NAIROBI

What once was a remote railway outpost has become the largest city between Johannesburg and Cairo and is Kenya's capital city and the world's safari capital. It has long been the commercial centre of Eastern Africa and one of the world's cross-roads with its international airport servicing most of the world's airlines. Kenya's capital city has risen in a single century from a brackish uninhabited swampland to a thriving modern capital.

Nairobi is a city that never seems to sleep. The entire town has a boundless energy, and is a thriving place where all of human life can be found. This is a place of great contrasts where race, tribe and origin all become facets of a unique Nairobi character.

Some of the places to visit whilst in Nairobi include; the National Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, McMillan Memorial Library, Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Parliament Buildings, Nairobi National Park, the Snake Park, National Museum, Bomas of Kenya (for traditional dancing and tribal villages), Nairobi Races (horse racing on Sundays), and the National International Show (August/September/October). Nairobi also has several modern cinemas in the city centre and two drive-in cinemas.

The City Market on Muindi Mbingu Street is worth a visit if you are shopping for curios. Depending on how good your bartering is, you can get a good bargain be it soapstone carvings, wood carvings or other handicrafts. The city has not lost its sense of the past, with an excellent museum and the historical home of Karen Blixen, author of Out of Africa open to visitors.

From the wildlife to the nightlife, Nairobi is a city unlike any other. With a fantastic music scene, excellent international restaurants and an endless and colourful array of shops and markets, there is plenty on offer for the visitor.