Nairobi: Safari, Elephant Orphanage & Giraffe Centre Day Trip

4.84

(161 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“Hakuna matata, we might see the lions before breakfast,” Joseph grinned as he rolled down the window. I didn’t quite believe him—Nairobi National Park is so close to the city that you can still smell car exhaust if the wind’s right, but then there we were: giraffes moving like shadows against the skyline, and somewhere in the grass, a rhino flicked its ear. It was early, cool enough that my coffee stayed warm in my hands. The park felt alive—birds arguing overhead, our guide quietly pointing out tracks in the red dirt. I kept glancing back at those skyscrapers behind us. It’s strange how wild it gets so close to all that noise.

The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust was next—Joseph said “the babies are always hungry” and he was right. We watched the orphaned elephants tumble over each other for their bottles. One of them tried to steal my shoelace (I let him). There’s this earthy smell—hay and mud and milk—and a feeling you get watching the keepers fuss over each animal like it’s their own kid. I didn’t expect to feel so much just seeing them play. People around me were quiet for a bit; maybe everyone was thinking about what these animals had been through.

Lunch wasn’t included, but Joseph suggested Cultiva Farm Kenya (“try whatever’s green today,” he winked). The food tasted like it had been picked that morning—sharp tomatoes, something herby I couldn’t name—and there were chickens pecking nearby. Later at the Giraffe Centre, I fed a Rothschild giraffe named Daisy who leaned down so close I could see her eyelashes twitch. They’re softer than you’d think. I tried saying “asante” and Li laughed at my accent—probably butchered it, but Daisy didn’t seem to mind.

I brought home a beaded bracelet from Kobe Tough Beads—the woman who made it told me her daughter helps after school. The colors are bright and uneven; every time I look at it now, I remember that morning light on the savannah and how different Nairobi feels once you’ve seen both sides of it.