KARIBU KENYA - UNON - the United Nations Office at Nairobi

history with a stunning display of high-speed daring and some more sedate
means of flying at Wilson Airport each November (see www.nairobiairshow.com).
And for equestrian buffs, the Jockey Club of Kenya runs a lively season of
Sunday horse races at the Racecourse on Ngong Road; call 566108-9 or email
jck@karibunet.com for a list of upcoming race meetings.
Hotels in Nairobi
Nairobi boasts a great variety of hotel accommodation, from lavish five-star
suites at some of Africa’s greatest ‘names’ – including The Norfolk and The
Stanley, both of which still compete for the title of ‘Kenya’s first luxury hotel’
– to a variety of comfortable and reasonably priced three- and four-star
accommodation. Unfortunately, the UN’s location in Gigiri means there are
no hotels around the corner, but there are a variety in Westlands, a 15-minute
drive away, including the comfortable four-star Jacaranda Hotel opposite the
Sarit Centre and the Holiday Inn on Parklands Road. Diplomatic identity
cards will entitle international UN staff to residents’ rates at most hotels. A
short list of some of the hotels in Nairobi is presented below. More details,
including a location map and distances to Gigiri and JKIA, are available at
www.unon.org.
Nairobi’s status as a ‘safari centre’ has also led to the establishment of a
variety of luxurious private retreats, where one can stay upon arrival or take
your spouse for a pampered battery-charging weekend. Several of these are
located in Karen and Langata, including the beautiful 1932 Giraffe Manor
(891078), which must be the only place in the world where you can feed
giraffe through your second-floor bedroom window, the unique treehouses of
Ngong House (890840), and the peaceful residential retreat of Macushla
House (891987). Closer to Gigiri, the Kentmere Club in the Tigoni
Highlands (066-50625) blends the atmosphere of an English country inn with
one of the most beautiful tropical gardens in Kenya.
Another weekend option that is becoming increasingly popular among the
get-up-and-go Nairobi crowd are self-catering private houses and villas – some
luxurious, some simple, but all in beautiful places – which are rented out by a
growing number of local agents. The largest of these is Langata Link
(891314/890480), which, in partnership with Exclusive Classic Properties at
Village Market (520943/521074/0734-688772), has 120 private homes for rent,
complete with live-in cooks and cleaners, in places as close as Athi River and the
Ngong Hills and as far as Laikipia and the Coast.The houses are also listed on a
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