
Nairobi Safaris
Nairobi Safaris : Many people choose to begin their safari tours of Kenya and East Africa in Nairobi. In fact, the nation’s capital has its own National Park, a sizable game reserve best known for housing the country’s critically endangered black rhinos.
Tribe, race, and place of origin all contribute to Nairobi’s distinctive character. As a result, it is regarded as one of the most interesting cities in Africa. Despite the modern world catching up with it, the city has been able to maintain its uniqueness thanks to its museums, friendly locals, and proximity to some of the most exciting safari locations in the world.
No matter how much time you have to spare or how much money you have to spend, you can have a hassle-free, amazing safari in and around Nairobi. There are also many fantastic lodging choices available.
WHERE TO STAY ON YOUR FIRST NIGHT
It’s crucial to pick the right lodging for your first night in Nairobi. The good news is that there are a ton of options available. Some of the top accommodations are listed below.
Giraffe Manor
The Giraffe Manor, a luxurious boutique hotel owned by The Safari Collection, is located in 140 acres of indigenous forest in Langata, a Nairobi suburb, on 12 acres of private land. An iconic structure, The Giraffe Manor features opulent interiors, a majestic façade, lush green gardens, charming courtyards, and sunny terraces.
The Rothschild’s giraffes that stop by the Giraffe Manor in the morning and evening are its most fascinating feature. The giraffes prod at the windows in an effort to snag a treat. For a single night or as part of your prearranged safari, you can reserve the Giraffe Manor.
The Emakoko
A boutique lodge in an exceptional location on the outskirts of Nairobi National Park As you travel to the lodge, the stunning scenery and profusion of plains game provide the ideal beginning to your East African safari.
This exclusive lodge, which has just 10 rooms, is a great place to stay in Nairobi if you want a more intimate setting. Five of the rooms are carved higher up into the cliff face. Amazing sweeping views of the National Park are available as you ascend to the upper rooms. There is also a lift available. The spacious, opulent beds in the rooms, along with the black-out drapes, are all designed for comfort. There is a private veranda in each room.
Nairobi Serena Hotel
Nairobi’s Nairobi Serena Hotel is a 5-star establishment. Being tucked away in lush gardens on the outskirts of Nairobi Central Park, it provides a haven of elegance and peace. This is one of the best five-star hotels in Nairobi because it combines business and pleasure, cuisine and art, and five-star service.
The Nairobi Serena Hotel is the place to stay if what you’re looking for is a 5-star hotel to celebrate the sophistication and rich fusion of design influences from Ethiopia. The hotel is in a highly sought-after area of the city.
Hemingways Nairobi
This 5-star boutique hotel is situated outside of the busy city center in the quiet neighborhood of Karen. The all-suite hotel provides butler service, a brasserie, a sunset bar, and a spa. It is conveniently located for visits to the city, Nairobi National Park, and the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.
The ground floor of each wing of The Hemingways Nairobi houses 45 suites, each measuring 80 square meters. The amenities in each suite include a sitting area, a spacious bathroom with walk-in closets, a private terrace, and a customized minibar. The exclusive terrace provides breathtaking views of the well-known Ngong Hills.
SAFARI PARKS NEAR NAIROBI
Nairobi has so many incredible places that will make your safari a success and enjoyable, whether you only have a single day or several. Here are some of the top parks that are only a short drive from the Nairobi city center:
Nairobi National Park
Approximately 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) separate the city center from the Nairobi National Park. The park, which was founded in 1946, is open on one side and fenced on the other three to allow for free movement of wildlife between the park and the nearby Kitengela plains. The park has a large and diverse population of wildlife, despite the fact that human and livestock populations are negatively affecting it. It is also one of Kenya’s most effective rhino sanctuaries.
The park is Nairobi’s top tourist destination. Diverse bird species, lions, hyenas, Cape buffalos, black rhinos from the east, zebras, wildebeests, baboons, gazelles, impalas, Masai giraffes, ostriches, hippos, Grant’s zebras, cheetahs, and other mammals are among the attractions. Other well-liked attractions in the park include the Ivory Burning Site Monument, the Nairobi Safari Walk, and the animal orphanage.
