Aug 27, 2024 • 6 min read
23.08.2024 - 23:26 / cntraveler.com / Conde Nast
While most tourists to Kenya are ultimately heading to Maasai Mara for a safari, truly savvy travelers know that the best things to do in Nairobi are plentiful, making it a capital city that deserves its own dedicated trip. It’s a dynamic city with stellar homegrown restaurants, independent boutiques, thriving cultural venues and contemporary art galleries, innovative social enterprises, and seemingly countless opportunities for ethical wildlife viewing. On top of that, there’s a hotel where you can have breakfast with giraffes. Nairobi really has it all.
Even a national park—home to black rhinos, cape buffaloes, and zebras that meander in its open plains against a backdrop of commercial and residential buildings. But beyond the breathtaking animals that call this place home, it’s of course the people, young and old, shaping Nairobi’s present. The heritage and contemporary life of many Kenyan tribes animate this city of five million, drawing young talents from far and wide, other parts of East Africa included. From shopping and hotels to bars and restaurants, here’s our guide to the best of what Nairobi has to offer.
A version of this article originally appeared in Condé Nast Traveller Middle East.
At Giraffe Manor, giraffes famously poke their long necks through the windows, hoping to get a treat from hotel guests enjoying their breakfast.
It’s a visual that continues to circulate on social media, and for good reason: wild Rothschild giraffes poking their long necks through the windows of Giraffe Manor, hoping for a treat (dried grass pellets) from guests enjoying their breakfast. And while Instagram is often credited for the fame of this intimate hotel in the leafy suburb of Karen, the hype is far from short-lived. Up-close encounters with an endangered species aside, Giraffe Manor is a historical destination with charm to spare; its 12 rooms are meticulously designed to retain the property’s original 1930s character by way of antique furniture, Art Deco bathrooms, in-room fireplaces, and artwork inspired by the long-lashed creatures themselves.
It’ll be tough to lure yourself away from Giraffe Manor’s on-site spa and 12 acres of pristine private grounds, but several unmissable attractions beckon. Giraffe Centre, for starters, is practically located at its doorstep—perfect if you’re looking to hit a nature trail or simply educate yourself on what makes the Rothschild variety so special. Animal enthusiasts can also schedule a visit to Sheldrick Wildlife Trust to meet (and foster) orphaned elephants. Kenya boasts a plethora of riches when it comes to wildlife, but the sight of baby elephants frolicking in mud and suckling on milk bottles is one to remember.
There are also many social and environmental
Aug 27, 2024 • 6 min read
By the time we reached the third waterfall on the Kahunira trail, my wife, Kiki, and I had been walking through the forested backcountry of Kiambu County, Kenya, for nearly three hours. Along the way, we had tasted sweet lady finger bananas in the market town of Githunguri, sipped a sour Kikuyu home brew called muratina proffered by laborers at a rural gravel quarry and made a heart-pounding shortcut across rust-flecked irrigation pipes that traversed a steep gorge fringed with tea plantations.
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Aug 21, 2024 • 10 min read
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As interest in visiting Porto only grows stronger, visitors are finding even more things to do in the city. What was once seen for many as a short trip is becoming a longer break, with exploration outside of the city centre and into neighboring areas. Porto may be Portugal’s second largest city—after Lisbon—but it did give the country its name from the Roman Portus Cale. Centuries later, the city became famous for port, its “divine nectar of the Gods,” tastings of which are highly recommended in any of the port lodges lining the riverside in Vila Nova de Gaia. From there, look across the Douro at Porto’s colorful jumble of medieval houses, soaring church towers, and glossy blue-and-white tiled façades. Here, our selection of the best things to do in Porto can help you weave your way through the city, dipping into its sights, sounds, tastes, and smells to better get under its skin. To be sure, Porto will get under yours too.
Aug 20, 2024 • 13 min read
For so many, Siem Reap, Cambodia, is synonymous with its famed UNESCO World Heritage Site Angkor Wat, one of Southeast Asia’s most significant archaeological grounds. But beyond these iconic ruins is a city brimming with riverside cafés, festive bar scenes, cultural experiences, and French-style colonial streets. Siem Reap is also a culinary hotspot, boasting everything from expertly crafted street food to contemporary cuisine, with several restaurants earning spots on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list. And outside the urban hustle lies exciting cultural experiences in the province’s rural villages and countryside.
As the very last town on the eastern tip of Long Island, connected by only a small stretch of land, Montauk feels worlds away from the bustle of New York City and the doldrums of suburban Long Island.
From classic Italian subs to Cuban sandwiches and tuna melts, these sandwich shops are serving up the best sandwiches in the US.
Aug 14, 2024 • 5 min read