I am sure most of the country would agree that President Obama’s visit this past weekend was a huge success in almost every way possible. There was one disappointing factor though, and that was the fact that when he landed, he was the only member of his family that got out of his Air Force One plane.
It was a little disheartening not to have been able to share this experience and country with the first lady, Michelle Obama and their two lovely daughters, Malia and Sasha. Knowing this however, Obama made sure to promise more visits to the land of his paternal ancestry after he becomes a private citizen and is more free to do so. Hopefully he will also visit with the rest of his family. If the girls Malia and Sasha who are right now aged 13 and 16 do come for a visit, here are some of the top places they may want to see in Nairobi and its environs to give them a glimpse of their heritage.
Maasai Market
This is a top tourist well-kept secret that moves locations throughout Nairobi every day, into different malls and well populated areas. Being teenage girls, Malia and Sasha would probably go gaga for the beautiful bounty that can be collected from one trip to this African treasure trove of a market. From hand crafted bead necklaces and jewelry to Maasai patterned kitenge dresses and kanga pants, they would probably never get enough. They would also be able to go back home having outfits and accessories that show their pride in the African blood in their veins.
National Museum
The Nairobi National Museum aims to interpret Kenya’s rich heritage and would offer a one stop for the girls to sample the country’s rich heritage both for education and leisure. In addition to the museum, they would be treated to a variety of shopping and dining facilities, as well as botanical gardens that offer a serene environment. It’s a beautiful experience that would be extremely enriching to the girl’s visit to Kenya in enabling them to understand their history.
Many have said the Nairobi National Park cannot fail to amaze, its catalogue of wonders too diverse to go into here, and of course it is Kenya’s foremost Rhino Sanctuary and as such, deserves all the protection it can get. What makes Nairobi Park surreal when compared to your other safari destinations in East Africa is that it is not uncommon to see grazing herbivores, such as giraffe, wildebeest, eland, Thomson’s gazelle and many others grazing quietly with the distant high-rises of Nairobi as a backdrop. There is no other place in the world can you photograph the free-roaming leopard, lion, buffalo, rhino and other animals in its natural ecology against a city skyline. explains more. The girls could also decide to take do the safari walk inside the park for a little adventure.
Animals!
The animal orphanage is a great place to see some of the majestic creatures up close and personal. For more than 200,000 visitors each year, the Nairobi Animal Orphanage is an educational part of their trip. Established in 1964, the orphanage is the oldest of its kind in Kenya and serves as an educational and training facility where more than 20 different animal and bird species are rehabilitated back to health after being abandoned and injured as stated,
David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage/Giraffe Manor
A trip to the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage would also be extremely delightful to the teenage girls. I mean a close up view of baby elephants and a chance to feed them. What else could you ask for? Other animal fanatic places that the girls may adore if they checked out would be the Giraffe centre to feed the giraffes, and Mamba village for a close up view of crocodiles of all ages.
Adventure in Naivasha
The Obama family is a very pro-active family, so they may just come seeking adventure. A lovely place to go would be Hells gate in Naivasha for a fun, bonding, and hiking experience. The hike in Hell’s gate is really fun because it’s rugged but not up hill and steep so even Sasha would enjoy herself completely without it being too hard. After that they may also want to check out the serene Lake Naivasha for a few family photos and reflection filled moments. If that doesn’t tire them out then they could move on to Lake Nakuru and view the pink formation of flamingos covering the surface of the water. The beauty would not cease to amaze.
Malls
Last but not least, if on the very unlikely chance that the girls miss every day comforts and conveniences such as going to the movies, shopping at outlets, and/or eating out, there are plenty of malls around. The top ones that I would recommend would be Yaya Centre, The Village Market, the Junction which happens to be a major youth hangout, and the new Garden City Mall.
With all these experiences and several more, there is hardly a chance that even the family of the President of the United States would be anything but extremely fascinated after a visit to this beautiful nation of Kenya. They would be just itching to come back for more.
