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Shopping

Maasai Market

Friday at theVillage Market, Gigiri, Tuesday at the Globe Cinema Roundabout, City Centre, Saturday at the High Court Grounds, and Sundays at the Yaya center. This is the most popular tourist destination for souvenir and local curio shopping. These markets have the most amazing wares on display, though one must bargain here.

City guide

Overview & visitor information

Maasai Market

Friday at theVillage Market, Gigiri, Tuesday at the Globe Cinema Roundabout, City Centre, Saturday at the High Court Grounds, and Sundays at the Yaya center. This is the most popular tourist destination for souvenir and local curio shopping. These markets have the most amazing wares on display, though one must bargain here.

More shopping spots in Nairobi

Keep exploring Nairobi.

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Masaai Collections

Modest dress

This store has products of many top designers including Penny Winter clothes, Sally Dudmesh jewellery, Niqui Theones clothes etc.

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Zebu, Nakumatt Junction

Modest dress

This boutique has leather bags by the famous local designer Annabelle Thom, as well as other designer items. The quality of products here are excellent though expensive, and there is no bargaining. The Village Market, Gigiri, near the UN office and American Embassy Complex is an open shopping area which also hosts the famous local handicrafts market on Fridays. The Village Market is an upscale market with good clothes and shoe shops.

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ABC Plaza, Waiyaki Way

Market

Caters mainly to expatriates. This has a supermarket with a huge choice in imported items as well as food and household goods.

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The Nakumatt Westlands

Plaza

Again a mall with many choices. It is as popular as The Sarit Centre. It has the Nakumatt supermarket inside, as well as several boutiques and branded stores.

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The Sarit Centre, Westlands, Nairobi

Plaza

This is a shopping mall with a Uchumi Supermarket inside. This is a popular place with western travelers as it has a range of shops in fairly safe environs. It also has a movie hall inside. +254-20-3747408/9, 3748662, 374032

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The Spinners Web

Market

Viking House, Westlands, has two floors of an amazing selection of textiles as well as other homeware items. Tel: +254 20 4440882.

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The City Market

Market

Muindi Mbingu Street, City center was originally an aircraft hanger. This is now a covered shopping area with some great shops, right in the center of the city. This place has a buzzing atmosphere and many options of food, drinks, clothes, shoes and handicrafts to choose from. One must have the art of bargaining here.

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Nakumatt

Market

Biashara Street has a supermarket. Biashara Street is known for its textiles. This is the place to buy the traditional local Swahili wrap for men, the Kikoi.

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The Mall

Plaza

Westlands again has a range of stores. It is not as popular as the Sarit centre or the Nakumatt in the same area, but has some very decent shopping in the varied shops inside.

More places in Nairobi

Keep exploring Nairobi.

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What to do with Children in Tow

Activity

Children will enjoy every aspect of this child centric tour. One could avoid the city sightseeing and spend more time at the Nairobi National Park. They will just love the Giraffe Centre where they can come really close to the huge Rothschild Giraffes and actually feed them. The Animal Orphanage at the entrance of the National Park is a place all children enjoy. Orphaned wildlife is looked after here and there are lions and leopards, chimpanzees and otters amongst others.

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Safaris

forest

Besides these, are the Safaris one can take to game parks which are just 6-7 hours drive from Nairobi. Amongst them the most popular is of course the Masai Mara Natural reserve. This is in the beautiful Savannah Grasslands area of Kenya and has a huge number of large animals. The Masai community has been allowed to graze there and very often can be spotted in their traditional attire asking you to photograph them at a price.

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Ice Skating rink, Panari sky center

Building

Within 5 kms of the City Center is this architectural masterpiece. Considered the largest rink in East Africa, the Ice Rink is on the 2nd floor of the Panari Sky Center. It has 15,000 square feet of ice and can accommodate 200 skaters. The ambience of the Alpines have been recreated.

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Bomas of Kenya

House

This has become a regular feature of every Nairobi tour. It is a village cum cultural centre where traditional African Music and dance performances are held to specially attract the tourist to African life. Traditional African homes have been modeled and visitors get a feel of life in Africa before modernization.

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Giraffe Center

zoo

Rothschild Giraffes faced a fear of extinction. It was this center which made an all out effort to save them. There are Giraffes which can come and feed from your hands here now. It is a favorite with children. There are also bushbucks, dik-diks and warthogs found here. The gift and souvenir shop is well stocked and not very expensive. The Giraffe Manor in the premises is now an up market hotel.