David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Within the boundaries of the Nairobi National Park is the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. After the passing of David Sheldrick, a Tsavo National Park warden who opposed poaching, it was created in 1977. Orphaned baby elephants are given a home at the sanctuary. It is the world’s most effective program for rescuing and rehabilitating orphan elephants. Other species, like orphaned rhinos, are also cared for by it. Additionally, the center actively fights poaching, opposes the trade in ivory, and provides medical attention for harmed animals.
The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is the ideal location to get up close and personal with sweet young elephants and explore the heart of lifesaving conservation efforts. There are three available visiting times: 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m.

Snake Park
Black mambas, puff adders, African rocky pythons, vipers, and Egyptian cobras are just a few of the impressive snake species found in the Snake Park, which is situated on the grounds of the National Museum. The local fish species, turtles, lizards, and crocodiles can all be seen up close. Keep an eye out for fossilized elephants on your way out of the museum.
Giraffe Center
Do you want to spend an enjoyable hour cuddling, feeding, and taking pictures of giraffes? Here, you can interact with the giraffes. Getting a close-up look at these majestic animals is incredible.
SAFARI DESTINATIONS TO VISIT FROM NAIROBI
Samburu National Reserve
A less well-known national park that is teeming with life is the Samburu National Reserve. The park has a surface area of 165 square kilometers and is located 350 kilometers from Nairobi. It is situated along the Ewaso Ng’iro River in Samburu County. Buffalo Springs National Reserve is located on the other side of the river.
Samburu National Reserve draws so many animals because of the Ewaso Ng’iro River, a combination of acacia riverine forest, grassland vegetation, and thorn trees. Here, one can find all three big cats (the lion, cheetah, and African leopard). Elephants, Cape buffalo, and hippopotamuses can all be spotted in great numbers. The Nile crocodile, warthog, olive baboon, Kirk’s dik-dik, waterbuck, impala, and Grant’s gazelle are among the other mammals that are frequently spotted in this area. Additionally, the black rhinoceros was recently reintroduced to the park. The park has over 350 different bird species.
Samburu National Reserve is one of the most enjoyable places to visit due to its remote location and lack of crowds. Samburu, Buffalo Springs, and Shaba are three parks that are combined into one.
Loisaba Conservancy
Five hours by car from Nairobi is where you’ll find the Loisaba Conservancy in Northern Laikipia. There are 56,000 acres in the conservancy. It is served by two perennial rivers and numerous springs, which draw wildlife to the conservancy all year long. The conservancy’s goal is to improve and safeguard the Loisaba landscape’s vital wildlife diversity, habitat, and abundance while also promoting sustainable livestock production and improving the lives of the nearby communities.
Over 260 bird species and 50 mammal species can be found at the Loisaba Conservancy. There are 800 elephants, herds of buffalo, dozens of endangered Grevy’s zebra, wild dogs, giraffes, and great kudus among the local wildlife. Additionally, the conservancy is home to a healthy number of lions, leopards, and cheetahs.
Recommended Camp: Loisaba Tented Camp
The best place to stay the night while touring the Loisaba Conservancy is the Loisaba Tented Camp. In order to provide unrestricted views of the stunning Laikipia landscape and the majestic Mt. Kenya, the camp is situated at the edge of an escarpment. The tents are roomy, featuring a sizable open dining area, an open lounge and bar, a wooden deck area for dining al fresco, and lovely infinity pools. There are numerous things to do in this area, such as horseback riding, escorted bushwalks, mountain biking, and camel trekking.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy
About three hours’ drive from Nairobi, in the county of Laikipia, is where you’ll find the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. The conservancy, which is situated on the equator west of Nanyuki between the foothills of Mount Kenya and the Aberdares, has a total area of 140 square miles (360 square kilometers). The Ol Pejeta Conservancy’s goals are to protect the environment and provide a safe haven for great apes. The two remaining northern white rhinos can be found there, and it is the biggest sanctuary for black rhinos in East Africa.
The ‘Big Five Game”—lions, Cape buffalos, leopards, African elephants, and rhinoceroses—are all present in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. The endangered African wild dog, Grevy’s zebra, Jackson’s hartebeest, serval, bat-eared fox, and cheetahs are among the other animals. Giraffes, baboons, vervet monkeys, impala, hippos, eland, plains zebra, hyenas, silver-backed jackals, Grant’s gazelles, and dik-diks are the most prevalent animals in this area. There are more than 300 bird species in the conservancy.
