Nairobi

Nairobi
sprouted into life back in the late 1800s as the site of
a railway depot. The British colonial rule had decided to build a
railway from Mombasa on the Kenyan coast to Uganda to gain control
of trade on the
Nile. As the railway developed, Nairobi became the
administrative capital and grew wealthy from an influx of game
hunting tourism. By the 1960s, Kenya had gained independence and
was establishing itself as one of the safari capitals of the world.
Nairobi continued to grow into East Africa’s fastest developing
city, but has been somewhat overlooked as a tourist attraction in
itself – until now.

Today, the change taking place is visible. Restaurants,
skyscrapers, rooftop
bars, modern apartment blocks and roads are being built at an
extraordinary rate. In July 2015, President Obama visited the
capital and put Nairobi’s entrepreneurial genius on the map. This
is the home of the Silicon Savannah, with tech innovation hubs and
funky co-working spaces sprouting from every run-down building
block. Visit 10 years from now, and this city will look very
different from how it does today.

Cattle wandering nonchalantly across dual carriageways and women
strutting down rubbly pavements in colourful patterned dresses set
the tone for this charismatic place. In the traffic, street vendors
stand in the road selling water, bananas and the odd elaborate
painting of a Maasai Warrior to passing drivers. It is a city that
is never dull, constantly changing and trying to figuring itself
out.

Nairobi has a lot to shout about, from boutique shopping to a
thriving music scene, gourmet foodie spots and wildlife in the city
(sundowners in the National Park surrounded by zebra, lions and
giraffes, anyone?). As news of Nairobi hasn’t been pretty in recent
years, this is a guide to changing your perception of it by
exploring what is wonderful, positive and exciting about this
place. So before you screech away on safari, step away from the
beige 4×4 and step into the urban hub of Kenya. Welcome to
Nairobi.