#VickiesPicks: 72 Hours in Amazing Nairobi, What to Eat, See, and Do - Travel Review

72 Hours in Nairobi

HABARI KENYA

Last week I spent an amazing 72 hours in Nairobi, Kenya and it was perhaps one of the best trips I’ve taken in a while. BBCAfrica flew me out to participate on The She Word, a new pan African Show for and about women on the continent.

The actual taping took just about 2 hours between makeup and the last shot. My co-panelists were Sade Ladipo from Nigeria, Anita Nderu from Kenya, and Mandy Amandine from Burundi. We talked about sexual harassment in both its extreme forms as rape and abuse, and to cat calling on the street. The show will air first week April.

After I wrapped duties at BBC it was just me and Nairobi City.

Nairobi is probably one of the most ‘connect and go’ cities I’ve ever been to on the continent. You understand right away that this is a tech hub. As soon as I got data connectivity I basically didn’t need anyone else. Uber is so cheap I didn’t want to leave. Even though friends had made jokes about being safe, I felt completely at home and at ease going about my business as a solo female traveler.

In the time I was there no one harassed me, bothered me or made me feel unsafe or as though I didn’t belong. However, for a West African the metal detectors, and security checks were shocking. Rarely do I get searched to enter buildings in Freetown or Accra. It was not lost on me how truly blessed we are to not have to worry about acts of terrorism in Ghana and Sierra Leone. Especially in Sierra Leone where at midnight you could walk freely in the streets without a care or worry. Salone safe so.

I never knew Nairobi was such a foodie city either. My GOD! How does anyone decide where to eat or what to do. This city is bustling with unlimited offerings of every kind. I’m not saying it gave me NY, city that never sleeps vibes because Nairobi is Nairobi but it absolutely had me feeling like sleep was completely optional and I could stay out till morning.

I enjoyed the food every where I went: From the posh and luxe The Lord Erroll and its beautiful garden, to CJ’s on Koinange Street, ArtCaffe, Mama Ashanti, and the Ethiopian Dish at Prestige Plaza. I could have eaten more if not for this single and snatched lifestyle I’m trying to maintain.

For coffee I had brews as the famous Java House, ArtCaffe, and at Le Grenier a Pain. Handsdown the latter had the best coffee, followed by ArtCaffe.

Absolute highlight of my trip was interacting with traders at the Maasai Market at Prestige Plaza. I was a treat for them, as they were for me. My Fulani hairstyle and earrings, coupled with stacked beaded bangles from South Africa, and bright Ghana made African print trousers from Siba’s in Accra brought all the compliments. They loved me, its true. We talked about marriage, culture, dance, and children.

I didn’t buy much but I managed to spend $100, yes I know I paid like a Muzungu but chale if there is anywhere to let yourself be “had” its with traders. They work hard and I don’t mind being taken one time only for an overpriced item or two.

Ofcourse you can not come all the way to Nairobi and not attempt to have a wildlife experience. Kenya is one of Africa’s top 5 tourist destinations and its the culture and the wildlife that bring tourists back. I headed to the Giraffe Center, an hour’s drive from Nairobi and for the first time got to see giraffes up-close. They are big, thick, and majestic. I learned that giraffes do not sleep at night, while their enemies in the wild are sleeping they eat. An adult giraffe can eat up to 65kgs of food at night and they can weigh upwards of 1600 pounds. Yes! Heavy! Is the giraffe my spirit animal? I mean i do stay up late grinding while others sleep so perhaps there is something here. How else does one stay ahead in the game if you’re not nourishing yourself while others sleep? Giraffes have the right idea. Eat while they sleep.

If I had to summarize my 72 hours in Nairobi, I would say Nairobi puts the A in Amazing. Corny but true. Could I live here though? No and for one simple reason. I asked for pepper sauce and someone brought me Tobasco. Yes Tobasco! I had to clutch my cowrie shells (pearls to you).

I loved Nairobi, I do but this West African woman can not live in a country where Tobasco passes for peppeh. No shito? No nenneh koroh? Come on fam! We need di peppeh.

Anyway amazing city, killer vibes, and open people. I’ll definitely come back to +254 N-A-I.

Quick Facts Nairobi

• Capital of Kenya

• Population 3.9 million

• Langauge: Swahili also English

• Currency: Kenyan Shillings

  For more information on Nairobi and Kenya.

This is the chicken liver dinner at The Lord Erroll, I did not love it but I don’t love liver periods. I only ordered it because I hadn’t seen liver on a menu in a while so I was curious.

View from my window table at The Lord Erroll

I’m a sucker for Restaurant Week in NY so I was pleasantly surprised that Nairobi also has one. Yo! Freetown/Accra we need to make RW a thing.

I flew in on KQ 503 - Kenya Airways ACC-NBO. Its a 5 hour night flight that gets you at Jomo Kenyatta Airport at 5am. The immigration Officers at JKA are NO JOKE. They don’t smile at all. As a Sierra Leonean citizen we don’t need visas to go to Kenya. How fabulous is that?

