Nairobi, a rapidly modernizing city of about 3 million and the gateway to East Africa’s safari country, offers more than just urban attractions. In addition to a well-regarded National Museum, its biggest draw for wildlife enthusiasts is Nairobi National Park ($40), a 45-square-mile reserve located just four miles south of the city center. Uniquely, this is the only wildlife park in the world that borders a major city, and visitors can enjoy game drives with the city’s skyline visible in the distance. The park is protected on three sides by electric fencing and is home to four of the Big Five—lion, leopard, Cape buffalo and rhino—alongside giraffes and cheetahs. (Elephants are absent from the park itself.) Ask your hotel to arrange a guided game drive or a taxi for the most convenient access.
If you want to include elephants in your Nairobi wildlife experience, visit the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage near the National Park entrance. Open to visitors from 11 a.m. to noon daily ($6), the orphanage offers a close-up view of rescued infant elephants as they are hand-fed, bathed and allowed to play. These calves are typically orphans whose mothers were killed by poachers, so while visitors cannot touch or feed the animals, the visit provides a powerful and personal perspective on the threats they face. Guests may also support the program by “adopting” a calf for an annual donation ($50/year). Together, a visit to Nairobi National Park and the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage gives travelers a rare opportunity to see much of Africa’s famous wildlife without leaving the capital.