You have the day in Nairobi to explore the surroundings which include a visit to the Giraffe Centre, followed by a visit to the Kazuri bead factory and the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage.
Check out one of the biggest Malls in Nairobi.
The Giraffe Centre:
Giraffe Centre is the headquarters for AFEW, the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife. Made famous by Daisy Rothschild - a giraffe calf rescued from Soi on the border of Western Kenya. Giraffe Centre was established in 1983 as a sanctuary for the then endangered Rothschild giraffe. The breeding Programme has been a great success and visitors can now watch these gentle giants at eye level from a raised platform. There is also the opportunity to learn more about giraffe at the interpretation centre and hand-feed them whilst watching the semi-tame family of warthogs snuffle around their hooves in search of tidbits.
Kazuri Beads:
Kazuri Beads was set up as a small business making beads in a shed, by the late Susan Wood. She started with two single women as assistants but before long she noticed that many women in the villages around Nairobi were struggling single mothers who needed jobs. In 1988 Kazuri Beads began its long and successful journey as a help centre for needy women and now employs over 350 local women. In the early 1990's Kazuri decided to diversify into pottery and create a product that could be sold in the home market. With the help of a ceramic expert from England, a pottery business was borne, reminiscent of the pottery industry of England 100 years ago.
You have an opportunity to meet and talk to the women as they work shaping, painting or stringing the beads by hand. The beads are polished and kiln fired, painted and fired again before being strung into a necklace which in then sold in the Kazuri shops, Kenya and globally.
David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage:
Dame Daphne Sheldrick started the elephant and sometimes, rhino, orphanage in honour of her late husband David, the warden of the 15,540 square kilometres (6,000 square miles) Tsavo National Park where they lived and raised orphans of every species at their home. The Orphanage is on the edge of Nairobi National Park where the youngsters feed in their mini herds with a mini Matriarch every day, coming back three times a day for their milk feeding and in hot weather, a mud bath.
At 17:00 they come in for their bedtime feed and sleep. Each elephant sleeps with a ranger, who alternate between the 20-30 orphans found there at any time, to prevent the orphans becoming too attached to one person. All this is explained by a head keeper during the visit as are the harrowing stories of how many became orphans, mostly the result of poaching. They also explain what happens when the residents turn 3 or 4 years old and graduate to the next stage: a release site in Tsavo.
This is the most famous, the largest and most successful elephant Orphanage in Africa and even during a short visit you can
see what wonderful personalities they are, and everyone is different. You can tell the difference between one who came from high altitude and one from low altitude.
In the afternoon we shall explore the Maasai market and then transfer to the hotel.
Tonight you can go bar hopping and enjoy Nairobi nightlife.
Overnight: Ibis Style Nairobi