Streets bustling with life, sky-scrappers towering up high, roads flowing with traffic, and parks bubbling with children and youthful couples holding hands are the sights that engulf you as you take a stroll through this busy but lively city of Nairobi; Kenya's capital and East Africa's dominant economic hub.



Nairobi's central location has over the past years helped transformed it into a core transport point of transit for road, rail and air travel, a major economic and industrial reservoir for the entire region and a meeting place for almost all the cultures and races of the world. As a matter of fact, Nairobi's history dates back to the late 1890s when it became the hub for the Mombasa to Uganda railway line. Besides that, Nairobi served as the British provincial capital from 1899 to 1905; this is surely one old mother city.

This cosmopolitan city boasts of being among the prime destinations in the continent; besides being the headquarters for various international organisations (such as the United Nations Environmental Programme), both regional and international corporations and affiliate companies world wide. Nairobi has portrayed rapid growth and has of late been filled with an abundance of modern conveniences such as banks, shopping malls (some of which are open for 24hours a day), caf's, hotels, bars and other entertainment spots for the young and old at large. Needless to say, this fabulous city of Nairobi offers world class hospitality with its five star earning hotels and accommodation facilities.

Due to its functionality as the Kenyan capital, Nairobi has received an overwhelming increase in its population over the last couple of years. There has been an upsurge in not only the Kenyan population but also from the international visitors some of who have moved in to permanently work and settle. The city's culture has subsequently been diversified by the influx of an assortment of communities thus turning Nairobi into a cultural melting pot.

Nairobi is in itself is a wonderful tourist destination. As a matter of fact, Nairobi is the only city that hosts a national park in its environs; yes the Nairobi National Park is the oldest nature reserve in the country and is located in the city's proximity.

Apart from that, the sprawling of city Nairobi has quite a number of museums and art galleries such as the National Museum, the National Archives, the Railway museum and the Bomas of Kenya among others. These go a great mile in satisfying the leisure time, passion and longing of anyone interested in art and history and traditional cultures.

Nature conservation reserves such as the Snake Park, the Nairobi Safari Walk, the Giraffe Centre, the Animal Orphanage and the Arboretum among others can be found just a stone throw away from the hustle and bustle of the Central Business District.

The major modes of transport that one might find available in Nairobi are buses, minibuses which are locally known as ?matatus?, derived from a Swahili word meaning three, because when they were first being used, the price was only three shillings. Train services are also available but not on a scheduled basis. The city has one international airport and a domestic airport but air transport is not available for transport within the city.

It is therefore very important to say that Nairobi is a metropolitan city able to offer excellent stay for whatever period one wishes to.