Guide to Nairobi

'Whether you want to spot big cats on safari, sleep in the bush surrounded by wildlife or travel through tribe villages, Nairobi's central location means you're never far from the action.'

Kenya's cosmopolitan capital is a frenetic, fast-paced city where lively markets, streethawkers and overflowing taxis contribute to the hustle and bustle. Low-level colonial buildings and rickety tin shacks jostle for space with sleek, glass-fronted skyscrapers and modern apartment blocks. A great safari pitstop, it's an ideal base for unearthing the treasures of central Kenya, a colourful patchwork of awe-inspiring extremes and cultural riches. Nairobi is the best place in East Africa for picking up traditional souvenirs with colourful markets and lively bazaars abuzz with the shouts of Kenyan traders and the haggling of determined tourists. The City Market, on Muindi Minghu Street, is a popular port of call for shoppers, while Kariokor Market, on General Waruingi Street, is an open-air chaos of stalls selling everything from fresh fish and fruit, to local artwork and hand-painted ceramics. The colourful Maasai markets have wide appeal and will almost certainly stock the souvenir or present you've been searching for. Remember to keep a tight grip on your handbags and wallets though – Nairobi has earned itself the undesirable nickname 'Nairobbery' for its high levels of petty crime and pickpockets. Of course, there's plenty to see here, too. Not least at Nairobi National Park. Herds of zebra, antelope, wildebeest and giraffe roam the plains of Kenya's first national park, uniquely situated on the capital's doorstep. Black rhinos, ostriches, baboons and lions are just some of the other residents who live against the surreal backdrop of Nairobi's skyscrapers. Not far from Nairobi National Park is a wonderful orphanage where you can see baby elephant and rhino, orphaned by poaching, happily wallowing in mud and being bottle-fed by their human surrogate mothers. A life in the wild awaits these loveable creatures who are eventually returned to their natural environment.

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