltons on Standard Street has a fine collection of cut
and uncut East African gemstones, including Tanzanite.
African Heritage on Kenyatta Avenue and Airport Road has an
outstanding selection of original African arts, mask,
Jewelry and gift items. Rowland ward's cut glass featuring
Africa's wildlife makes a unique gift of momento. Other good
shopping are the shops in the Hilton Hotel arcade, the
cottage crafts in the Phenix Arcade selling Kenyans
Handicrafts and organized by the National Christian Council
of Kenya, and Maendeleo ya wanawake shop, opposite the 680
hotel, selling work made by local women in their homes.
Street provides a glorious displays of the countries fruit,
vegetables and flowers. Curios and Souvenirs are also to be
found in and around the market, where bargaining is the
order of the day.
There are a number of art galleries including gallery watatu
on the Standard Street, and the East African wildlife
society Art Gallery in the Hilton Hotel is the Kumbu Kumbu
Gallery specialized in Africa art.
Important: This arrangement can be combined with any of our many excursions.