Once a swamp, the town was explored at the turn of the last century by railway workers, who named it “Mile 237”, a name quite far removed from its Maasai name meaning “the place of cold water”.
Today, it has become one of Africa’s largest metropolises, perched at 1,800 metres above sea level, where skyscrapers, cultural mosaics and jacaranda-lined avenues come together. It’s the ideal place to ease gently into Africa before setting off on safari.
On the cultural side, don’t miss the Karen Blixen Museum, a moving tribute to the author of “Out of Africa”, as well as the Giraffe Center and the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, two sanctuaries dedicated respectively to giraffes and baby elephants, true must-sees.
