Nairobi, Kenya’s Capital, located at 1°16′S 36°48′E is a well-planned modern city of over three million inhabitants. Originally simply called ‘Mile 327’, it began in 1899 as a basic camp and supply depot for the construction workers building the Kenya-Uganda ‘lunatic express’ railway. To the indigenous inhabitants, Maasais – the proud and majestic nomadic pastoralists who have stuck to their culture to this day – it was known as Enkarre Nairrobi, ‘a place of cold water’ in the Maa language. It soon became an important centre for the colony and a mecca for adventurers, hunters and travellers from all over the world. Present day Nairobi, fondly known as ‘The Green City in the Sun’, is the hub-city for Eastern Africa and is justly described as a garden city as its broad avenues are lined with flowering plants and shrubs. Situated at an altitude of 1600 metres, it normally enjoys hot sunny days and cool evenings. Places of interest to the visitor include the Municipal Market, the ornate Jamia Mosque, the National Museum with its adjacent Snake Park and Aviary, Karen Blixen Museum, Giraffe Centre, Bomas of Kenya Cultural Centre, Dalphne Sheldrick’s Orphanage and 118sq km Nairobi National Park with its adjacent Orphanage and Safari Walk. There are several art galleries exhibiting work by local artists, displays of tribal dancing, two theatres, variety of good restaurants and entertainment joints as well as a wealth of fascinating curio shops.
