this is a list of things in nairobi that i have found interesting. things to try and places to go. most of the info are plain and simply cut from various sites on the internet, including isg.
the list is a little chaotic, but there is plenty of good advice.
most are non-mongering facts, as the mongering business are well covered on these pages.
hope there is something useful for all of you going there.
jamjam
---------
nairobi
hotels
- kenya comfort suites
(not the hotel) is good. very clean, spacious and safe. 3600 shillings or about $60 for a single. add 600 more for a double. no worries with your gf. and the food is great and very reasonably priced.
* stayed there, was a very good deal. kitchen, living room, bathroom and bedroom for about 3500 (double). even has a working hot tub by the pool!
- ngong hills hotel could be an interesting altenative to fairview hotel. website looks nice and prices much lower than fairview hotel. ngong hills is aight. significantly lower in class than fairview so don't moan if you find that its not up to fairview standards. however it is common with old married men and their 'ndogo ndogos' (kenyan slang for mistress) so i'm guessing you'll fit in very well with the crowd
- i have found two very nice apartment hotels in nairobi, take a look on
www.palacina.com and
www.naturaloak.co.ke
- the hotel is called seldom hotel and its on muranga road. there are also a couple of decent hotels on muranga road. other hotels below:
impala hotel
http://www.travellerspoint.com/acco...6-impala-hotel/
mooreland hotel (in ngara)
http://www.travellerspoint.com/acco...ooreland-hotel/
- well, about appartments in westlands i suggest rhaptha road. its close to the action and there are many nice appartments for a good price.
just check liza apartments, prime apartments, glory residence apartmens, white pearls apartments. i stayed in prime apartments and glory residence apartments. they were goin for 500-600 usd per month (1 year ago).
they are both girlfriendly. at least i never experienced an problems when bringin a girl.
i am sure in the other apartments there is no problem bringin back girls too but i don't know about the prices. i guess they are 700++ usd.
restaurants, bars and clubs
- for breakfast, next to the terminal hotel is the dove cage restaurant. recommended, you get yourself the number 4 (sausage, bacon, egg, two toast and a pot of tea) 210kes
* this is no longer in action. they have made a hotel out of it, don't know if it has opened at time of writing.
- gypses is located near the sarit center, just off of uhuru road, the casino and across from barclays.
* really good place to find upscale girls. great atmosphere too. lot's of muzungus.
- this pub is the ideal place to start out your evening, annie oakley's appears to be a very relaxed, laid back atmosphere, here you have numerous choices of girls annie oakleys(behind hotel salamu, heron court) cost of taxi return from central nairobi, annie oakleys
the bar man said that things get only going after 6. 30 or so.
- "klub sound" near simmers: similar crowd to choices and the dance floor is centrally located so it’s easier to pick out the fishes gyrating on the dance floor.
* didn't try it, but walked past. 50 meters from hooters. and maybe 100 meters from simmers. simmers has a great atmosphere btw.
-"bananas" on thika road. this place is jammed packed with the united states international university (usiu) crowd on friday and saturdays.
- tropez" in the town center: working class crowd. very hot chics, but be prepared to buy ‘expensive’ drinks.
* good bar.
- "choices bar" on baricho road near the nyayo stadium round-about; this place has plenty of the working class ‘in-crowd’ and also the upper class poseurs. the place is always jam-packed especially on fridays and saturdays
- dinner at kengele`s pub & restaurant in koinange st - nothing to write home about, soup, fish burger and salads, also like my ice cream, chocolate! all for just short of 800kes. incidentally a beer (tusker, castle, windhoek lager) averages out at 130kes, cheap i say
* tried the food here. loved it. sitting there eating for an hour you will most likely see western men meeting their beautiful dates.
- i spent both my wednesday evenings at carnivore and thoroughly enjoyed myself
* but things at the disco rarely gets going until late. wednesday the preferred day i think.
