Adventurous Nairobi With Adventurous Kids

Exciting, educational & enthralling activities for you and your kids to enjoy, together, in Nairobi

All our blogs are born from our adventures as The SAFARI Company. A safari operator that organizes unique family-friendly safari and beach adventures throughout Africa.

We pride ourselves in taking you away from the mainstream and rather let you in on the extraordinary, the beautiful, the quirky and the off-the-beaten-track destinations that will be loved by all.

In order to find these gorgeous places and experiences, we have our fingers on the pulse and our toes in the dust….. as a result of this, we love to share our findings with you. This time, please see our thorough Recommended Eateries List in Nairobi.

We’re so sorry if we’ve missed you out or got something wrong. This blog is, like all blogs, a constant work in progress, so please do let us know in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

Incredible Art & Culture:

1. Visit an Art Gallery  – Kenya is full of great local artists for kids to enjoy. Try the Nairobi Gallery, Banana Hill Art Galleries, The GoDown Arts Centre or MattBronze (sculpted Bronze) etc.
   Our advice – If you need help, let us know your interests & location, and then we will suggest the best for you.
2. Go on a tour & lunch at  Kitengela Hot Glass & Glasstronomique Café visit a charming glass-blowing studio near Nairobi National Park, you can also have lunch and a swim here (this could also be done with the park day)… and even stay.
   Our advice to call to Pre-Book. Opening hours are Tuesday – Saturday 0800 – 1630 or Sunday & Monday 0800 – 1300. All other areas of the studio & café are open till 1630.
3. Nai Nami (Nairobi With Me) – is an inspirational “off-the-beaten-track” 3-hour walking experience of Downtown Nairobi, guided by youth from slums who raised themselves on the streets of Nairobi. During a personal, one-on-one, tour, you will experience the city centre through their eyes, get real insights into their way of life, get captivated by their life stories and ghetto energy, learn from their street skills, shop at local markets, eat street food, have tea with mechanics, see street art among and last but not least become friends with them.
   Our advice – Great for older kids!
4. Street art tour of Kibera with local artists with Saviour  – Look beyond the stereotypes and see Kibera through the eyes of the young artists who live there. On this tour, we will show you the educational murals and urban art that are dotted throughout Kenya’s largest slum. You will get to visit and talk with local artists and art collectives, whilst sampling our favourite street foods along the way. You will also get the chance to visit their studio and hear their stories of life-long love affairs with art, and their efforts to utilise this passion to improve the lives of their community. By joining our tour you too will be supporting these efforts.
5. Visit Kibera Slum & HELP – We highly recommend the fantastic One Horizon who runs a community centre in Kibera catering for the needs of 300 children and their parents. Visit for the day or for the night. It’s not about building a classroom, it’s about connecting, playing and helping. Kibera is a tough place to live and even harder when you are a child, but this centre is a refuge, a centre for learning and a ray of light for very underprivileged children in a much-challenged community. Come and be part of what will change your life.
   Our advice – Go!!! A life-changing experience for adults & children, for those visiting and those in the centre.
6. Go and see an art performance, a play, a musical, dance  – and/or another production at The Kenya National Theatre, The Phoenix Players or a host of other places.
   Our advice – Ask us where the best performance is on at any one time.
7. Visit the Kazuri Bead Workshop – where the women show you every step of the ceramic jewellery manufacturing process from creating the clay, moulding beads and other ceramics, painting, glazing and firing. Each bead is shaped and glazed by hand and you can find their creations in major retailers in Paris.
8. Go Granny Go – this is a lovely ‘helping’ day that most of our clients of all ages say ‘That was the best day of my life’ when they do it. Many Kenyan grandmothers play a vital role in raising their grandchildren and extended families and because of this, we need to assist them. You will get to meet some endearing and entrepreneurial grandmothers who are beating their generational cycle of poverty. You’ll assist with farming activities, in particular pig farming, help cook a traditional meal, and by sharing lots of laughter and listening to their inspirational stories, you’ll get a real insight into the strength and resilience of these remarkable Kenyan women. A cultural tour like no other.
9. Visit the Masai Market. It’s bright, cheerful and lively!!!  You can buy a variety of artefacts, ornaments, home décor and clothes from around Kenya, and Africa.
   Our advice – Remember to bargain .. and these are the days:
   • On Tuesdays – Kijabe St Pk next to Nairobi River & Prestige Plaza, Ngong rd.
   • On Wednesdays – Capital Centre, Mombasa rd.
   • On Thursdays – The Junction Mall & Ngong rd.
   • On Fridays – The Village Market, Limuru rd.
   • On Saturdays – High court parking, City Centre opp. Re-Insurance Plaza & Prestige Plaza, Ngong rd.
   • On Sundays – Yaya Centre, Valley Rd, Hurlingham.