Man, the traffic is no joke though. It took 90 mins in morning rush hour to make it from the airport to the hotel which was in Westlands, a trendy part of the city

I stayed at the Azure Nairobi Hotel in Westlands. It wasn’t luxe or anything but it was a solid hotel, had a pool and a spa on location. Had a bomb mani, pedi there.

Amazing interview I had with one of Kenya’s most influential media personalities both on TV and digital. Her name is Sharon Mundia (@thisisEss) on Twitter and IG. Her show is Living with S and it appears daily weekday mornings on Kenya’s NTV

Definitely go to the Giraffe Center. I mean its Giraffes and you can feed them. It took us about an hour to get there from Westlands. Costs a 1000 Kenya shillings to enter. Thats about $10. They accept debit cards. I used my Sierra Leone issued UBA card and it worked. Yaaay!

Delicious but tiny plate mushroom dish at The Lord Erroll was yum

Just a car selfie after I left The Giraffe Center

First day there selfie, feeling glorious in my jumpsuit made by Amizo Designs in Freetown

Java House is Nairobi’s biggest coffee chain. Tried it but it was not the best coffee I had while I was there.

This is Salma, and she is 8 years old. I think she has two kids. I don’t know is she is a single giraffe mom or if she is married but she had one long tongue

Just another car selfie after I left he Maasai Market at Prestige Plaza with my new head gear.

You have to eat Ethiopian in Kenya, I mean they are neighbors. This was the vegetarian platter at a fast food Ethiopia spot at the Prestige Plaza mall called simply, “Ethiopian Dishes”.

The amazing host and all female crew of Living with S on Kenya’s NTV. An all female crew on the continent is just about my dream set up for my own show.

This was supposed to be a raspberry almond mille feuilles (thousand layers). It was not as light as it should be so I didn’t finish it. The manager on duty so that I didn’t eat it and I told him why so he offered me a free dessert on the house. No wonder The Lord Erroll is top on Trip Advisors’ restaurants in Nairobi, the ambiance and service was amazing.

This is how I dressed to get around after I finished the show at BBCAfrica. These trousers are from Siba’s in East Legon, in Accra.

thigh and coffee

feeding Salma again at Giraffe Center

I have such good friends. Mercy is a Kenyan producer I met in Freetown last year while we were working on the Presidential debate.

Arnold is a Sierra Leonean film maker who has lived in Nairobi for two decades. I also met him in Freetown during the debate.

We all three have stayed in touch so it was absolutely amazing to meet up with them at the trendy Milan Bar Lounge at The Mirage in Westlands

I bought this traditional Maasai throw at the market at Prestige Plaza. It is a gift but chale I was cold so I borrowed it. This photo was taken at Mama Ashanti, a West African restaurant in Nairobi. I wasn’t too hungry so I only ordered suya. If I lived in Nairobi though I would return to Mama Ashanti everyday to sit in their garden and drink their dawa. This is the best dawa I have ever had. Go Google dawa. Its a hot ginger and lime drink and its sooo good.

Had to take a stylish photo at the BBC’s East Africa Bureau in Nairobi innit?

Off to the Maasai Market but first window selfie

This is my Nigerian friend Gemini’s head. We met in Freetown over 5 years ago when she worked there with Airtel. She lives in Nairobi now and it was so great to catch up. We talked about work and the D. HA!

I went to the Artcaffe at The Oval in Westlands. I loved the space. Their cuppa was also lush.

Dining alone selfie at The Lord Erroll

Amazing raisin buns at Le Grenier at the Riverside Building in Westlands. Absolutely delicious. They know what they are doing in the pastry department. Also they had the best coffee of the three places I had coffee in Nairobi. Their sticky bun also was beyond the one at Artcaffe

Who wouldn’t order a dish called the “Split Decision” at CJ’s on Koinange Street?

with The She Word co-panelists Anita Nderu (Kenya), Sade Ladipo (Nigeria), and Mandy Amandine (Burundi) at BBC Africa studios in Nairobi, Kenya

Pretending to not be going ape shit on the inside about how for the culture chic this Maasai headgear made me feel at the market at Prestige Plaza

looking u directions to the Oval

Le Grenier a Pain in Nairobi is my pick for best coffee and pastry. Allez les bleus! French people do know what they are doing with a boulangerie and cafe

My Kenyan Boo Mercelline

Delish Waldorf Salad at The Lord Erroll

A passion fruit Nojito (virgin mojito) at CJ’s on Koinange St was lush

getting schooled on Giraffe life at The Giraffe Center. Did you know that Giraffes don’t sleep at night? All they do is chop. They can eat up to 65kgs of food in one night. No wonder they can grow as big as 1600 pounds. Seriously heavy machinery right there and yet so graceful.

The Lord Erroll just so pretty as the sun went down and the lights came on

mandatory selfie post The She Word filming at BBC Africa with Mandy Amandine and Sade Ladipo. I was the first guest ever from Sierra Leone on the show. Gladly set the bar all the way high.

With my GoWoman sister Gemini at Mama Ashanti

No way I wasn’t going to raid the Maasai Market. Whats really cool about this is that it moves to various different malls and venues through out the week. Love the concept of having traditional markets at the malls.