Preliminary information: I shared the Nairobi Travel Notes article in 2016, that is, it is one of the first articles of the blog.. In 2019, I updated it with very minor changes.
If you intend to go on safari in Kenya, your first stop unconditionally will be the capital city Nairobi.. Now, THY has direct flights from Istanbul, but the flight times are so strange that you have at least 4-5 hours to spend in the city center.. Of course, it is an option to extend the time to a day or two and include places to visit in Nairobi.. But I wanted to share the details of the day trip to Nairobi as “Nairobi Travel Notes” for those who, like us, prefer to devote their entire holiday to safari and do not want to spend the time in Nairobi in a hotel room.. It is not a detailed “Nairobi travel guide” or “Nairobi sightseeing” article like other travel articles on the blog, but it may give some ideas to those who will go.
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Nairobi Travel Notes
Our flight departed from Istanbul at 18.20 and landed in Nairobi at 01:20 local time.. The non-stop flight took about 6 hours.
Because Kenya required a visa, we got our visa for $50 at the door. Our first uneasiness after stepping into the country was when we saw our bags because their mouths were wide open; drugs were taken from one of them. Fortunately, we had no more significant loss.. Unfortunately, this is one of the disadvantages of traveling with a backpack, not being able to lock the bag properly.
As dollars are not accepted in the city center, we took a taxi to our hotel after getting Kenyan shillings at the airport.. We supposedly chose the hotel, especially in the city center, in a safe place, but frankly, I was pretty scared in the car until we left.. It’s like the whole city is made up of homeless people, fires are burning in the streets every step of the way!
Our Hotel in Nairobi
When we arrived at the hotel, I experienced another first in my life because I did not realize that we had arrived at the hotel.. It has neither a sign nor an attractive façade! Just like a prison entrance, 2 big iron gates standing in a row just. Just a little (!) security precaution.. How things are happening now… The giant door outside opened, we got in by car, the door closed behind us.. Then the second door opened.
Anyway… Our hotel, Kahama Hotel, click here to review and book» The first impression is good enough: a comfortable bed, mosquito net to protect from mosquitoes, a clean toilet. What more! We don’t expect much as we pay $40 per person for that time anyway.
You have to get yellow fever vaccination before traveling to Kenya.. You also need to take precautions against malaria with medication or strong fly repellants while traveling.. For detailed information, Where are Travel Vaccines Made?» You can find it in the article.
I experienced the first culture shock with the breakfast that appeared in the morning of a night where I could not sleep due to excitement and stress.. Of course, I don’t expect the 48-course breakfast we have, but at least “Some cheese, some bread.” I thought it would. Finding boiled goat kidney instead made me a little sad and worried for the days ahead.
Meet Nairobi Moroccan
Safe at the hotel We took all the money we would use for our 2-week trip with us, and thus the Nairobi trip began.
We thought we were in a city in Europe, of course.. “We wander the streets, and when we get tired, we sit and drink coffee.” we said. It was enough for us to wander around the city center for 1 hour to give up this idea.. The surroundings seemed so strange that a street we were walking on, when it was crowded, could suddenly become extremely deserted.. We were the only white people we saw around. So everyone on the road BUT EVERYONE was looking at us. Maybe there is a different environment now or we have been in very bad places, I don’t know, but I was very nervous because of my inexperience that I have not spent any time in Africa yet.. If I go again now, maybe I will walk around with much different feelings.
I don’t want to scare you, but Nairobi is a city with a very high crime rate.. You can find the measures you can take in this regard in the 15 Precautions to Be Taken for Safe Travel in the article.. As I said, homeless people are everywhere.. Finally, when one of them came after us, we decided that the safest place would be an indoor space, and we flew to the National Museum of Nairobi and spent the night there.. (As we were afraid, we had to return to the hotel by taxi after the museum exit.)
Nairobi National Museum
Let’s get to the details of Nairobi National Museum…
To be frank, I didn’t expect it to be a place where we could spend 5 hours, nor did I think I would enjoy it.. Especially since I came on safari, what should I do with the animals in the museum when there are animals outside?
But it wasn’t what I expected at all.. There were 19 sections with different concepts in the main building and the most striking part for me, which I did not expect, was the section with the stuffed animals.. Seeing the exact fill sculptures of hundreds of animals in Africa was very useful before the safari.
Apart from that, installations telling the history of Africa and Kenya, archaeological remains, detailed information about African tribes from past to present, the clothes & materials they used, have a place in African history. biographies of people… So we were able to see everything about Kenya in the first part of the museum.. If you are planning a trip to Nairobi, I recommend you to include this place.
Snake Park
The second part is the “Snake Park” part, that is, an area where snakes are found.. The scene I had in mind before I entered was that we would see rows of snakes placed inside the glass.. There are of course; They keep species that are poisonous and potentially dangerous to humans, such as Anacondas, in a confined space.. The remaining snakes roam in the open air where they can’t go out.. But the main purpose of the park here is not to make money by displaying animals, but to educate the locals.. There are many types of venomous snakes in Africa and accordingly the cases of being bitten are very high.. In order to reduce them, here are the ring snake species, their venom, what type to do, etc.. information is given. Besides snakes, it is possible to see turtles and crocodiles here.
Botanical Garden
And finally, there is a Botanical Garden at the back of the museum.. A place where you can sit for hours and relieve all the tiredness of the day.. The only thing I think about, without leaving a trace of my anxiety outside, is the bird flying above me, an eagle or a hawk?
Another beauty is the “Peace Path” opened in 2013.. We can translate it as “Road of Peace” or “Road of Peace” because there are references to both.. Dedicated to the end of the wars in Africa, it was aimed that people find peace by being influenced by the fiction in the environment when they came here.. According to him, a tunnel surrounded by greenery was created and figures carved from rock were placed around it.. These figures are said to represent meditation and healing rites of ancient tribes.
If you want to come, the combined entrance fee to all these areas is 1800 Kenyan Shilling ($17), open daily between 08.30-17.30. If you want to drink a beer to relieve the tiredness of the day, or even “Have a local beer Tusker if possible.” If you say, there is a nice bar in the Sentrim Boulovard Hotel right next to it, internet is available.. You can have a pleasant time here, too.
I would like to make a suggestion for lunch, but I can’t say anything because huge moldy bread was served in the hamburger order we gave in the only cafe in the museum.. It takes some time to get used to African standards, we haven’t seen a delightful capital city other than Cape Town, but after getting used to it, its natural beauties are addictive.
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