NAIROBI EXCURSIONS

Nairobi- “the place of cool waters”, risen from an uninhabited swampland that was used as a supply depot by railway construction workers into a vibrant modern city that never seems to sleep. For many years, this city has been known as the safari capital as well as transiting point for many travelers heading to other African destinations.
For travelers who do not have many days in Kenya, they will experience a Kenyan wildlife safari just within the city environs, excellent international restaurants, endless and colorful array of shops, markets, Museums and cultural experience…

WHAT TO DO IN NAIROBI

TEA-NNP-Nairobi National Park
This unique wildlife sanctuary is just few kilometers from the Nairobi’s bustling city center the Capital of Kenya. This is the only National park in Africa that is located near the city. But despite its proximity over 50 species of mammals can be found there including four out of the big give that is lion, leopard, rhino and buffalo. The fifth that is elephant is missing here because it can’t be accommodated in such a small National park. Variety of birds can be seen here as well.

TEA-BOK-Bomas of Kenya

A Boma is a homestead in Swahili, and just a few kilometers from Nairobi we have the Bomas of Kenya where the day-to-day lives of the 43 different ethnic groups in Kenya are being depicted, each tribe has its own way of living, culture and believes and all these are depicted through traditional dancing, music, song and folklore. These plus acrobatic shows are performed in a splendid arena.

TEA-KBNM-Karen Blixen Museum

It is located 15 kms from Nairobi in Karen Estate. Karen Blixen was born in 17/04/1885 in Rungs eland Denmark. She arrived in Kenya at age of 29 years in 1914 to marry her Swedish half cousin Baron Bror Blixen Finecke who had bought a farm in the area (Karen) on arrival in Mombasa.

They spent a few years in Mbangathi Estate where they started growing coffee on 600 out of 4,500 acres. Karen Blixen’s uncle Westenholz and members of both families as shareholders financed the coffee company. In 1917 she moved to “Mbogani” Karen House that was bought from a Swedish farmer who built the house in 1912.

From the living room, there is a magnificent view of the Ngong Hills, which looks like ‘knucles’where she buried his Lover Denish Halton who died in a plane crash in Voi.The bedroom contain bed, a lantern at the side of her bed, dressing table, another table and a pair of riding shoes where she used to ride to the hills to write about the animals she saw.

She lived there until her return in 1931 and house was bought by Danish Government in 1959 and later presented to Kenyan government at attainment of independence and the farm house was open to the public in 1986.

TEA-GC-Giraffe Centre

This is located in Nairobi’s Lang’ata suburb; it’s the creation of a Kenya Organization, the African Fund for Endangered wildlife (A.F.E.W Kenya) which was formed by Betty Jock, who discovered the sad plight of the Rothschild giraffe. There were only 120 left on an 18,000 acre ranch in western Kenya that was scheduled for sub-division and resettlement. Their first effort to save this sub-specie was to bring two young giraffes to their property in Langata.

The purpose of the Giraffe center is to educate Kenyan school children about their country’s wildlife and environment, and to give visitors both local and international an opportunity to come into close contact with a wild animal by feeding the world’s tallest species, the giraffe from a specially constructed viewing platform.

TEA-SAO-The Sheldrick Animal Orphanage The Shedrick Animal Orphanage situated on the edge of Nairobi National park is currently a home to several baby elephants and rhino. This is the first to successfully hand rear new-born elephant orphans and return them to the Wild elephant community when grown. Daphne Shedrick has been rearing and rehabilitating orphans of misfortune for most of her life and in her time has reared and successfully returned to the wild most African wild species.

The Sheldrick Animal orphanage is open to visitors daily for one hour when the orphans have their daily mud bath. Visiting times are strictly between 11am and midday.

TEA-NCT-Nairobi City Tour

The tour covers the modern city centre, the National museum and the adjacent snake park, parliament buildings, the railway museum where old steam locomotives are exhibited including the one from which superintendent John Lyall was taken from by a man eating lion in Tsavo in 1901 during the construction of Kenya Railways. You will also visit the City market where a wide variety of African curios and tropical fruit and flowers are on sale, ending with a visit to the Nairobi hill to have a good view of the city below.

TEA-CE-Carnivore Experience
Nairobi has many restaurants offering a wide variety of cuisine but we recommend a dinner or lunch at the Carnivore restaurant, which is famous for its succulent steaks and barbecue dishes. The restaurant also offers a vegetarian menu; the meal is an excellent complement to a holiday especially as a welcome or farewell dinner.

TEA-LNE-Lake Nakuru Express

Lake Nakuru lies in the volcano strewn Rift Valley. One of the chains of 8 lakes, which stretch the length of Kenya from Tanzania to Ethiopia. The 160kms drive from Nairobi passes through highland farms of the Kikuyu people before descending an escarpment of the dramatic landscape of the Rift valley.
On arrival, proceed for game viewing session in this park that is well known for its million of flamingoes and other water birds like pink backed pelicans, marabou stocks, egrets, Arrow – marked babbler, red headed weaver and other water birds that breed in the lake’s alkaline waters. A visit to baboon cliff offers a scenic panorama of the lake below, surrounded by a vast tract of euphorbia and acacia forest that gives a good chance of viewing plantain birds. Other game seen here includes; Cape buffalo, white rhino, Rothschild giraffe and other different varieties of antelopes.

You will have a lunch break then continue with your final game drive and then drive back to Nairobi.

TEA-AE-Amboseli Express
Amboseli National park Lies within the shadow of the mighty Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain whose peak may be seen from the park in clear weather. Only nature and all her majesty could create such a back –drop to the wildlife pageant found at Amboseli.Game is seen enroute to the park which crosses plains where the Masai tribesmen tend their cattle in an age-old tradition. Lunch is taken at the Lodge within the park, followed by another game drive where lion, cheetah can be seen including elephant and hippo that are found bathing in the swamp-grounds which get their waters from Mt. Kilimanjaro. Return to Nairobi in the evening.

TEA-LN-Lake Naivasha      

It is 84km north of Nairobi. This lake was famous in 1930’s as a staging post for imperial Airways flying boat services from Durban to London and its an ideal water resort for leisurely bird watching, 340 species of birds are recorded here and a large number of hippos. Fishing of tilapia and black boss, hiking and game watching at Hells gate and Crescent Island private game sanctuary gives visitors a chance to walk among small herds of plains game including water buck, dik dik and Thompson gazelle. These are one of the few places in all Africa where you can wander on foot among herds of zebra, wildebeest, gazelle and giraffe because of the absence of predators.