9 days in Nairobi - what to see?

[Sandrine1982]

Thinking of going to Nairobi for 8-9 days this autumn, with our 6 year old who's crazy about wildlife. As the time is limited we won't get a chance to go to the beach so will have to stay in and around Nairobi.

People who have done this, what would you recommend?

• any nice wildlife places, safaris?
• any amazing stays, e.g. jungle stays, treehouse stays, glamping, eco lodges (reasonably priced)
• any nice areas to stay in Nairobi (pool is a must)
• any cultural experiences

Thanks in advance!

@Sandrine1982If you want to see animals, option 1 - obviously. The second option is a beach resort area. Check transport and lodges for option 1. It’s a fairly standard route. Personally I’d do 4 nights Mara as it’s a long way and then 4 nights LN to make better use of your time.

Name changing for this one. I lived in Nairobi for nearly ten years and visit every year so can give advice, particularly on security. I never had an issue the whole time I was there but you have to have your wits about you.

Uber is generally safe to use but is a different experience from the UK. Uber drivers are paid very poorly so the cars are often shabby and sometimes they will ask you to cancel the trip if you're not paying in cash (as they need the money for petrol). I use Uber whenever I'm there but I switch on the pin setting and keep an eye on the map etc just to make sure we're going the right way.

Nairobi is not a walking city and as a tourist I wouldn't recommend walking anywhere. I do this occasionally but I know where is safe and I would never have my phone in my hand or in an obvious place.

The main thing is just to be very careful after dark. Never try and walk anywhere in the night time, even if it's just a short distance. There are also a couple of areas you shouldn't drive through after dark but it's highly unlikely you'll end up there if you're going to touristy places.

Happy to answer any questions you have.

This. I don’t understand why you want to spend so much time in Nairobi, OP. There is little of interest there compared to safari or beach. If you’re flying to Ukunda, I recommend Chale Island. But if it’s a choice between beach and safari, I would go for the safari, no question.

This. I don’t understand why you want to spend so much time in Nairobi, OP

I also agree with this. Compared to the rest of Kenya (the most incredible country in the world in my biased opinion!) Nairobi doesn't have much to offer tourists.

@GCAcademic An itinerary like that is quite a lot of travelling though. The coast is some distance from Nairobi and MM. I don’t think 11 nights is enough for a decent safari and beach. But I like safaris more! A beach is a beach. Could be anywhere.

I didn’t feel that safe in Nairobi at all and I’ve travelled quite a lot. I’d pick the area you stay in very carefully. I loved the coast though, much nicer and the safaris were incredible.

@HollidaySunshine I don’t think everywhere in Nairobi is safe and many people don’t wander around. They also don’t stay there very long. Fly in and fly/travel out. The roads are far from safe too. Getting a decent vehicle and driver is vital.

Has anyone done any safaris from the coastal areas? I think Tsavo is also a 3h drive one way sigh ...

Yes, I agree safari is much more special. But you can fly from the Mara to Ukunda in a couple of hours. It would take longer to drive to (e.g.) Tsavo from the coast, re. OP’s latest post.

Also, Masai Mara is in a different league to Tsavo.

We went to Tsavo in the 80s. It had huge poaching problems. It’s got two sections and both are vast. Tsavo East is arid, with animals adapted to that, and West has interesting areas like Mzima Springs. Essentially they are between Nairobi and Mombasa - split by the railway line. Many camps have water holes and they provide visitor interest. I’ve also been to Shimba Hills when there was no accommodation! Would I go there instead of Mara and Lake Naivasha? No. However I would not do self drive to MM either but driving out of a coast resort isn’t too bad.

@HollidaySunshine what safaris did you do from the coast, if you don't mind me asking?

@GCAcademic I can't find any direct flights from Mara to Ukunda/Mombasa? What did you mean?

Safarilink fly between Masai Mara and the coast. Note the baggage restrictions though.

Hmm, no direct flights with Safarilink as far as I can see :(

I've been on safari in pretty much every national park in Kenya so happy to share tips.

The Mara is quite possibly the best place in the world for safari however it is expensive for that reason. Check the prices, not just for accommodation but for entrance fees to the park. If you can afford it go for it. Tsavo will be cheaper and less busy but you're less likely to see the big 5. I've been lucky in Tsavo and seen a lion hunt but that's unusual, it's a lot harder to see the cats there. It's also a very different landscape, much more arid.

