My Nairobi – A Luxurious Go back and forth Weblog

Luxurious, for me, isn’t near to opulent resorts or high quality eating. It’s additionally about original stories, native immersion, and cultural figuring out. It’s the danger to hook up with other folks and puts on a deeper point. It’s about exploring native cultures, figuring out how other folks are living, and gaining insights into alternative ways of lifestyles. It’s about connecting with the arena, no longer simply indulging in it. It’s about touring with a curious thoughts and an open middle, finding hidden gemstones, assembly interesting other folks, growing unforgettable reminiscences, and gaining non-public enlargement. My MBA travel to Nairobi, Kenya, previous this 12 months, was once one such journey.

Tutorial stories

In spite of my age, I’m extremely thankful to were accredited right into a prestigious MBA program at Bayes Industry Faculty. This adventure has been in point of fact exceptional and transformative. A part of this enjoy and this direction was once the Global Industry Week in Nairobi, the place we needed to journey to the Kenyan capital, divided into teams, assigned firms, and labored on a mission. It was once my first time in Kenya and Africa, and the enjoy has opened my eyes to new cultures and views.

You may surprise how spending numerous hours running along global scholars and native companies might be thought to be sumptuous. Then again, the privilege of experiencing Nairobi first-hand, past the everyday vacationer points of interest, the chance to be informed about and from other cultures, paintings in real-world settings in a fully other setting, being uncovered and out of our protected field, and development lasting relationships has been a terrific enjoy.

Fly, land, take a look at, repeat

The instant I landed in Nairobi, I knew this was once going to be a singular enjoy, in spite of having travelled widely over time. The never-ending queues at passport keep watch over, customs, and luggage declare have been a stark distinction to my standard travels. It took over an hour and a part to navigate in the course of the procedure. Whilst the entirety sooner or later labored out, the tempo was once undeniably slower.

I ceaselessly contemplate… is luxurious about fending off those queues and detaching oneself from truth, or is it about immersing oneself within the original stories of a spot and its other folks? The wait wasn’t ugly, simply time-consuming. Thankfully, the airport presented loose and dependable Wi-Fi, permitting me to stick hooked up all the way through the downtime.

After navigating the airport and formally coming into Kenya, we have been greeted by means of a ready automotive in a position to whisk us to our resort. Arriving overdue at evening, drained and hungry, the welcoming sight of our driving force was once a much-needed aid. We opted for the throughway, a extra environment friendly technique to traverse town, and made a late-night pit forestall for pizza prior to checking into our resort well beyond nighttime. The native help proved worthwhile all the way through this time, and from the very starting, I discovered the Kenyan other folks to be sort and useful.

The Golden Tulip Westlands Nairobi, a top class 4-star resort very easily positioned in Westlands, was once our selected lodging. In spite of our overdue arrival, the resort personnel was once extremely useful and environment friendly, temporarily checking us in and getting us settled into our at ease rooms. One in every of my favorite late-night and early-morning pastimes was once playing a drink or a contemporary Kenyan espresso at the rooftop, taking within the stunning town perspectives and the huge African sky.

Getting acquainted

Our first day in Nairobi was once a excursion of one of the town’s landmarks and cultural stories. We kicked off the morning on the KICC, a towering skyscraper that gives panoramic perspectives of town. As we ascended to the rooftop, we have been handled to a breath-taking 360-degree vista, stretching from town centre to the Nairobi Nationwide Park.

From the heights of the KICC, we descended to the Giraffe Centre, a singular sanctuary devoted to the endangered Rothschild giraffe. We had the privilege of having up shut and private with those delicate giants, feeding them from a raised platform and studying in regards to the centre’s conservation efforts. Following our come upon with the giraffes, we indulged in a snappy lunch on the Galleria Mall and a small memento buying groceries enjoy.

We persisted our cultural adventure to the Bomas of Kenya. This colourful cultural centre showcases the wealthy variety of Kenya’s ethnic teams via charming dances and track performances. The full of life performances transported us to other areas of the rustic, proper within the middle of Kenyan tradition.

Consulting tasks

On Monday morning, after a full of life breakfast, we commenced our corporate visits, each and every workforce venturing to another suburb of Nairobi. This equipped us with a glimpse into the day-to-day lives of town’s population and the various industries that pressure its financial system.

