Winter weekend in Nairobi
Wintering in Nairobi — cosy dinners, skating, holiday lights and the small rooms that feel right when it's freezing out.
Top spots in Nairobi
David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage
FamilyKaren
11am public hour — watch orphaned baby elephants get milk bottles and mud baths.
Giraffe Centre
FamilyLangata
Feed endangered Rothschild giraffes from a raised platform, eye to eye.
Karura Forest
OutdoorsGigiri
1,000 hectares of urban forest with waterfalls, bike trails and a riverside café.
Nairobi National Park
OutdoorsLangata
Only national park inside a capital — lions, giraffes and rhinos with skyline backdrop.
Maasai Market
CultureWestlands (Tuesdays)
Rotating craft market — beadwork, kikoi cloth, kisii soapstone. Bargain hard.
Where to eat
Carnivore
$$$Game meat BBQ · Langata
Maasai-spear skewers brought tableside — beef, lamb, ostrich, crocodile until you surrender.
Cultiva
$$$Farm-to-table · Karen
Wood-fired tasting menu in a converted farmhouse — Nairobi's top-tier dining.
K'Osewe Ranalo Foods
$Luo / Kenyan · CBD
Lunchtime institution — fish stew, managu greens, ugali on banana leaves.
Mama Oliech
$$Kenyan / Fish · Kilimani
Whole fried tilapia with ugali and sukuma — Obama ate here, plastic chairs, perfection.
Talisman
$$$Pan-African Fusion · Karen
Garden cottage classic — feta samosas, lamb tagine, candlelit courtyard.
Frequently asked
- Standouts right now: Nairobi National Park, David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, Giraffe Centre. The shortlist is curated by people who live in Nairobi and refreshed regularly so it reflects what's actually open and worth your time.