- on the k1 versus florida question, i have been to k1 and the madhouse, but neither of the either. k1 has pool tables and lots of little cubby hole areas. its generally more intimate and relaxed. madhouse is a like a football pitch and you have to shout to be heard, especially later in the night. in madhouse you will get the more professional type. some are very nice looking. if you want a wide choice and to leave after 15 minutes with someone then madhouse is the place. k1, on the other hand is more of a pub than a club, but very nice and plenty of distractions should you get unwanted attention. on a good night in nairobi i'd plan for either k1 or the pavement first and see how you go. i agree with your freinds opinion. if nothing of interest then head off to madhouse for last orders. just mind how drunk they've got before then!
- the pavement. we'd call it a gastro-pub here in the uk. does good food but you can also watch sports on tv and get hammered on tuskers. plenty of jungus and expats of all sorts. the women here. of all sorts. do regard themselves as higher class
- if you like african music try club afrique next to the national museum on museum hill just about 5 minutes from the town center. very nice looking place with a lot of pretty "real" girls, but here you have to dance that's why a lot of them come here. next door is another pretty place called galileo, which is more for the yuppies of nairobi. but it also attracts a lot of the young chicks.
- madhouse: daily entertainment
tuesdays - techo night with djs suleiman, dennis & shidra
wednesdays - reggae night with d'ohty intertainment
thursdays - soul night with djs suleiman, dennis & shidra
fridays - ol skool night
saturdays - party night
sundays - all request night plus lots of rock rock rock! brought to you by djs suleiman & shidra
attitude restaurant
* madhouse is just that - mad. it's great fun, even if your not looking for a lay (which you will find if you want) but some tired prostitutes there too.
- the latest addition to the florida family, attitude! is a restaurant and pub of distinction located in the heart of nairobi. with its airy décor, friendly staff and superb food, there’s no doubt it’s tops for lunch and early evening drinks.
- kengeles offers very descent food too, good english kind of breakfasts and equally good grilled meat or fish dishes. the breakfast cost 200-300 kes, while lunch or dinner up to 600 kes. *
- along the street leading to the hilton there are 3 upstairs bars called taco’s, sizzles and taco bell’s (nothing to do with the american company). university students often go there to pick up a few extra bucks as they do at the carnivores disco restaurant but at carnivores, everything is expensive and at the 3 bars mentioned, entry is free and drinks are cheap.
- thorn tree café, kimathi street
serves a good mix of food, especially a big breakfast
- porterhouse restaurant, mama ngina street
excellent place for steaks
* loved it. good price, a little hard to find. close to the hilton.
- horseman, langata road
three restaurants in one—one serves game meat, the second pizzas, and the third chinese, kenyan, and indian food
- kahawa, kaunda street
great for breakfast
- zanze bar, moi avenue
friendly bar with pool tables, dance floor, and cheap beer
* good place, also for watching english premier league.
- taco bell, moi avenue
popular bar that overlooks the street
- hornbill pub, tom mboya street
large, dark, but friendly bar
- soho’s, parklands road
lively, popular bar that pulls smart crowd
- club soundd, kaunda street
central night spot
- diners at the nyama choma restaurant, safari park hotel
the hotel is beautiful. they have seven (i think) restaurants on site. i ate at the african restaurant. they have a 5 course meal for 1500 shillings. the main course is nyama choma, which is basically grilled meat. the concept is a bit like a brazillian steak house. waiters come round with unlimited skewers of meat. they had sausages, pork, beef, lamb, crocodile, alligator, chicken... et
- rangers: the best grilled meat in whole of kenya, the national park of nairobi
- blancos lounge:
during my last visit to nairobi in june 2007, i discovered something of a novelty: a true gourmet restaurant based on traditional african food! while the traditional stuff may be delicious and tasty, blancos lounge offers something much more. they offer both the traditional swahili dishes, as well their own inventions based on old local staple food. this place is still firmly within the global fusion cuisine. the day the michelin guide starts rating restaurants in africa, this place will most likely be among the first! when trying out their version of mbuzi choma with irio, i couldn't believe it when i got my irio as giant pommes noisettes on a bed of a sukuma wiki based salad (don't even try to understand what i'm talking about if you're not familiar with kenyan food!). needless to say, i recommend this place. check out their site at www.blancos.co.ke!
