Nighlife in Nairobi?
 

Friends are going to Nairobi, appreciate tips for nightlife, clubs, any good shows, prefer walking distance from Intercontinental hotel. Thanks. Restaurants too.

Topping : They fly Monday!

Nightlife in Nairobi is limited and I do not recommend your friends walk around at night. The best place to have a nice time is the Carnivore Restaurant, about 15 mins drive from the Intercon. The popular restaurant served game meat and has a lively disco and occassionally a local or an international live band.

Thanks, is there any bar or nightlife streets , they are sensible so wouldn't go wanding out of the main town, they are interested in any African style shows.

Try Kingele's bar but not sure if there is one in the city. Nairobi city itself is quiet at night and you have to take a taxi to the livelier places. We went to Kingele's on New Year's Eve and it was tremendous with local band playing African music and everyone dancing in the open air. The bar was half-way between Carnivore Restaurant and Intercon, next to a sport stadium and a petrol station. You could combine Kingele's with Carnivore.

There is also a disco next to Carnivore, but I never ventured inside to the disco. I did visit Carnivore twice during my visit, first because the food was good, plentiful and interesting, and its also safe, but its not a bar scene. You can't walk there from Interconti, and I wouldn't advise walking around Nairobi at night. Take a cheap cab. Its not a nightlife kind of town -- there is no strip of bars, at least not that foreigners visit.

Thanks for the tips. Had an e-mail from them and they didn't venture out at night after being 'told' by the hotel that they should not walk around the town at night. I feel already I am probably wasting time but will DAR be any better? They live in Bangkok so are not timid, just want some nice bars or clubs for evenings, nothing raunchy or anything just somewhere to go and meet local people.

Dar is similar to Nairobi, I am afraid. Your friends will have a good time at Carnivore in Nairobi - there is a lively disco on weekends. Check out Lonely Planet forums for more info on places to visit in Nairobi and Dar.

Having recently been to Nairobi, I would be leary of bar / club hopping. While I thoroughly enjoyed the Carnivore, I found Nairobi to be a pit of a city and potentially very very dangerous. Please do not misunderstand, I loved my trip to Kenya. However, if and/or when I go back, I would try and avoid Nairobi all together.

The Carnivore is good, but there are other nice restaurants in Nairobi as well. Advise your friends it's just not worth it to wander around on foot at night anywhere in the city. Staying in the "main town" won't help at all. There are lots of homeless street boys in Nairobi, and they sleep in places like Uhuru Park. Instead, take a taxi.

Nairobi is indeed dangerous at night but you are ok if you take taxis, which are safe and inexpensive. Hotel and restaurant doormen know the problems and are quite helpful.<BR><BR>The Carnivore is excellent (say hello to Dr. Dawa for me). The Safari Park Hotel has local-style shows and entertainment on some, maybe most, evenings and is an enjoyable outing.

Thanks for all the tips. Seems like the Carnivor has cornered the market on being 'the' restaurant in Nairobi. My friends have now left Nairobi and Dar and are due in Lusaka but haven't heard from them yet. Did not want to mention it but the expression 'the absolute pits' was mentioned after they had left both Nairobi and Dar! I would have though these cities would have had more to offer.

Dear James<BR>I don't know anyone who travels to Kenya just to visit Nairobi. But Nairobi is a place to stop before going on fantastic safaris in Kenya. Or as a stop after unforgettable safari.