Whilst the teams had the chance to paintings with numerous promising firms, together with Knights & Apps, Afristec, Mdundo, Castle Faculty, My Shamba Virtual, and Timao, I used to be specifically lucky to be positioned with Pazurina Vacation Houses. This corporate is enthusiastic about growing vacation properties within the burgeoning coastal vacation spot of Diani Seaside, close to Mombasa. The mission aimed to broaden a complete solution to advertise the vacation properties to each Kenyans residing out of the country and global patrons. Given the worldwide acclaim for vacation properties in quite a lot of locations, the objective was once to place Diani Seaside as a good looking funding alternative and a sought-after holiday spot. Through running intently with native execs, I received precious insights into the demanding situations and aspirations of the Kenyan genuine property and vacation trade. Additionally, drawing on my years of enjoy within the journey trade and witnessing the damaging affects of poorly deliberate tourism construction in lots of puts around the globe, this mission reignited my pastime in sustainable construction. It bolstered my trust that best via environmentally pleasant and socially accountable practices are we able to make sure that a good affect on each the local people and the herbal setting.

Now not simply industry, additionally excitement!

Whilst the travel’s number one center of attention was once training, Nairobi’s colourful nightlife equipped plentiful alternatives for rest and a laugh. We visited the full of life Alchemist Bar, a singular mix of meals vans, eating places, and leisure. It’s a must-visit for its are living track, native surroundings, and late-night camaraderie. For a extra intimate enjoy, take a look at the Hero Bar at the ninth Ground of Trademark Resort, famend for its leading edge cocktails, scrumptious finger meals, and shocking town perspectives. This hidden gem, ranked #62 on The International’s 50 Perfect Bars, was once selected for a Bayes Alumni evening in Nairobi.

For a style of native luxurious, About Thyme presented a serene lawn atmosphere and delectable delicacies. The plush, multi-level lawn, decorated with fairy lighting fixtures and candles, created a in point of fact magical environment. It’s an absolute must-visit! Closing however no longer least, the Carnivore is an iconic open-air eating place providing numerous meats. The eating place specialises in an all-you-can-eat meat buffet, that includes vintage cuts and unique choices like ostrich and crocodile. The meal started with a welcome Dawa drink, a refreshing alcoholic native beverage.

Any person mentioned “safari”?

And also you idea we have been performed? Now not fairly! No go to to Nairobi is whole and not using a safari journey in Nairobi Nationwide Park. This distinctive park is the one one on the planet positioned inside of a town’s barriers.

Image this: an afternoon spent in a 4×4 car, chasing lions and different natural world. All the enjoy is designed to seize the very best shot, particularly of lions, the undisputed stars of any African safari. The joys of an in depth come upon with a lion, lazing round within the park, is an unforgettable enjoy. Whilst they would possibly not pay a lot consideration to you, possibly it’s very best that manner!

Nairobi Nationwide Park gives unbelievable natural world viewing alternatives, together with lions, zebras, hippos, ostriches, and quite a lot of different animals, however it doesn’t have all of the Giant 5 (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and African buffalo). In spite of this, the Park stays an important natural world sanctuary, a continuing problem in balancing city lifestyles with nature, as proven by means of the implementing Chinese language-constructed Mombasa Railway that crosses the park on a bridge to facilitate the motion of huge animals.

Nairobi: Wrapped up

Time flies, and it was once already time to move again house. I used to be happy to go back to London, as soon as once more with a broader standpoint, having been uncovered to totally other stories. I attempted to benefit from each second, as I consider stories on my own don’t dangle a lot price until we be told from them and follow them to our lives.

I nonetheless replicate at the busy streets of Nairobi, the huge African sky, overdue nights running at the rooftop of the resort as town fell asleep, the flavours of the meals, the nice and cozy and inviting other folks, the crowded Sunday morning church buildings we drove by means of, the African bush and the enjoyment of the safari, the colourful colors of the normal costumes, and the charming rhythms of the track.

As I look ahead to long term adventures, whether or not as a pupil, skilled, or just a traveller, I notice as soon as once more how fortunate and thankful I’m for the privilege of immersing myself in new cultures and environments. It’s an out of this world alternative to develop, be told, and recognize the arena’s variety and attractiveness.

Dimitrios Athanasopoulos

Dimitrios Athanasopoulos is Director of Tremendous Illustration. Tremendous Illustration is a London-based boutique and impartial illustration and consulting company for beautiful journey and travel-related manufacturers. If you need to be a visitor blogger on A Luxurious Go back and forth Weblog as a way to elevate your profile, please touch us.