Nairobi Archive
Terrifying Nairobi Commute
Posted by jimheck in "Modern" Africa, Big Game, Nairobi on May 17, 2013
The picture of lions disrupting traffic on the Ngong side of Nairobi is all over the internet, and it’s one of the best examples to date of the terrible predicament big game has in modern Africa. I must have received the photo above a dozen times from my loyal readers, so thank you! You can [...]
Leaping out of The Wild
Yesterday eland was photographed in Nairobi National Park. It’s enough to make you believe the wilderness will be preserved! There is hardly anything as anomalous in the wild as Nairobi National Park. Three of its four sides abut some of the highest low-rise human population densities on earth, including some of its most truculent slums. [...]
Top Ten 2011 Africa Stories
Posted by jimheck in "Modern" Africa, African Awakening, Arts and Culture, Big Game, Botswana, Congo, Culture, Economy, Egypt, Environment, Nairobi, Perceptions of Africa, Poaching, Politics, Poverty, Refugees, Safety, Serengeti, South Africa, Sudan, Terrorism, Tourism Trends, Twevolution, Uganda, War, Weather, Wildlife Management, Zimbabwe on December 31, 2011
Twevolution, the Arab Spring [by Twitter] is universally considered the most important story of the year, much less just in Africa. But I believe the Kenyan invasion of Somalia will have as lasting an effect on Africa, so I’ve considered them both Number One. 1A: KENYA INVADES SOMALIA On October 18 Kenya invaded Somalia, where [...]
Catching your Insight in Nairobi
Posted by jimheck in Nairobi, OnSafari, Planning Travel on June 8, 2010
I have often recommended that people take some time to enjoy Nairobi’s attractions. Today, the Cronan family did just that. After a final dawn game drive in the northern end of the reserve and a fine breakfast at Olonana, we fly back to Nairobi and the family headed to Karen. Karen is the suburb outside [...]
A Lovely May Safari
Posted by jimheck in Nairobi, OnSafari, Planning Travel on May 30, 2010
My Cronan Family Safari began on a brilliantly beautiful Sunday in Nairobi. Father John (Cronan) had called my wife, Kathleen, while I was on the Great Migration Safari in March, and the vagaries of my own schedules, his as a very active scientist, and his children and sigoths meant that we had to “Do It!” [...]
Kenya Looking Good!
I hadn’t expected to return to Nairobi so soon, but if I hadn’t, the radical change in the city would have gone unnoticed by me. Things are really, at long last, back to normal. And normal is good. There are a lot of sarcastic cliches about hindsight, but in this case it’s a perfect lense [...]
Nairobi National Treasure
Yesterday a leopard was photographed multiple times in Nairobi National Park. It’s been years since there has been such positive news about the wilderness park that lies immediately adjacent the mega-metropolis of Nairobi. Is this positively Green, or is it just a temporary reflection of heavy rains? This adds to the carnivore resurgence here. An [...]
Nairobi Landing
My Cleveland Zoo safari began with nine people arriving a day early and enjoying Nairobi and environs. Nairobi’s climate this year has been strange but fortunate. While most of the rest of the country suffers from serious drought, it has rained steadily on the city for nearly 9 months. The last several months have been [...]
WHICH AFRICA?
This morning the breakfast hall of the Norfolk was quite full. The hotel is being used by many attending a very large conference in Nairobi. The buffet breakfast was robust as usual: one side table was filled with fresh cut fruits: grapefruit, watermelon, oranges, mangoes, several kinds of passion fruits, placed next to a tub [...]
Nairobi Museum
Posted by jimheck in Early Man, Nairobi, Planning Travel on June 27, 2009
For all the stress of Nairobi, the city, its stellar museum makes it all worthwhile. My second safari of the season, the Howard and Godfrey families, arrived unusually altogether on Saturday night. Like most travelers to East Africa, what they wanted to do was see animals, so I’d been unsuccessful suggesting a two-night stay in [...]
Kids on Safari
Posted by jimheck in Family Safari, Nairobi, Planning Travel on June 13, 2009
Children will make just as big an effort to get on safari as adults! Traditionally, American family safaris operate almost exclusively within the summer school vacation window, July and August. I try to push mine a bit earlier, since the game is better and the veld not quite as dusty and dry. The Addington family [...]
Must-Do Nairobi
Posted by jimheck in Nairobi, Planning Travel on March 28, 2009
A safari without Nairobi misses a lot. But don’t arrive during the day on a weekday! I know that a lot of people come to East Africa just to see the animals. There are many safaris that do little else. But never mine. My 60th birthday safari began with three days in Nairobi. And we [...]
Safari Traffic Jam
Posted by jimheck in Nairobi, Planning Travel on March 12, 2009
Never start your safari in Nairobi on a weekday morning. I estimate there are 120-140,000 cars that try to get into Nairobi’s downtown area each morning, on only four roads into the city. The west and north sides aren’t impossible, but the east and south sides which include access to the international airport, are horrible. [...]