- the cellar is not mentioned in any tourist guide. located in lavington, this is a place where mainly affluent locals and well-informed expatriates go. their specialty is steaks, and the place is totally worth many visits.
- the cedar:
if you like lebanese food, it would be a crime not to visit the cedar, on lenana road. this place is owned by a norwegian businessman who does not compromise when it comes to style and quality in his restaurant. their mezze are absolutely mouth-watering! hang around in the bar after dinner, and you're likely to bump into quite a few members of kenya's political and business elite.
- habesha:
ethiopian restaurants are booming in popularity in nairobi.* ethiopian food usually consists of various spicy meat sauces, served with the traditional injera. if you haven't tried it, i can warmly recommend*it, but be aware that it's highly addictive!* habesha in hurlingham is my favorite ethiopian restaurant in nairobi. due to its reputation for excellence, it tends to be crowded though. the motherland along ngong road, and red sea on lenana road are also definitely worth trying.
* my gf took me here. great food, cheap.
- serena hotel:
the lunch buffet at the serena hotel is without any doubt the best one in town, and none of the other hotels offer anything that compares. never, ever eat there without having a taste of the smoked sailfish!
- annie oakley's:next to milimani backpackers, has pool tables, a descent menu, and a big screen with cable tv. another expats favorite hangout
- choices:, majestic house, moi avenue, box 53319,
- java house:
free wireless internet is available at java house restaurants in the city. the internet cafe in sarit centre also has wireless internet available at a good speed and a reasonable price.
* didn't have wireless when i asked
- prime cuts, the village market, gigiri:
the most delicious sandwiches and salads in africa! attached to an expansive delicataseen, and butchery, prime cuts bistro offers a wide of selection of sandiwches, salads, steaks, drinks, cheese, and the finest quality meats and seafood. village market
- iguana bar & grill, fuji plaza, westlands
iguana is famous for its mexican*and indian*cuisine. nice bar collection.
every friday*mix of punjabi, african, hip-hop, arabian*and much more*music by dj sweety
every saturday*variety of music by aman behal inconjunction with dj sweety
every sunday indian live music by vicky khan.
big screens for sports are available.
- jikonee, tom mboya street
quick and tasty fast food in the heart of the city.
- chowpaty, diamond plaza parklands.
you could describe this as a combination of indian and chinese dishes.
this would be criminal. much better to see it as somewhere you can get phenomonal and authentic south indian cuisine cheaply in nairobi. fancy masala dosa and freshly squeezed orange, tangerine and carrot juice mix? call a cab.
- hooters, kaunda st.
for american food, i suggest the new hooters on kaunda st. hooters is a sports restaurant/bar, with several tvs playing vh1 or soccer games. the service is maybe the best in town, although meals are a bit expensive, from ksh 250 to 400 per person. meals range from sandwiches, hamburgers, and pizza to excellent milk shakes, a rarity in kenya.
* didn't have ice or milk shake when i was there.
- pasara café, by trattoria: about the only place to get a good sandwich in nairobi is pasara café on kaunda, just down from trattoria. there are a variety of sandwiches in several sizes, and an excellent salad bar. plan on spending from ksh 150-300 to get full.
- milimani backpackers & safari centre is the ideal location for a traveller to rest and refresh. one can hook up with fellow backpackers for a safari, take up water rafting, mountain climbing or bird watching
club barn, ngong racecourse.
- the clubarn:
the much acclaimed scicoustic band from south africa pefromed at clubarn on 5th july, during the polo day dinner. also in performance was johnny clegg, a rock maestro from uk.
the clubarn is located off ngong road inside the ngong racecourse, nairobi (kenya). it was opened eight years after the barn (a famous night club) was closed. today known as the clubarn , it rests on the same concept but recently renovated to blend in with modern times.
the clubarn is partitioned into different areas to suit the clubs needs. they include:
a main disco bar with perimeter fully equipped with a dance floor, d.j booth, lower level sitting area, upper foyer and a pool table area; all suited to accommodate an average number.