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Karen Blixen Museum

Museum

The famous Danish author, Karen Blixen, who wrote under the pseudo name Isak Dinesen lived here. She is the author of ‘Out of Africa.’ Her house was originally in the coffee plantations in the countryside, but now with the growth of the city, it is just in the outer region of Nairobi and has been converted into a museum. It has many of her famous books and paintings of African life. It is the highlight of every tour of Nairobi. A peaceful atmosphere pervades this area where trees abound.The grounds have been looked after well. The Karen Blixen Coffee Gardens Restaurant is a nice place to relax and soak in the atmosphere. The Langatta area on which it is located is in the richer neighbourhood of Nairobi.

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Kenyan Railway Museum

Museum

A bit hard to find, this is a must see for any tour of Nairobi. Kenyan modern history is linked to its railways, and this museum has relics and photographs of old trains. There are some old carriages kept which one can climb into and explore. These speak of amazing incidents and have pictures to bring them alive.

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Uhuru Park

Park

This is the most famous and popular park of Nairobi and is just off the city centre and extends into the west into Upper Hill area. It has a lake where boats can be hired. There are vantage points at a height where the city’s skyline can be admired from. President Moi had wanted to build over this park but his efforts met with great resistance from Wangari Maathai and he had to give up this idea. She won the Nobel Prize for her efforts in saving this park. This is also the place for most demonstrations and political rallies. These must be avoided if touring the city.

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The Arboretum

forest

This beautiful forest reserve is spread over 80 acres and has more than 300 species of trees from Kenya. It is a beautiful place to walk around in and absorb the sounds and sights of pure nature.

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Parliament Building

Building

Visiting times to this colonial building depend on when the National Assembly is in meeting. The Parliament House besides its imposing building showcases intricate tapestry needlework, a mosaic of Kenyan tribes and a table made purely with trees from Kenya made by the Women’s League of East Africa.

More restaurants in Nairobi

Keep exploring Nairobi.

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Alan Bobbe’s Bistro

Alan Bobbe’s Bistro is a French Bistro gourmet restaurant with a rich décor. The dress code is formal, food is mouthwatering and menu extensive.

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The Lord Errol

The Lord Errol is a premium French and International cuisine restaurant situated in a peaceful location. It is a favourite of Nairobi’s expatriate crowd as well as local Kenyans. The wine list is extensive, service excellent, and the French food is the finest one can get probably in the entire East African belt.

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Furusato

Furusato, is a Japanese specialty restaurant. Considered the best in Nairobi for sushi, sashimi, tepanyaki, tempura and other Japanese specialities. The settings are elegant and subtle and the service has typical Japanese warmth and hospitality.

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The Carnivore

The Carnivore is considered amongst the top barbecue restaurants of the world. An open air restaurant it is a unique experience and a must for every visitor, especially for meat eaters. There is every possible kind of meat including wild game meat of the zebra, antelope, crocodile, ostrich, etc. These are cooked over a huge charcoal pit. The restaurant does not follow the norm in its service. Once seated, soup is served and there are side dishes of salad and vegetables with a variety of sauces to choose from. Unlimited and varied meats are then brought on huge swords and carved onto your plates. Dessert and coffee at the end completes the meal. The service here is exemplary and the ambience amazing.

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Trattoria

Trattoria is famous for its Italian specialities. The desserts here are mouth watering. The restaurant is on two floors and the upstairs balcony area gets packed every evening.

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Thorn Tree Café

Café is an upmarket café with international cuisine. It has great atmosphere and the Acacia Tree in the centre is legendary. Thousands of messages would be pinned here by travelers and many times replies written in the past. Today message boards have been placed around the tree to protect it.

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Tamarind Restaurant

Tamarind Restaurant serves the best seafood brought in fresh from the coast everyday. Besides seafood the restaurant has a range in other meats and vegetarian dishes. The place has won the best restaurant award many times. It also has a choice of specialty African dishes to choose from. It has a classy Arabic-Moorish décor and one is expected to dress up for this restaurant. It is advisable to make a reservation.

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Panda Chinese Restaurant

is the best place for authentic Chinese food in an atmosphere created to fit the quality of food served. The interiors are classy and this is a popular restaurant even though it takes time to find it on Kaunda street.

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Fiesta Restaurant and Bar

Fiesta Restaurant and Bar has international dishes on its menu giving authentic flavours to food in its varied choice. Service with a smile is the motto of the staff. The décor is bright and appealing.

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Siam Thai

Siam Thai serves authentic Thai food which is perhaps truer to the taste than attempts by other Chinese or Thai restaurants in Nairobi. It has a very pleasing setting and friendly, helpful staff.