Why Nairobi Tented Camp makes Nairobi The Best City To Sleep In The Wild
The sunrays rise in the cloudless skies melting away the morning blues as the day gently unfolds. Driving through Nairobi’s Central Business District, you pass skyscrapers, billboards, motor freeways and flyovers with carefree drivers whizzing by scarcely contemplating the developments and innovations around them that barely existed a decade ago.
You drive on, arriving at the gates to Nairobi National Park and as the city’s hustle and bustle fade away, everything around you starts to transform. You catch the wind’s sighing, the leaves’ rustling, and the birds’ chirping. The park is teeming with wildlife and the endless rolling plains, riverine woodlands and thick bush-lined valleys are just a few of the park’s varied habitats that majestically reveal themselves the farther on you drive. As you delve deeper into the mysteries of the park, a stunning realization dawns – you are in the presence of wildlife with a backdrop of an entire throbbing and buzzing city! Where else can you find this?
In addition (as if this was not mindboggling enough) deep within a riverine forest, is the Nairobi Tented Camp – an authentic camp right in the heart of the park! It is the first and only tented accommodation in this unique safari destination. This is a small intimate wilderness escape with 9 guest tents where you can savor the thrill of camping in the heart of thick bushland right on the doorstep of Nairobi.
Your day starts with an early morning game drive and on return to camp, a warming hearty cooked breakfast awaits. All meals are crafted to compliment bush living without sacrificing on quality – there is nothing more blissful than sleeping off your three-course lunch in a swaying hammock under the shade of an olive tree. As the day cools and the sun is setting, during an evening game drive, guests get a chance to catch that evasive moment where a lion might decide it is time to feast. Campers return to tantalizing dinners of light as a feather soufflés and tender beef fillet served under the vast African starlit sky with accompanying drinks and stories around the campfire.
The camp has plenty of its own attractions and part of the joy of the place is just enjoying the seclusion of the wilderness. Nevertheless, whether you are holidaying at the camp for tourism, a night stopover, international business or conference, filming or simply looking for a weekend break as a local resident, its unique location offers a whole wealth of things to do and additional places to visit during your stay. For instance, the camp has special permissions for lodgers to do short guided walks accompanied by a ranger up the Kisembe Valley from the camp.
Guests may also opt to take a short drive to the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage or the AFEW (Africa Fund for Endangered Wildlife) Giraffe Centre. At the orphanage, the saying ‘an elephant never forgets’ could not be truer, particularly for the baby elephants that are fortunate enough to be rescued by the team. So intense is an elephant’s upbringing that even when re-released into the wild the Sheldrick elephants never forget their keepers. The center has an education and breeding programme that has been rescuing the rare Rothschild giraffe since 1974. Then, there were less than 100 Rothschild giraffes left whilst today, there are over 700 in existence – eight of which can be visited at the center.
Visitors may also contemplate dropping by the Karen Blixen Museum. The story of Karen Blixen has been made famous by her book ‘Out of Africa‘ that was later turned into a film. This resolute woman’s house stands as a reminder of her incredible belief in Kenya and determination to make her life in Africa a success.
Guests may possibly consider dropping into the Kenya National Museum set up in colonial times by the famous paleontologist Louis Leakey for an educational trip. The museum displays many of the discoveries regarding human origins; similarly in its collections are many artifacts garnered from Kenya’s diverse people including stunning paintings of their rich heritage.
The Kazuri Beads pottery is a great place to buy eye-catching ceramic beads and crockery. Visitors can enjoy a tour around the workshop and see the women at work. Utamaduni was set up to support local artisans by giving them a place to show and sell their hand-made artifacts that are unique to Kenya. You can find almost anything in this warren of little shops.
Marula Studios was recently set up to display an incredible array of household accessories made from flip-flops washed up on the beach in the Kiunga Marine National Park on the North Kenya Coast. Part of the sales revenue is sent back to support Community Conservation projects in this beautiful but poor part of the country. It is a great place to buy unique, hand-made gifts (which supports Marine Conservation).
Nairobi Tented Camp is truly a hidden gem in the bustling Nairobi city and you would be hard-pressed not to find something to do or somewhere to go that tickles your fancy.