the new clubarn lounge the is a new lounge with its own bar area totally secluded from the main disco area where you can chat away with your friends while drinking your favorite liquor or cocktails. *
bonfire patio at the entrance: here, a bonfire is lit every night with chairs placed around it for an aesthetic and warm effect where customers can interact freely under the stars.
kitchen lobby: this extends from the bonfire veranda with trees overlooking the area. with a fully equipped kitchen, customers are served directly and with ease.
grills are also strategically placed around the lobby for nyama choma and other grilled specialties.
the outdoor bar : the bar & grill has this unique feature strategically placed to serve those outside.
stage & performance area: the stage can hold 15 performers and the area around the stagen is *enough to hold a capacity of 500 pax, high enough for better viewing.
- pavement: a cafe runs during all opening hours - however the main attraction is their lively nightclub. there's a dancefloor on bottom level. 2 bars inside lounge upstairs one bar outside w/a sportsbar atmosphere.* entrance on friday and saturday nights is*500/= per person. it is a very good club that offers a wide range of music depending on the type of people that are there and also depending on the event taking place on that particular night.
- havana restaurant and bar, westlands woodwale grove:
salsa, mixed with zouk, africando, afro-fusion and brazilian is the main theme of the music selection.
some of nairobi popular salsa bands occasionally perform at havana, check with the bar for dates.
havana screens the live matches of the fa premier league and major international football fixtures on the flat screens in the bar area.
havatronics on thursdays: newest electronic funky beats, every thursday
- simba salon:
adjoining the main restaurant (*carnivore) is the simba saloon - a vibrant informal restaurant that incorporates a childrens playground (very popular at weekends) and a lively nightclub.*
the simba saloon serving pizzas (from a traditional, domed, brick oven), an extremely popular salad bar at lunchtime, steaks, hamburgers, scampi, trout, chicken, and other light snacks, provides an alternative to those who do not want to indulge in a large meal.
the night club operates from wednesday to sunday and has themed nights to cater for fans of contemporary african music, rock, soul, jazz, old skool, and the latest hits.
the simba saloon is well known for hosting some of africas best musicians as well as many international ones such as maxi priest, yellowman, sadao watanabe, manu dibango, salif keta, chaka demus and pliers, ismael lo,* and habib koite just to mention a few.
*
every wednesday
rock nite
venue: simba saloon
the greatest and best of rock,
garage, techno, trance and dance
with carnivore"s dj ben and dj burn
from 6 p.m. till late
entry is free before 11 p.m. and
only kshs 200 thereafter
friday* stay tuned for different action
saturday* stay tuned for different action
every sunday *
soul nite
venue: simba saloon
entrance: 100 bob from 6pm
* - black diamond: great place, big balcony with dancefloor. lot's of nice chicks and expats too. the club next door is "interesting", mostly for the young kenyans.
general things
- travelling east africa
good tip: go midweek, or else you will rub shoulder to shoulder with the masses. this way you can perhaps throw in a trip to kampala, uganda. just a suggestion.
- for "best" cybercafe, i was recommended to, and also recommend avant-garde, standard st., attached to fedha towers. they did not have wifi in 2006 but you could connect to their local network using your own laptop. also the browsing price was reasonable at 1.5ksh. very friendly and helpful staff, nice decor, not too big, nice computers, a/c!
for all those who'd rather rent an appartment, i enclose pics of a few billboards, all in the vicinity of nakumatt nyali.
* i used the one in the nakumatt centre downtown. by the terminal hotel. good place, could eat food and hook up your laptop in a private place
- to dial a mba landline, press +254 41, drop the first 0, then press the last 7 or 6 digits.
to dial a # beginning with 020, press +254. 20 and so on.
to dial a kenya cell # beginning with 0713 upto 0736, you press +254, drop the first 0 and input the remaining 9 numbers.
- hope the other random pics get you into the mood to visit as well.
my point is no need for dating sites. just come here, be brave and do the following:
1) smile at a girl (any girl),
2) say hi, tell them you really like them,
3) tell them they have a beautiful bottox (bottox = ass and all ghanaian girls love to hear they have a beautiful ass - don't worry they won't be offended),
4) get their phone number,
5) call them an hour later and tell her that you miss her already and you must see her tonight or you will die.
