The People
Every person we’ve encountered here has been kind, welcoming, and genuinely excited to see the girls. They’ve answered questions, shared their language and culture, given advice, shown us around, and done it all with such joy. Life here feels less rushed — more of a “things happen when they happen” vibe — which has been really refreshing.
The Ease and Price of Ubers
We quickly discovered how useful Ubers are here. We take them everywhere, every day, and the average cost of a ride is about $5 CAD. The drivers are fantastic, plentiful, and skilled at navigating the city’s hectic traffic — and the chaos and traffic doesn’t affect the price.
Tusker Ciders
On day four we discovered Tusker ciders, and I regret not trying them sooner. Tusker is a Kenyan brand of beer and cider. While the beer is fine, the cider has been our favorite — crisp, sweet, and the perfect drink after a busy day.
Ease of English
Everyone we’ve interacted with speaks English, not just those dealing with the tourists. While accents sometimes gave us pause, communication has been easy both ways. I think we’ll miss this a lot during our time in Thailand.
The Weather
The weather has been phenomenal — 15–25°C (59–77°F). We’d reach for sweaters and pants in the mornings, but end the day in shorts and t‑shirts. And, semi-related, we’ve had zero bug issues. In three weeks, I’ve seen exactly two mosquitos, and flies only appeared when we we got really close to animals out on the safaris. Update: REALLY missing right now in the 45C temperatures of Dubai.
The Apartment
Our apartment has been absolutely perfect: two big bedrooms, three bathrooms, a spacious living room, full kitchen, and a balcony where the kids have spent hours playing. After weeks of squeezing into single hotel rooms, this space has been a gift. The rooftop pool and gym, plus the ground-floor coffee shop, convenience store, and full security team, made it even better. The coffee shop was pricey, but Justin and I loved dropping the kids off at camp and then catching up over fancy coffees together.
The Laundry
Our apartment’s washer has been a lifesaver, running quick loads in 15–30 minutes. But the real highlight is how fast clothes dry on the balcony rack. In humid places, drying can take more than a day, but here — with dry, breezy, sunny conditions — clothes are ready in 20 minutes. When you’re doing laundry nearly every day, that’s a huge win.
The Kids’ Camps and Programs
Nairobi seems to really understand the concept of kids’ programs. Nearly every play place we’ve encountered offers drop-off options, and we joined the half-day homeschool forest camps at Amuse. The girls loved every play place and camp session, and in all cases the teachers were plentiful, enthusiastic and playful, and it gave us a little break — even just for an hour.
The Music
For whatever reason, Nairobi is deep into early 2000s music, and Justin has been loving it. It’s what plays in most Ubers, restaurants, and play places and it’s been great.
How Green the City Is
Nairobi does a great job blending busy urban areas with green natural areas, the highlight of which is Karura Forest which is one of the largest urban forests in the world and is even bigger than New York’s Central Park. And the trees here are in such beautiful blooms, with flowers everywhere. Nairobi’s streets and parks are full of native blooms whose vibrant colors are woven into their local culture.