Originally little more than a swampy watering hole for Maasai tribes, Nairobi grew when the railway arrived and had became a substantial town by 1900. Five years later it succeeded Mombasa as the capital of the British protectorate, and today it is the largest city between Cairo and Johannesburg.

Nowadays, the 'Green City in the Sun' is an attractive city with wide tree-lined streets and spacious parkland suburbs.  Kenya's capital is cosmopolitan, lively, interesting and pleasantly landscaped.  Despite the capital's appearance, urban crime is on the increase and visitors are advised to take precautions such as avoiding certain areas, or walking anywhere at night.

Conical Mount Kenya, an extinct volcano, is the second-highest mountain in Africa, at 4986m (16,358ft) above sea level. The national park covers 600 sq km (230 sq miles) of forest and bare rock straddling the equator, all above 1800m (6000ft).

The Masai Mara Game Reserve is often called simply 'The Mara' which is the Maa word meaning "Mottled", a reference to the patchy landscape.  The Maasai (the more usual spelling when referring to the people), are a proud semi-nomadic cattle-rearing people with a fascinating culture, and have a very special relationship with their cattle, which are essential to their life-style. The Maasai have survived a troubled history but are under increasing pressure to conform with modern society.

Within the National Park it is possible to see an endless array of animals,  the so-called 'Big 5' (buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhino) plus cheetah, zebra, giraffe and hippo, as well as hyena, primates, many species of antelope and wildebeest, which often sleep or feed beside the many dirt tracks. Most visitors prefer to watch for animals from the comfort of the park's two lodges, 'Treetops' and 'Ark', both built on platforms overlooking clearings which are floodlit at night.

 

• Kenya National Museum and Snake Park ~ Home to snakes indigenous to East Africa and other parts of the world.
• Nairobi National Park ~ Kenya's first national park, with every kind of African plain-dwelling animal except elephant.
• National Museum ~ It's worth visiting this museum both as an introduction to Kenya and an escape from Nairobi. The museum's cool, peaceful interiors will give relief from the hot dusty streets outside. You'll see displays of fossils, tribal artefacts, and a bird gallery with more than 900 stuffed and mounted specimens.
• AFEW Giraffe Centre, Langata ~ The African Fund for Endangered Wildlife Giraffe Centre is a sanctuary for the rare Rothschilds giraffes, and visitors will have the opportunity of hand-feeding the animals.
• Animal Orphanage ~ This animal orphanage cares for young, sick and wounded animals.
• Karen Blixen's House ~ This charming farmhouse is where the author of the popular novel Out of Africa lived from 1914 to 1931. It was used for many scenes in the rather lengthy film adaptation of the book, starring Meryl Streep as Karen Blixen. The house has a gift shop selling a good variety of books, and is surrounded by beautiful gardens, perfect for picnics.
• Great Rift Valley, the Aberdare Mountains and Mount Kenya ~ Spectacular scenery and wild, open landscapes.