We went to Kenya and we didn’t go on safari or to Giraffe Manor. We got our e-Visa a couple of weeks in advance and flew straight into Nairobi. We stayed in Nairobi the entire time because it’s huge. The bush is about 45 minutes from central Nairobi and we stayed about 30 minutes from the bush in an area called Wangige. It is green and the trees and views definitely make you sing the theme song to Lion King.
Nairobi is easy to get around using Uber. Crime is fairly high so use caution and be careful walking around the city. After staying in Wangige we moved to an area called Runda Estate which is more central. Nails and hair salons are available and most are in malls and take walk-ins. We enjoyed our spa experiences in Nairobi and a lot of people are friendly and charming.
The best part about Nairobi wasn’t the western food in our opinion but vegan restaurants and vegetarian restaurants do have them. We recommend eating as much local food as possible. The best part about the food in Nairobi was eating raw. The juice and fruit in Nairobi are top tier.
Weed Friendly 0-5 rating 1 Pre rolls are the going rate and the quality is poor. We wouldn’t recommend getting them. Good weed is hard to find.
Nightlife 0-5 rating 4 If you like reggaeton then you will love clubbing in Nairobi. It’s real chill but bring your pepper spray and your mace.
Beauty scene 0-5 rating 5 Nail salons and beauty salons are abundant and a google search away. We went to a few different ones and found that the service was comparable across the board.
Grocery Shopping:
Fresh Markets and juice spots are abundant in Nairobi. If you walk two or three blocks in any direction you are likely to run into a stall with fruits and veggies and someone selling sugarcane and ginger juice.
Carrefour Market -Local grocery store with everything you need; has many locations across Nairobi
Healthy U -Health food store with tahini, vegan ice cream and other plant based specialty items along with vitamins, essential oils, and organic feminine hygiene products
Eating Out:
Coconut beans and chapati w/greens is another traditional Kenyan food and it’s available everywhere. The best part about that is that it is so good. Everyone makes theirs differently though. Our favorite was Taste and Crunch, a small restaurant with a few delicious traditional vegan options.
Ugali– So ugali isn’t a restaurant, it’s a traditional Kenyan food. We say try it once but it’s basically a thick rectangular piece of corn meal. It’s sort of bland and is really just something to go with beans or stew.
Soul Vegetarian Catering & Bakery is just one of the good vegetarian restaurants in central Nairobi. The staff is sweet and friendly and the menu is updated frequently. The food is definitely made with love and the sorrel and ginger lemonade are literally a little piece of heaven. They also make a variety of gluten free foods. https://soulvegcateringandbakery.com/
Ethos Organic Cafe & Restaurant serves mostly Western vegan food like hot dogs and sandwiches. What kept us coming back was the gluten free bread. The German Bakeshop, housed inside of Ethos, bakes fresh vegan gluten free foods like bread, bagels and pretzels. https://www.ethos.co.ke/
Vegan Trap Queens ❤️ 