Hotels in Nairobi

Nairobi is the only capital with a national park on its doorstep — lions and rhinos against a backdrop of city towers, twenty minutes from downtown. Most visitors use the city as the springboard for Kenyan safaris, but the Karen district earns a day in itself: the Giraffe Centre, the Sheldrick elephant orphanage's public hour, and the Karen Blixen Museum.

Honesty: traffic is infamous, so build slack into any schedule, and use ride apps rather than walking after dark. The food scene, from nyama choma grills to a growing café culture, deserves more credit than it gets. Stay in Westlands for restaurants, nightlife and business hotels, or leafy Karen for space and proximity to the wildlife sights.