It’s all about the animals

1. Feed the giraffes at The Giraffe Centre – Truly an experience of a lifetime for both adults and children and you get to learn about these leggy creatures.
   Our advice – Open from 9:00am to 5:00pm every day including weekends and public holidays. Go early to miss the crowds… Plus, go on the nature walk, it’s lovely.
2. Go on a picnic in Nairobi National Park! A Perfect Kids Activity. Go on a game drive and see the incredible amount of wildlife in this city-bordering park and either have a lovely picnic under an Acacia Tree or lunch at Ololo Lodge, where there’s also a great pool and a farm tour on offer.
   Cost – From however much you would like to spend on a picnic or Kshs3,500 / USD 35 per person for lunch excluding drinks at the charming Ololo Lodge.
   Our advice – go with someone who knows, you’ll see a lot more and the day will be more fun! To enquire about a vehicle and or guide, please don’t hesitate to contact The SAFARI Company.
3. Visit The Nairobi National Museum & Snake Park  – Four pillars of Kenya’s national heritage – nature, culture, history and contemporary art. Learn about the rich cultural heritage of Kenya and the archaeological origins of man, see the animals and birds of Africa in the galleries, appreciate contemporary Kenyan art, and then go for a stroll through the beautiful botanical gardens. If you’re brave, visit the snake park and get up close and personal with some of Africa’s favourite reptiles.
   Our advice – The museum is open 365 days a year, from 8:30 to 15:30, go early to miss the crowds.
4. Last but by no means least, adopt a baby Elephant at The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Langata – Play with it, feed and get to know it.
   Our advice – Book early, this is VERY popular! Adopt an elephant and go… Honestly, for adults and children alike, this is up there.

Deliciousness

1. Go on a tour & lunch at a delicious lunch on a tea farm. This wonderful farm in Limuru provides a tranquil insight into life on a tea farm, a beautiful guided forest walk and a delicious lunch. The farmhouse is set within beautiful gardens surrounded by acres of tea and indigenous forest – home to the Colobus monkey and other wildlife.
   Our advice – Book first (through us if you like) and then arrive at 11am, from then on your day will consist of a little chat about the history of the farm, the process of making tea, see tea in the field, walk in the indigenous forest, lunch prepared with veg from the garden and puddings with cream from their Channel Island cows.
2. Go on a Brown’s Cheese Factory & Farm Tour followed by a scrumptious Farm to Fork lunch – In the rolling hills of Limuru, it is well worth your while coming here for a 3-course lunch (100% homegrown ingredients) at the Brown’s farm. This is a wonderful opportunity to sample Kenya’s best cheeses. Cows and chickens are also there for all to enjoy plus milking of cows is possible for kids. Brown’s natural cheeses are made using traditional methods and no colourings, coatings, or additives are used, suitable for vegetarians.
   Our advice – Six person minimum or Kshs 24,000 (USD240) minimum cost. Always call to book.
3. Coffee Tours around Karunguru Estate Coffee Farm – A tour that will take you through the journey that coffee has to go through before getting to your cup. The tour includes a simple lunch.
4. Try traditional African Cuisine – Nyama Choma is the typical Kenyan barbeque, usually consisting of goat meat served with other delicious treats such as ugali (maizemeal) and kachumbari (a sort of salsa). Immerse yourself!
   Our advice – We suggest the following places if you want to try a traditional meal:
   • The most authentic Kenyan restaurant is K’osewe Ronalo Foods – Kimathi Street in the city center. The place is booming with authentic Kenyan food cooked and prepared just as any Nairobian would expect.
   • Kilimanjaro Jamia Restaurant is a warm & inviting restaurant, famous for Somali and Swahili dishes like pilau, biryani, and camel meat. It also serves other delicacies, like roasted sirloin steak, pizza, beef with tandoori tikka, and local steamed bananas (matoke). If you enjoy trying unusual dishes, don’t leave without trying out busteki (camel steak).
   • Le Palanka  – Fine African Cuisine – The ambience is great, the food is good and the service is good.
   • There is also Amaica on Ngongo Road and JKIA. One of the few formal restaurants in Nairobi serving Authentic African Cuisine, including rare Indigenous delicacies such as wild mushrooms, bambara nuts, groundnuts, all the seven Indigenous Kenyan (Kienyeji) vegetables and tsiswa (white ants).

Beautiful Excercise

1. Visit Karura Forest– 1,000 acres of wonderful forest was recently resurrected to its former beauty by The Friends of Karura Forest. You can escape Nairobi, with your kids and actively visit the caves, waterfalls, rivers and incredible flora and fauna. A perfect place for trail biking, walking, jogging, and family fun days out. Our advice – To go for a picnic, you must pre-book.
2. Take a walk on the Oloolua Nature Trail. Take a little break away from the noise and the hubbub of the city, and stretch your legs in this quiet unwinding environment. Though not for long hikes, it’s one of the most noteworthy hiking trails in Kenya.
3. Go up to the Top of The Kenya International Conference Centre (the K.I.C.C Helipad would be best)… The best place to get a 360-degree view of Nairobi in all its sun-bathed splendour. If the fog’s not too heavy you can see all across the outskirts of the city to the National Park. Our advice – Go out of rush hours… to prevent serious traffic… and negotiate a rate 🙂