In the end safaris are all about luck but it's pretty hard to get unlucky in the Mara. The density of animals is huge and there are so many tourists that the drivers can coordinate amongst themselves to figure out where the best sightings are. If you want a cheaper and less touristy experience then Tsavo is a good option (especially since it's near the coast). But you could leave Kenya not having seen a lion at all, it's the risk you take.

Also wondering if you've been to the coast (Diani side), are there any interesting day safaris to do from there? E.g the Shimba Hills reserve and the Elephant sanctuary?

In response to this question, there's a big difference between a safari in a national park and going to a reserve / conservancy / sanctuary. In the conservancies the animals are basically semi-wild. They've most likely been brought to the area and the animal population is carefully monitored and managed. Some people like that as it's easier to see particular animals of interest but for me it's not really the same as a proper safari.

Loved Nairobi - social house is nice and not colonial in feel. We loved the National Park. If you’re there at the weekend, Karen has a great farmer’s market. Just outside, Brown’s farm is great if you’re into cheese (children may not be) and Kiambethu tea plantation has a lunch and tea plantation tour that’s thoughtful (and has animals)

When I was a teen we did Amboseli and Tsarvo from Mombasa by road. It was a long time ago but I remember the first day drive to Amboseli being really long. If you want beach then I would say that’s not a bad way to do it. I’d recommend safari first and beach after to rest and relax a bit after.

We stayed at Salt lick lodge which was amazing- herd of elephants pretty much in the lobby when we arrived!

We stayed at Voi in Tsavo East in the 80s and it’s still there! Close to a station. 4 hours drive from Nairobi and 2 from Mombasa. It’s not the Mara but I do remember enjoying the water hole. I agree Tsavo is not great for lions.

Shimba Hills was just natural wilderness when we went. Quite a few elephants though and even a rare sable antelope. We did a self drive there from the coast. However I would go to the Mara first over anywhere else.

Thank you all for these wonderful tips. Sadly I'm leaning towards Option 2 just for practical reasons. My DD, despite her love of animals, tends to have car sickness and it looks like the Mara would be so much more expensive (driving or flying, with the accommodation and safari fees etc). We'll come back to Kenya and do the Mara when she is older.

This time it's much cheaper to fly to Ukunda on the dates we want and there is a wonderful jungle Airbnb that we've absolutely fallen in love with and want to book.

So while in Nairobi we think we would just do the Nairobi national Park, Giraffe centre and Elephant sanctuary, and maybe a day trip to lake Naivasha / Hells Gate? Is Lake Naivasha / Nakuru doable in one day? or should we spend the night there?

We plan to book Airbnbs and in terms of transport I was wondering if I can just ask our hosts to organise the driver to take us to the next spot? or do people have other tips for transfers between places? I'm not keen on having some driver with us the whole time we're in Kenya, partly because we don't always know what we want to do and when - we tend to be quite spontaneous...

Thank you in advance...

Oh and I'm terrified of lions so I won't really mind NOT seeing them in their natural habitat :-D

We are much more fascinated by monkeys (supposed to be plentiful on the coast), giraffes, zebras, geckos, that sort of thing :-)

@Sandrine1982 Lions are often dozing. Few take an interest in people in the safety of vehicles. Even when we did a walking safari, they ran off.

Thank you @TizerorFizz that's reassuring :-)

https://www.flysafarilink.com/destinations/flights-to-dianibeach

I really think you should just book a safari trip instead of faffing using Ubers and airbnbs.

I did one in Kenya a few years ago and it was surprisingly affordable. Booked flights myself and then found a local operator for the safari.

Flew to Nairobi and stayed there 1 night or 2 nights, can't remember, and then went to Masi Mara and Lake Nakuru, think it was 5 or 6 nights. On our trip it was just me and my husband and a another couple who had a kid aged maybe 6/7.

The safari trip included all meals, game drives, accommodation. Felt very safe, even in Nairobi though I can't see why you would need to stay there as long as 4 nights.

We then booked cheap domestic flights and did 2 nights in a resort near Mombasa before returning to Nairobi overnight before our flight. The beach was the least incredible bit of the trip. Seeing the big cats and the elephants roaming about on safari was unbeatable.