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 4x4 and step into the urban hub of Kenya. Welcome to Nairobi.