Kenya: Nairobi Map

Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, is a cosmopolitan and lively city, the largest between Johannesburg and Cairo. It is unusual in such a bustling city, to find a national park full of wild animals, yet this is the setting for the Nairobi National Park. Despite a startling backdrop of city skyscrapers, it is a haven for lions and rhino as well as zebra and many antelopes.

Like many other African cities, Nairobi has its share of bustling markets, skyscrapers, alarming matatu (taxibus) drivers, dusty shanties and leafy suburbs with sweeping gardens. It's a good place to tap back into the world in between safaris and catch up on international news, get your films developed, wander through book shops and send off your post cards to envious neighbours.

There are plenty of places to eat, but Nairobi's most famous restaurant is The Carnivore, where you can taste anything from zebra to crocodile. It may sound like a vegetarian's nightmare, but the vegetarian meals are apparently very good too. Pop in to the Thorn Tree Cafe at the Stanley Hotel. It is named after the huge thorn tree planted in 1961, whose trunk serves as a notice board for travellers.