Nairobi

Kenya’s vibrant capital is also one of Africa’s largest cities. The starting point for most East African safaris, there’s plenty to see and do here, from admiring handsome colonial architecture to visiting the playful young elephants at Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

At an altitude of 1,795m above sea level, Nairobi boasts a very pleasant climate all year round. Once a depot on the Mombasa/Uganda railway, the city has grown from a sleepy settlement built around a waterhole to a thriving metropolis abuzz with traffic, markets and tourist attractions.

If you’re a fan of the movie “Out of Africa”, be sure to visit the Karen Blixen Museum, located in the actual farmhouse where she lived for almost two decades on the peaceful outskirts of the Nairobi. Not far from here is the Giraffe Centre, established by a Kenyan family of Scottish descent, to bring the rare Rothschild’s giraffe back from the brink of extinction. Today, you can watch and even hand-feed some of these graceful giants, whose numbers have made a rebound thanks to the efforts of this organisation.

Further down the road within the Nairobi National Park is Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Specialising in the care of orphaned baby elephants and rhino, this sanctuary opens for just an hour each day, providing visitors with an insight into conservation efforts and some great photo opportunities.

Should you wish to “give something back”, you can foster an elephant through the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Alternatively, spend a day volunteering with some of the country’s most disadvantaged such as the kids at the Kibera Slum School or HIV-affected families at the Ngong Hills Women’s Centre & School.