* if you look decent, are white/western, behave well and are polite the world are at your feet in kenya. honestly.
- venture africa is highly recommended by our tour company..kumuka overland (
www.kumuka.com )*
once leaving the customs area of the airport, (jomo kenyatta international airport,) the “large round venture hut is right in front of you.*
venture offer a well priced, safe and friendly return airport/motel transfers, as well as arranging several day trips to all of nairobi's major sights and attractions. a typical day trip that takes in the giraffe centre and the david sheldrick wildlife trust will cost approx us$30 for up to 4 people.....bargain!
http://www.ventureafricasafaris.com/about-us.htm
- i never had any problems with the quality of medical care in nairobi. the best hospitals there are the nairobi hospital (on argwings kodhek rd; tel. 2722160, 2714400) and aga khan hospital (3rd parklands avenue; tel. 740000, 742531) and they both have an emergency reception.*
- for "best" cybercafe, i was recommended to, and also recommend avant-garde, standard st., attached to fedha towers. they did not have wifi in 2006 but you could connect to their local network using your own laptop. also the browsing price was reasonable at 1.5ksh. very friendly and helpful staff, nice decor, not too big, nice computers, a/c!
- college students/ working class: if you have time to spare in nairobi, then why not have a short term gf? rather than pay for the shag overtly, you will pay covertly through buying dinners, perfume and plenty of drinks. you may not get shag on the first night but i can guarantee you that most kenyan women dream of having a white man. you will be a trophy to be shown around the clique of girlfriends but who cares, as longs as the load in your balls in lightened right? in this is your style, the hang around the various kengeles joints, club sound, club bananas (plenty of united states international university mamas here ready to exchange a glass of baileys for a shag), ibiza and tacos.
casino:
intercontinental hotel nairobi (with casino), city hall way, nairobi
entrance fee: free
id/passport: required
dress code: smart/casual
opening times: daily from 6pm to 6am
gaming currency: ksh
games to play: jackpot slots/video machines; live table games: single 0 american roulette, blackjack, poker
facilities: restaurants, bar, entertainment, foreign currency exchange, wireless internet access.
remarks: the intercontinental casino is one of the best casinos in nairobi. they have six roulette tables, most of them busy but not too crowded. the lowest minimums and highest maximums in nairobi. the service is great, an excellent buffet and a huge bar.
cimema:
if you want to catch a movie, you have a couple of good choices in nairobi.* 20th on mama ngina street is located in the cbd, and if you stay in one of the major city hotels, you can walk over there safely, even at night. the sarit centre in the westlands and the nu metro in the village market also have some very nice movie theatres.
* go to the ones outside city centre. nakumatt junction is great. take your girl, she will like that.
shopping:
shopping in nairobi can be quite fun, as prices are way below what europeans are used to.* due to the strong economic growth, the number of large, modern malls keeps growing.* the village market is, without a doubt the most fun place to go. constructed like a giant village, it a has a really cool architecture, with an articificial river running through the place. in addition to a bunch of clothes shops with all the major designer labels (at prices way below european level), a supermarket and a travel agency, it has a cinema, a night club, about 15 small food places with various international cuisines surrounding an open-air food court, some nice outdoor cafés and an italian ice bar. there's even a small amusement park, so it is basically a place where it's easy to spend quite some time.* alternative good upmarket places to shop are nakumatt ngong road and the sarit centre.
http://www.villagemarket-kenya.com/home.php
* go to some of the smaller shops in nairobi in moi av. (i think it was). some great second hand etc
* if you stay long in a place with tv: buy a dvd-player for about 4000 at yakumatt and movies for 200. the dvd players are small and easily move able
- kichuna means handsome.
- go to the norfolk hotel for colonial charm and the beautiful pool!
editor's note: i would suggest that the author or another forum member consider posting a link to this report in the reports of distinction thread. please click here for more information.
Originally Posted by Gesheft
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