Recommended Camp: Sweetwaters Serena Camp
This camp, which is located inside the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, has 17 opulent tents and provides stunning views of both the conservancy and Mount Kenya. The upgraded amenities offered by the tents include showers with glass doors and bathrooms with two hand washbasins. Wi-Fi, a pool, large grounds, a private waterhole and night viewing bar, a gift shop, and a business center are additional amenities.
Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy
The Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy is an authentic East African wildlife, cultural, and scenic tourist destination that is located about 290 kilometers from Nairobi. The Northern Rangeland Trust and the Samburu community worked together to create the conservancy. The Matthews Mountain Range, an uninhabited wilderness, contains the 850,000-acre conservancy.
African wild dogs, gerenuks, Grevy’s zebras, reticulated giraffes, de Brazza colobus monkeys, and numerous other endangered species can be found in the conservancy. Elephants, kudus, buffalo, and a variety of other herbivores are also abundant there. Lions and leopards are the main predators.
Recommended Camp: Sarara Treehouses
You will spend time here in one of the most memorable places ever. The Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy’s tropical forest is home to the recently opened Sarara Treehouses. Eight deluxe tents are available. You can participate in a variety of activities, such as camel treks, Matthews Mountains hikes, game drives, and bush walks. Here, you can have a special kind of wilderness experience.
Amboseli National Park
Amboseli National Park, which is about three hours from Nairobi, is the second-most visited national park after Masai Mara National Reserve. It has a surface area of 392 square kilometers (151 square miles). It is the center of an ecosystem that extends across the border between Kenya and Tanzania. The Amboseli National Park is the best wildlife viewing park in the world due to the low rainfall (average 14 in).
More than 400 different bird species can be found in the area, along with African bush elephants, impalas, lions, spotted hyenas, cheetahs, Cape buffalo, Masai giraffe, Grant’s zebra, blue wildebeests, and more. Year-round access is available to the park. Walking is not permitted inside.
Recommended Camp: Elewana Tortilis Camp
This camp is a great place to see wildlife and enjoy magnificent views of Mount Kilimanjaro. Large tents with king or twin beds and elegant en-suite bathrooms are available. The main lounge, dining area, and bar are also present. Here, you can go on walks and game drives, have a bush dinner, and enjoy sundowners. Without a doubt, this is a fantastic location to relax while visiting Amboseli National Park.
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
Lewa attracted media attention thanks to tales of a royal romance and the ensuing fairytale engagement. Kenya’s northern region is home to the conservancy. It was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1995. A variety of wildlife, including sitatunga, Grevy’s zebras, and black rhinos, call this 250-square-kilometer area home. There are five major ones. More than 12% of Kenya’s eastern black rhinos are found in this park. With 350 animals, the conservancy is home to the world’s largest population of Grevy’s zebras. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is best visited From June to September. Driving off-road is permitted.
Recommended Camp: Elewana Lewa Safari Camp
This incredible camp provides spacious tent bedrooms with verandas and private bathrooms. When exploring Kenya’s incredible wildlife viewing, the Elewana Lewa Safari Camp is the ideal location for genuine comfort. Within the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, this is the only tourist attraction.
The Mara
One of the largest wildlife reserves in Africa is the Masai Mara National Reserve, which is located in south-western Kenya. It has 570 species of birds and more than 95 species of mammals living on an area of 580 square miles (1,510 square kilometers). This park is the best if you want to see the Kenya wildebeest migration, which begins in July and lasts until October, in addition to the wide variety of wildlife it supports. Masai Mara Recommended Camps
Governor’s II Moran Camp
The Masai Mara Game Reserve is home to this quaint and small camp. Ten opulent camps are scattered throughout the Mara River’s banks, deep within the forest, and beneath ancient trees. It is the best camp for viewing wildlife while on game drives and game walks, as well as from your room.
Mara Bushtops
One of the most lavish accommodations you will ever experience is here. You can enjoy an unforgettable view of wildlife congregating around a nearby salt lick from your private deck. A butler can also draw your tub after a successful game drive. There is also a spa. The Mara Bushtops combine peace and adventure while providing 5-star luxury.
CONCLUSION:
As you can see, Nairobi is the ideal place to begin the majority of Kenyan safaris. You can enter Tanzania within a few hours and travel there to see breathtaking locations like the Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti, and Zanzibar. Everything depends on how much time and money you have available.
