KENYA CITIES

Nairobi
Kenya 's capital city has risen in a single century from a fairly uninhabited swampland to fast growing modern city. The swampland was named "Ewaso Nai'beri" meaning "place of cold water" by the maasai centuries ago. It has now grown to the region commercial center the largest city in eastern Africa and houses two UN agencies UNEP and HABITAT.

Modern Nairobi is still the safari capital of Africa, but the modern world has quickly caught up with the city. A frontier town no more, Nairobi has become one of Africa 's largest cities and, with its Rhinoceros extensive Masai markets and shops, one of its most interesting sights. The capital city is a place of great contrasts where race, tribe and origin all become facets of a unique Nairobi character. The city has not lost a sense of its past, no matter how short its history may be. It boasts an excellent museums, as well as the home of Karen Blixen (born Isak Dinesen), the author of "Out of Africa." Her home is open to visitors.

One of Nairobi 's most interesting features is its setting. A metropolis set down in the middle of a great wilderness, its shimmering skyscrapers can be seen by the giraffes and other wild animals that inhabit Nairobi National Park, which comprises 44 square miles (113 square kilometers) of plains, cliffs and forest right on the edge of town. Flights taking off from Nairobi 's airport are observed by the park's large herds of zebra, wildebeest, buffalo and giraffe. Rhinos, cheetahs, and a large number of lions are also found here, all born free and living wild within twenty minutes of the center of the country's capital.

From the wildlife to the nightlife, Nairobi is a city unlike any other. Nairobi 's well-known restaurants and colorful array of shops and markets insure that there is always plenty on offer for the visitor.