First Impressions
The first thing I noticed about Nairobi is that it is dusty and the color of the dust is different from other places I’ve been. It is a rich orange-red color, like the burnt sienna crayon from the Crayola box I had as a child. I was curious what causes the color and learned that it is the iron content in the soil.
Looking around, I noticed that there are lots of people, sometimes going somewhere but oftentimes just hanging around. It isn’t clear to me what they are doing. Both men and women, sometimes alone and sometimes in a small group, are seen standing around the side of the road or an intersection. Maybe they are waiting for someone or something. Maybe they are just standing around not waiting for anything in particular.
Kenya is a visibly poor country. Its per capita GDP is only about US$2000 compared to China’s US$ 12,000 and the US’s US$ 70,000 (The World Bank, 2021). It ranks as the 51st poorest country in the world, richer than Cambodia and Nigeria, but poorer than Angola and Nicaragua (Poorest Countries in the World 2023, Global Finance, Global Data, Economic Data, September 8, 2023, https://www.gfmag.com/global-data/economic-data/the-poorest-countries-in-the-world).
Despite widespread poverty, almost everybody we have encountered has been exceedingly friendly. They are ready to warmly welcome us to their country with a smile and a handshake or fist bump. Sometimes they even greet us with a “ni hao” and they seem delighted when we reply with a “jambo” which is “hello” in Swahili. It is not just friendliness and warmth that comes across, it is a strong sense of pride that each Kenyan exudes. Kenyans are proud of their country, their heritage and their land.
One of my kids asked me if I noticed something about Kenyans – that most Kenyans are black. It reminded me that things grownups might consider obvious are not necessarily so, to children. It is an accurate observation that aptly draws a contrast to the color of people we were used to seeing in Shanghai. I wonder, if we had not come to Kenya and my kids did not have the chance to make this observation in person, when and how would they have learned that most, but not all, Kenyans are black. In fact, more than 92% of the Kenyan population is comprised of black African ethnicities and about 8% of the population is made up of non-black African groups like Arabs, Asians and Europeans.
Home (Airbnb)
Our Airbnb was located on Riverside Drive in a central and convenient area in Nairobi. We felt very safe and like many upscale buildings in Nairobi, there were armed guards stationed at the gate of the compound. Nothing was really in walking distance but it was convenient to call an Uber from the apartment. It was a wonderful first home for us with all of the space and amenities that we hoped for.
The highlight for the kids was the pool, trampoline and playground in the compound. They played there nearly every day and swam a few times. They made friends with some children in the compound and played together a few times.
Transportation
We were pleased to see that Uber and Bolt are an easy and convenient way to get around. Because we are six people, we need to call either one Uber XL, but these are harder to come by, or two Chapchaps, which are plentiful.
Food and Restauarants
It was easy to purchase groceries and other necessities through the Uber Eats or Bolt Food apps. The groceries were delivered to our door in about 30 minutes. There were also many options to buy groceries in-person. We visited a few supermarkets like Carrefour in Sarit Center, not far from our apartment, and Naivas, a local upscale supermarket chain, in the Karen neighborhood.
The supermarkets we visited were well-stocked and had a diverse array of products. Although it was not labeled organic, the produce looked imperfect and more “natural” than we are used to seeing in China or the US. Much of the fruits and veggies had blemished skin, inconsistent sizes and was generally smaller. No such thing as “designer” fruits here like white strawberries, gigantic apples or $50 melons like you see in Asia.
We ate many meals at home as RY was eager to prepare many of them. AY and DY were happy to assist in the kitchen and also setting the table.
Breakfast was usually eaten at home. Our breakfast menu usually consisted of 2 fruits + starch + protein + dairy selected from the following categories.
Fruit: Orange, banana, watermelon, apple or mango
Starch: Chapati, pancakes or bread
Protein: Bacon or egg
Dairy: Milk or cheese
Lunch was usually eaten out at a restaurant and dinner usually eaten at home. Some of our favorite dining experiences were:
Kilimanjaro Jamia
Ankole Grill Kitisuru
CJ’s Waterfront in Karen
Le Grenier a Pain
The Crafty Chameleon Brewhouse and Restuarant
The dinners that we had at home were usually simple meals that we cooked or leftovers from lunch. RY cooked a delicious meal of pasta with minced meat and veggies in a tomato sauce. I cooked a one-pot chicken noodle meal with a whole chicken, lots of veggies like Chinese cabbage, potato, carrots and corn and noodles.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
This is our day-by-day itinerary for our week in Nairobi. Each of the main highlights have their own blog page where I share our experience in greater detail.
Day 1 – Arrival and settling in to our Airbnb
Day 2 – Karura Forest and Picnic
Day 3 – Kibera & CJ’s
Day 4 – Nairobi National Park & Crafty Chameleon
Day 5 – Nairobi National Museum & Ankole Grill
Day 6 – Giraffe Center & Kilimanjaro Jamia
Day 7 – Le Grenier a Pain & Nairobi Planetarium
