Fancy breakfast with the giraffes?

by Abha Malpani on

When I was 6 years old, I was taken to Longleat National Park in the UK, where our car got attacked by monkeys, chased by lions, and gazed at by giraffes. I recall desperately wanting to pat and feed the giraffes; those tall, magnificent, doe-eyed, beautiful monsters. I also remember feeling like a Lilliputian in front of them, but they are so adorable that their sheer largeness didn’t scare me. I was smaller than the leg of an adult giraffe, and fed them however I could, sitting on the shoulders of my uncle. Pretty awesome.

So when I read that you can go to Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, where you might get woken up by a giraffe tongue in your ear, I was strangely excited about the concept.

Located in the Langata suburb, the Manor spans an area of 140 acres, and has 6 bedrooms for rent. The area is inundated with dozens of giraffes and the Manor’s windows are made so that the giraffe can let his neck in for breakfast. After the first jolt you’ll get facing a giraffe for breakfast, getting used to the idea will certainly make it the most pleasurable and unique part of the day. Giraffes are harmless herbivores, so you really have nothing to worry about.

The history of the place is interesting as the Manor used to be the house of people who spent a large part of their lives working for the cause of endangered wildlife in Africa. The family started the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife and the Giraffe Center, and now run the Giraffe Manor. Each room costs $275-360, but that includes all meals with wine, alcoholic beverages, a sight-seeing vehicle, entrance to the Giraffe Center, and taxes, so it’s not a bad deal for doing once. The Manor’s website has a cool picture gallery, check it out here.

Oh, and happy Boxing day!

Obama’s Election Inspires Baby Naming in Kenya

by Josh Lew on

Aaron recently wrote a post here on Gadling about a production of Obama: The Musical in Kenya. The song and dance-filled bio-play shows how ridiculously popular Barack is in his father’s home country. Well, some Kenyans are upping the ante further by naming their children, and their beer, after the prez-elect. “Senator” Beer, a locally made brew, was inspired by Obama’s previous political rank. No word yet on how sales stack up against perennial favorite, Tusker.

Mothers in Obama’s ancestral homeland of Kisumu have been naming their newborns Barack Obama, or some variation thereof. Have a girl? No problem. Several female babies in the province bear the name of Michelle Obama. Sharing your name with the future president of the US doesn’t come without its share of pressures. One mother told a Reuters reporter that she expects great thing out of her pint-sized Barack Obama. “I would like that by the time he is in his 40s he becomes the president of this country.”

I know there is a lot of excitement now, but wouldn’t it be wise to wait to see how Obama performs in office before naming your child after him? I mean, what if your parents had named you after Richard Nixon?

And it appears that a few Americans are getting in on the fad as well.

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[Via Reuters]

Obama-themed “Presidential Heritage Safari”

by Mike Barish on

Well, that was quick. Less than 24 hours after Barack Obama was elected to be the 44th president of these here United States, New York-based safari provider 2Afrika is touting their 11-day “Presidential Heritage Safari.” They’ll show you the sites of Kenya, the home nation of Barack Obama’s father, and generally capitalize on his popularity. Hey, it’s the American way.

According to 2Afrika, the trip will take you to “Nairobi, Mt. Kenya Forest, Lake Nakuru National Park, and the Maasai Mara Game Reserve for a fully inclusive Game Safari before heading northwest to the city of Kisumu…a mere stone’s throw away from the birthplace of Barack Hussein Obama, Sr.” You have to admire their creativity. The whole package will cost you $2,999 per person, so you may want to wait for President Obama to fix the economy first.

In other news, the “John McCain Bingo Vacation and Early-Bird Special Package” is now on sale. Dress socks with sandals will be provided.

“Obama: The Musical” to play in Kenya

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Think front-running presidential candidate Barack Obama is popular in the United States? In Kenya, home of Obama’s father, Obama is absolutely beloved, so much so that a theatre company in Nairobi is currently presenting the hagiographic show “Obama: The Musical.”

The musical, which debuted yesterday and will run through November 5, tells the story of Obama’s young life and his eventual political career. The actors involved in the production are virtually all rabid supporters of Obama, even the actors who play the show’s villains, John McCain and George W. Bush.

The actor playing McCain says he would have preferred to play Obama: “Obama is more fun to portray than McCain,” he says. “I hope he will win.”

The show’s director, George Orido, says he has already received invitations to perform the show in South Africa and the UK.

[via Chris Blattman]

Big in Africa: Things to do in Nairobi besides getting mugged

by Matthew Firestone on

This month, Big in Japan is on vacation in Africa, and will be bringing you travel news and happenings from around this often misunderstood continent.

Nairobi, the less than gentle capital of Kenya, serves as the jumping off point for East Africa’s most storied game parks. Indeed, ‘Nai-robbery’ is home to extraordinary extremes in wealth and poverty, which sadly fuels a staggering amount of street crime.

Despite its infamous reputation however, Nairobi is a wonderfully dynamic and culturally rich city. The outskirts of the Kenyan capital also present numerous opportunities to interact with Africa’s charismatic wildlife.

As with major cities the world over, it pays to exercise caution while in Nairobi, though you needn’t be paralyzed with fear while passing time here. Indeed, all it takes is a little common sense and an awareness of your surroundings to minimize your chances of becoming a victim.

And, assuming you can get over a somewhat healthy preoccupation with your personal security, you can actually really enjoy yourself in Nairobi.

Here is a list of cool things to do while in Nairobi:

Dine on crocodile, camel and ostrich. The suburb of Langata is home to Carnivore, one of the most famous tourist restaurants on the continent. While it’s no longer legal to dine on wild meat, you can still taste a few exotic animals that have been farm-raised for human consumption.

See an antelope get taken down by a lion. Believe it or not, there is an unfenced national park literally on the edge of the capital. Nairobi National Park, which is somewhat incongruously positioned next to the airport, boasts a healthy number of felines as well as more than fifty wild rhinos.

Watch a baby elephant get bottle-fed. Part of Nairobi National Park, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust raises orphaned baby elephants with the goal of reintroducing them to the wild. Between the hours of 11am and noon daily, you can watch these playful little guys be hand reared by the dedicated staff.

Dance to the latest Swahili beats. Although a good number of tourists are content to shut the windows and lock the doors after sunset, Nairobi really comes alive at night. If you’re feeling a little cabin crazy, head to any of the bars and clubs in the Westlands for a dose of the Tusker lager-fueled nightlife.

French kiss a giraffe. Although you may make your better half jealous, stop by the Langata Giraffe Centre where you can stand on a raised platform and get intimate with a giraffe. The center is run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, so all of the proceeds go directly to conservation.

Haggle for a three-foot wooden giraffe. The city market on Muindi Mbingu Street is your one-stop shop for quintessential Kenyan souvenirs. While touristy figurines may not be your thing, Kenyan artisans also produce some stunning work, including hand-inlaid soapstone bowls, intricately carved wooden masks, and extremely detailed Masaai beadwork.

Moral of the story: while in Nairobi, take the words ‘Hakuna Matata’ to heart and relax…

** A special shout-out to my travelling buddy Adam Karlin – Spring Break Mombasa!!! **