Making the most of Nairobi in 12 hours

 Giraffe Centre in Karen, Nairobi. (DavidNjaaga/Standard}

I had a heated discussion with a tour guide on how to best experience the highlights of Nairobi in just 12 hours.

listening to Moreen Chelegat of QatKen Travel and Tours describe the thrill of “squeezing your one-day holiday or weekend” into a 12-hour experience in Nairobi (and other places) had me thinking. “Just imagine this, if you have a day to while away (layover for visitors) in Nairobi you have an extra day after your business visit, you have a holiday or one weekend day (for city residents), would you rather let your day go to waste, or would you take the offer of turning it into an exciting guided tour to exciting places, great attractions and fun-filled spectacular activities that can make your day a memorable experience?” asked Chelegat. 

She offered to take me on a tour of Nairobi in 12 hours. Deal done, we settled on a Saturday, because from experience weekends were the preference of many visitors. I met Chelegat and Boniface Kamencu at the Central Business District on a Saturday morning.

Boni was our guide for the day. He proposed we take a ‘Nairobi honour wrap’, part of their package before venturing into the itinerary for the day.

It was a quick walking tour of Enkare Nyorobi, (the place of cool waters) according to a Maasai legend) to give us a taste of the city’s pulse in a nutshell – a fun and cost-effective activity. 

In two hours, we explored the once famed Green City In The Sun sights and sounds, of the Railways Museum, McMillan Memorial Library, Jeevanjee Park, Jumia Mosque, City Market, and Downtown Nairobi before finding our way back to the historical Kenyatta International Convention Centre for a breath-taking view of Nairobi at daybreak.

Other places of interest include Kenya National Archives, Snake Park, August 7th Memorial Park, Karura Forest, Wilson Airport, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Nairobi National Museum, Kazuri Beads Factory,  Giraffe Centre, Kitengela Glass Industry.  In this quick tour, Boni gave me an astonishing tour of Nairobi’s less affluent areas, where I would have never ventured on my own. 

The climax

The highlight of the 12-hour tour was a visit to the Nairobi National Park, The Bomas of Kenya, and the Karen Blixen Museum. Boni pointed out that our visit to the three places were to give me a feel of what Nairobi can offer to those who may not have the luxury of time to experience a detailed tour.

We arrived at the Nairobi National Park, at an odd hour for a game drive. However, the guide gave me a detailed account of what to expect at the ideal time of a game drive. 

“The best time for a game drive is dawn and ends around 9am, the best time to see animals because they are active and looking for food, while in the evening between 3-6pm is a good time to see animals as they get their dinner and sunbathe,” said Boniface. 

We made the best of the time we had to explore the animal orphanage, the rhino and grazers sanctuaries, the lions’ den, the leopard hideouts, birdwatching, the parks ecosystem display, and the famous Sebastian Statute. 

Nairobi National Park is open every day from 6am to 6pm, with the last entry at 5.15pm. The park is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including lions, giraffes, zebras, and rhinos. 

Bomas of Kenya 

We left the Nairobi National Park for a three-hour visit to the Bomas of Kenya, where we would explore the traditional bomas, and wrap our visit by watching a cultural performance at one of Africa’s largest auditoriums.

At the reception, we were met by Akondo Alphonse, Communication Officer, Bomas of Kenya, who gave us a quick brief about Bomas of Kenya.

He said the word Bomas comes from a Swahili word “Boma” meaning house or home. Bomas is a subsidiary company of Kenya Tourist Development Corporation as a tourist attraction. It also wanted to preserve, maintain, and promote the rich and diverse cultural values of various tribal groups of Kenya. Mario Masso is its leader. 

From exploring the villages, and watching cultural performances to savouring the food, and ambiance of Kenya’s rich cultural culinary delights at the Utamaduni Restaurant, my experience was beyond scribing. 

After the Bomas Village excursion were in time for the 3.30 pm scheduled cultural performance.

Through a repertoire of over 50 dances from different ethnic communities, I got to experience the rich diversity of Kenyan traditional music and dance.

Our last stop was at the Karen Blixen Museum on the outskirts of Nairobi. I have been here several times, if anything just to enjoy the soothing backdrop of the Ngong Hills as I enjoy a cup of coffee (there is a beautiful story about the coffee), in the astounding breathtaking well maintained grounds. 

I loved watching the movie ‘Out of Africa’ which inspired me to love this museum in the farmhouse where author Karen Blixen lived between 1914 and 1931. Today, the lovely colonial house has been preserved as a museum. Set in expansive gardens, the museum is an interesting place to wander around.

The Karen Blixen house is a well-maintained and furbished old colonial house that holds the secrets of the owner – Karen Blixen a member of autocratic colonial settlers.

Each visit comes with something to discover, such as a gem of information about the Baroness. The queerest I have discovered so far from this visit is that the lady of the house left a series of personal tragedies – a story for another day. 

The Karen Blixen Museum was established in 1985 to commemorate the life of Baroness Karen Blixen, the talented Danish author, poet, and farmer.

Karen Blixen is the author of several books including the famous ‘Out of Africa’, later documented into a movie with the same title. Karen Blixen lived in the Museum House, Mbogani as it was then known from 1917 to 1931. 

The museum presents a glimpse of the life of the talented author and farmer through, photographs, paintings, and displays of furniture and a Library of books.

There is a unique collection of agricultural tools, ploughs, wagons, coffee driers, and first-generation tractors that provide an insight into early 20th Century agriculture, technologies, and transportation of goods.

Three hundred bags of coffee were hauled by oxen from Karen Blixen’s farm to the Nairobi railway station from where they went to Mombasa for shipping. 

Time is of the essence, and I learnt through Nairobi in 12 hours that there is so much you can do with time. The tour guide was exceptional, providing insightful information and ensuring the safety and well-being at all times.