Clumsy, soggy, and uncomfortably abrasive – there’s nothing remotely romantic about being kissed by a giraffe. Flapping her femme fatale lashes, my suitor sticks out her purple tongue, eagerly searching for food. I stand behind, while other guests place edible pellets between their lips, inviting the hungry animals to retrieve them with a wet, slimy kiss.
Feeding an endangered Rothchild giraffe community is a standout attraction for visitors to Nairobi. Founded in 1979 in an attempt to increase the number of diseased subspecies, the Giraffe Center in the city’s exclusive Karen district is now an educational resource and one of the few places in Africa where it is possible to become so well acquainted with the animal more top of the world. .
Even more intimate shows are reserved for guests staying at the neighboring Giraffe Manor hotel, where lanky ungulates roam the manicured lawns daily to poke their heads out of ivy-draped windows or jog around the new spa and garden. property pool.
As the capital of Kenya and a gateway to adventures in the Maasai Mara and beyond, it’s no wonder that wildlife takes center stage in Nairobi – a national park sits in the heart of the city and pockets of protected forest border its outskirts. But in recent years, the creative and electrifying hub of East Africa has shed its safari roots.
Across the city, experimental chefs have opened restaurants on organic farms, in log cabins, or in association with boutique hotels. Demonstrating that there is more to African cuisine than traditional meat and corn staples, the menus are varied, combining local flavors with international techniques.
Several dedicated food and drink markets have also popped up in the Westlands entertainment district, with international fare served at cleverly designed stalls: dining inside a refurbished bus; prop up a bar constructed of cassette tapes; and listen to Afrobeat DJs as you hang out with the city’s trend-setting crowd. The art and fashion scenes are equally dynamic, with galleries and workshops making bold statements about politics and culture, raising a voice that is ultimately heard by the Western world.
However, it is true that Nairobi is not the easiest place to explore. Its districts are expanding, traffic can be terrible, and the public transport network is basic. Rumors of street crime and chilling memories of terrorist attacks have also put visitors off in the past. But the capital of Kenya is a rapidly evolving city, becoming safer, friendlier and more accessible every day. Progressive and dynamic, it vibrates with a sense of possibility. Jumping on board for the journey promises an exciting journey.
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