Kenia reizen | Nairobi | Karen Blixen House
It is an excellent idea to take a day out in Nairobi - the 'green city in the sun' - to acclimatise, or to have a extra day here before you return home. Nairobi's 2,000-metre altitude means that it won't feel like you're in the tropics, irrespective of its proximity to the equator. A few of the great places you can visit here include the Karen Blixen Museum and the Giraffe Center.
Kenya's lively and multifaceted capital of Nairobi is increasingly becoming less of a stopover destination and more of a destination in its own right. Nairobi is a true African city, with just a whiff of English colonialism and a hint of India. There are very good restaurants and hotels in the city, such as the half inside, half outside Talisman restaurant and Carnivore, which is one of the most famous restaurants in all of Africa. You will also find a showroom of the African Heritage Gallery here.
Nairobi is a city of contrasts with both slums and wealthy areas, such as Karen and Westlands. Karen is located to the southwest of the city centre and is largely inhabited by Europeans. Thanks to its high altitude, Karen has a very pleasant climate. You can also walk the streets in safety here and great places to visit include the souvenir market and the Giraffe Center. In contrast to what you would expect, the suburb of Karen is not named after Karen Blixen, but after her niece, Karen Melchior, whose father owned the Karen Coffee Company. Karen Blixen was known to her friends as 'Tanne' when she lived in Nairobi.
You can make acquaintance with the animals of Africa in Nairobi and the giraffes at the Giraffe Center will even come and feed out of your hand, which is a truly incredible experience! You can feed the giraffes from the window of the adjacent hotel, Giraffe Manor, while enjoying being served high tea.
You can also play with the baby elephants at the elephant orphanage of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Baby elephants are cared for here whose parents have been killed by poachers or disease. After they have been re-released into their natural environment, their carers stay with them for half a year until they are able to survive alone. 60 elephants have already been saved by the orphanage.
Danish-born Karen Blixen (who authored books such as Out of Africa under the pseudonym of Isak Dinesen) married her cousin Baron Bror van Blixen-Finecke in 1914 and they set up a coffee plantation in Nairobi. Karen returned to Denmark however after the company went bankrupt during the global coffee world collapse of the Great Depression, and after losing the love of her life, Finch Hatton, when his aircraft crashed in 1931.
The museum, which is located in what was once the Blixen's house, brings the colonial era back to life using props from the film and her book. You will also be able to experience the magnificent views from this property that provided Blixen with so much romantic inspiration.
Westlands has quaint bric-a-brac shops, such as Spinners web in Viking House, Undungu Society at Westlands Market and Bana Box in the Sarit Centre (Kenya's first, largest, most complete, and busiest shopping centre).
The Masai markets are held in specific days in various shopping centres; for example, at the Capital Centre on Wednesdays, the Village Market on Fridays and at the Yaya Centre on Sundays. You can buy great souvenirs in the centre at the Westlands Triangle Curio Market and at Colpro you can buy authentic safari equipment (Michael Palin from Pole to Pole bought a safari outfit here before he entered the Masai Mara). Legend House at Wilson Airport also sells good quality safari clothing.
