Nairobi worth it?

Hi

I am flying into Nairobi on the 8th of February next year and leaving again on the 16th of February. The main reason is to go on a safari. Do you think it is worth spending a full day in Nairobi first or would you rather head off straight away?

Thanks for any info

You will hear both sides. My vote is to skip it.

There are some fun things to do in Nairobi... I'd suggest leaving it for the last day before you fly out. You probably should plan to get into the city the day before your flight just in case there is some transportation delay. The Langata Giraffe Park and Carnivore restaurant were two of my favourite places in Nairobi.

During the day I think it is a hoot to wander around downtown Nairobi. I enjoy big cities and watching everything going on. If it is not your thing then it is not an exceptionally exciting place.

The OP would want to hear your reasons as to why you think he should skip Nairobi BigBri - it's not good enough to just say skip it.

A day in Nairobi doesn't hurt; it depends what you want to get out of it. The day is yours to do as you choose by yourself rather than being shuttled around the countryside, so why not check out some shops, stroll around and observe people and just experience the feeling of just being there. You'll get a lot out of it - at least you'll find out if you like it or not!

Fair enough. OP only has seven days. Nairobi is just a big city.

Sure there is stuff to do. But the rest of Kenya offers so much more.

In at least a dozen posts I have shared what I would do if I had to spend a day in Nairobi. But given a chance I would spend it somewhere else.

Peace,

BB

I agree. With only 1 week in Kenya, there's no point wasting time in Nairobi. Not an ugly city, but nothing exciting really.

I live in Nairobi and have learnt to like it but indeed, if you have only one week, better spend it in other parts of the country. kenya has much to offer but far from Nairobi.

Another vote for skip it.

There are better uses of your time than to spend it in Nairobi, if you only have 7 days.

Thanks for your opinions - keep it coming if someone has something to add. As it looks now I'm considering skipping it - would you do a 7 day safari then or is it too long (I'm very interested in wildlife but it would be the longest organised trip I've done so far)?

Maybe I should say that I have actually 8 days - the flight home is very late at night (I think it is 11.55pm).

who are you gona be on safari with? if in a large group, maybe 5 days max if on your own 3/4 days safari. Naivaisha is nice for a couple of days or in a week you could fit in a few days safari and a few days on the coast near mombasa. if you want to do something different but quite amazing (that was my experience anyway) you could do a 7 day safari (journey) up to Lake Turkana and back. It is a bit different to the typical savannah "safari", youll see far fewer tourists and there are opportunities to go to some of the national parks and see animals.

Two or three days on the coast would provide good relaxation after a safari. A location close to Mombasa, such as Diani Beach, would be prefrable so the amount of travelling is limited. There is also much to see in Mombasa.

Thanks again.

Safaris are nice but after 4 days you'll be suffering from "safari fatigue", aka you'll get bored getting up at 5am to see a lion sleeping behind a bush.