Nairobi

Nairobi is Kenya's capital and East Africa's largest city — a fast-moving hub where glass towers rise within sight of open plains, and the only major city on earth with a national park on its doorstep. Most Kenyan safaris begin and end here, and the city rewards a day or two with genuinely world-class wildlife: Nairobi National Park, where lion and rhino roam against a skyline backdrop; the David Sheldrick elephant orphanage; and the Giraffe Centre. Beyond the wildlife, Nairobi offers excellent restaurants, the Karen Blixen Museum, vibrant markets and a thriving arts scene — far more than a transit point on the way to the Mara and beyond.