Nairobi

Kenya's capital city has risen in a single century from a brackish uninhabited swampland to a thriving modern capital. When railway construction workers reached this area in 1899, they set up a basic camp and supply depot, simply called ‘Mile 327’. The local Maasai called this highland swamp Ewaso Nai'beri – the place of cold water. By 1907 the city became the capital of all of British East Africa.

The entire town has a boundless energy; with a population of more than 3 million, Nairobi never sleeps. 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. This is not a modern capital separated from the great wilderness that surrounds it. Just outside the city is Nairobi National Park, 113 sq kms of plains, cliffs and forest. The park is home to large herds of Zebra, Wildebeest, Buffalo, Giraffe and more. Rhino, Cheetah, and a large number of Lions are all found here, living wild within 20 minutes of the city centre.

Further out of town, the spectacular 27-meter deep 'Fourteen Falls' waterfalls at Thika are perfect for a scenic day trip. Nearby Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park, is centered around an imposing 2,146-meter mountain.

For the adventurous, take an hour's drive from town and you will find white water rafting on the beautiful Tana River.

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.