Note: This is an article on my second trip to Nairobi in which I will try not to repeat myself on the basics already described in the first article, which can be found here: Nairobi, Kenya, 2018.
Trip
My second trip to Nairobi was in December, 2018. Flying my favourite Qatar Airways and was not disappointed. The Hamad International Airport in Doha where I stayed long hours both going to and back from Kenya proved once again to be an outstanding facility. This time I enjoyed the hospitality of the Oryx hotel inside the transfer area in the airport. An amazing place which extends the local welcome to travelers in a luxurious way.
Hamad International Airport is unique in its own way. The transfer area is perfectly organized. Getting off the plane and entering the building has always been quick and effortless for me. You still have to go through a quick security check, yet passport control is omitted.
Once in the airport, you find yourself in a multicultural environment where the time of day is irrelevant. Seating areas offer charging points for your phone or laptop, there are smoking areas available in the different parts of the building. Local and international businesses host their shops here and display their goods in modern and contemporary shops.
The weather
My second stay in Nairobi took place in December and it was still the raining season. Unlike my first stay a month earlier, this time rain was there. Typically it would rain during the night when temperatures dropped to about 15 degrees Celsius. Days were warm with temperatures between 20 - 28 degrees Celsius. I was once again quite all right with a shirt and a light jacket.
The altitude is over 1700 meters and you can sometimes find yourself deprived of oxygen when you walk fast or climb stairs, but it could just be me getting older.
General impressions
To add to my impressions from Nairobi from my first article (Nairobi, Kenya, 2018), I now noticed that the vehicles in the city are mostly small city cars. The preferences of the local people definitely go with Toyota and Nissan to an extend. For a total of over three weeks in the city I was only able to see one hybrid car though.
The public transport is using what I assume is private companies busses which are quite aged.
The roads are typically wide yet be careful not to hit one of many holes, some of them are scary deep and large. Sidewalks could also use significant improvements.
All roads and vehicles are covered with reddish dust and mud, probably due to the soil in the area.
If you plan to drive in Kenya, you should also note the traffic is right hand drive. Traffic jams in Nairobi are not uncommon, especially during rush hours. Traffic police officers are at every major intersection to ease the pressure. What seems striking is that motorcycles do not seem to obey traffic rules too much. They use the sidewalks way too often as well as any available space to move forward.
It is not uncommon to see drivers using their hands as an addition to the blinkers should they want to change lanes.
I was lucky this time to enjoy the presence of several families of monkeys at the hotel garden for a full day! They were playing around, displayed no fear from people and gladly accepted bananas and other edible gifts.
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