A photojournalist takes pictures of a herd of buffaloes at the Nairobi National Park. [David Gichuru, Standard]

Christmas festivities are at an all-time high across the country.

For those with time to spare, days can get long and nights even longer without the right company and chores to keep you busy.

But, don’t fret. There are several places you can explore with as little as Sh1,000.

Nairobi National Park

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Just a few minutes’ drive off Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) is the Nairobi National Park, laid out in the backdrop of the city’s skyline and bushy vegetation.

Visitors at the park can enjoy picnics, safari walks, hikes, and game viewing of the four of the big five among them lions, black rhino, leopards, and buffaloes. There are no elephants at this specific park, but you can also watch giraffes, zebras, hyenas and other wildlife.

Park entry fees are Sh400 for adult citizens and Sh200 for children. Residents pay up to Sh400.  

Nairobi National Museum

The museum is located just 10 minutes from the capital, Nairobi at Museum Hill.

Visitors can enrich themselves with the history of the country, both for leisure or education purposes.

The museum is open from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm on weekdays, and can also accommodate private viewing.   Entry fees at the museum are Sh500 for adult citizens and Sh250 for children.

Giraffe Centre

Also located in Nairobi’s Karen area is the Giraffe Centre, a sanctuary purely of giraffes.

Visitors are allowed to feed the giraffes. One can also take a walk on the nature trail to unwind and do bird-watching.

At just Sh400 for adults, you can visit the centre and even feed the giraffes. Children pay a fee of up to Sh200.  Plus, you can also buy gifts to surprise your family or friends and keep up the Christmas cheer.

National Archives

The Kenya National Archives offers exhibitions at a small fee of Sh50 for adult citizens and residents and Sh200 for non-residents.

It is open to the public from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm, and offers free exhibitions for a period of one week during special occasions.

It also houses the Murumbi Gallery, named after Kenya’s former vice president Joseph Murumbi. The gallery is currently the largest Pan-African art gallery in Africa and contains ancient art collections from different regions and communities of Africa.

Luna park

Lunar Park, located at Railway Club is a great place to spend quality time with family. There is a wide range of activities to try out which cost between Sh250- 350.

Karura Forest

For hiking, cycling, nature walks, picnics, and even jogging, Karura Forest located along Kiambu Road is the place to go.

It also has a 15-meter waterfall, a quarry pond, and a lake for viewing or stopping to just take nature in.

Entry fees are Sh100 for citizens and Sh50 per child while cycling costs Sh500 for a two-hour bike ride.

David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT)

This is home to rescued baby elephants and rhinos.

There is also other wildlife for instance antelopes, giraffes, buffaloes at the sanctuary.

The entry fee is Sh500 for citizens. DSWT is only open to the public for one hour from 11.00 am.

Other activities to do within Nairobi on a budget include GP Karting in Langata, picnics at Uhuru gardens, or rock climbing.