My Nairobi – A Luxurious Journey Weblog

Luxurious, for me, isn’t nearly opulent lodges or wonderful eating. It’s additionally about genuine experiences, native immersion, and cultural understanding. It’s the prospect to attach with folks and locations on a deeper degree. It’s about exploring native cultures, understanding how folks stay, and gaining insights into alternative ways of life. It’s about connecting with the world, not simply indulging in it. It’s about touring with a curious thoughts and an open coronary heart, discovering hidden gems, assembly fascinating folks, creating unforgettable recollections, and gaining private development. My MBA journey to Nairobi, Kenya, earlier this 12 months, was one such journey.

Academic experiences

Regardless of my age, I’m extremely grateful to have been accepted right into a prestigious MBA program at Bayes Enterprise College. This journey has been actually exceptional and transformative. A part of this expertise and this course was the Worldwide Enterprise Week in Nairobi, the place we needed to journey to the Kenyan capital, divided into teams, assigned corporations, and labored on a undertaking. It was my first time in Kenya and Africa, and the expertise has opened my eyes to new cultures and views.

You may surprise how spending numerous hours working alongside worldwide college students and native companies may very well be thought-about luxurious. Nonetheless, the privilege of experiencing Nairobi first-hand, past the standard vacationer points of interest, the chance to find out about and from completely different cultures, work in real-world settings in a very completely different surroundings, being uncovered and out of our secure field, and constructing lasting relationships has been a tremendous expertise.

Fly, land, test, repeat

The second I landed in Nairobi, I knew this was going to be a singular expertise, regardless of having travelled extensively through the years. The countless queues at passport management, customs, and baggage declare had been a stark distinction to my ordinary travels. It took over an hour and a half to navigate via the method. Whereas all the things finally labored out, the tempo was undeniably slower.

I typically ponder… is luxurious about avoiding these queues and detaching oneself from actuality, or is it about immersing oneself within the genuine experiences of a spot and its folks? The wait wasn’t disagreeable, merely time-consuming. Happily, the airport provided free and dependable Wi-Fi, permitting me to remain related through the downtime.

After navigating the airport and formally coming into Kenya, we had been greeted by a ready automotive able to whisk us to our lodge. Arriving late at night time, drained and hungry, the welcoming sight of our driver was a much-needed reduction. We opted for the expressway, a extra environment friendly method to traverse town, and made a late-night pit cease for pizza earlier than checking into our lodge nicely previous midnight. The native help proved invaluable throughout this time, and from the very starting, I discovered the Kenyan folks to be sort and useful.

The Golden Tulip Westlands Nairobi, a premium 4-star lodge conveniently situated in Westlands, was our chosen lodging. Regardless of our late arrival, the lodge workers was extremely useful and environment friendly, rapidly checking us in and getting us settled into our comfy rooms. One in all my favorite late-night and early-morning pastimes was having fun with a drink or a contemporary Kenyan espresso on the rooftop, taking within the stunning metropolis views and the huge African sky.

Getting acquainted

Our first day in Nairobi was a tour of a few of the metropolis’s landmarks and cultural experiences. We kicked off the morning on the KICC, a towering skyscraper that provides panoramic views of town. As we ascended to the rooftop, we had 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 getting up shut and private with these mild giants, feeding them from a raised platform and studying in regards to the centre’s conservation efforts. Following our encounter with the giraffes, we indulged in a fast lunch on the Galleria Mall and a small memento procuring expertise.

We continued our cultural journey to the Bomas of Kenya. This vibrant cultural centre showcases the wealthy range of Kenya’s ethnic teams via fascinating dances and music performances. The energetic performances transported us to completely different areas of the nation, proper within the coronary heart of Kenyan tradition.

Consulting tasks

On Monday morning, after a full of life breakfast, we commenced our firm visits, every group venturing to a special suburb of Nairobi. This supplied us with a glimpse into the every day lives of town’s inhabitants and the various industries that drive its financial system.

Whereas the teams had the chance to work with quite a lot of promising corporations, together with Knights & Apps, Afristec, Mdundo, Fort College, My Shamba Digital, and Timao, I used to be notably lucky to be positioned with Pazurina Vacation Properties. This firm is concentrated on growing vacation houses within the burgeoning coastal vacation spot of Diani Seashore, close to Mombasa. The undertaking aimed to develop a complete technique to advertise the vacation houses to each Kenyans dwelling overseas and worldwide patrons. Given the worldwide reputation of vacation houses in numerous locations, the aim was to place Diani Seashore as a sexy funding alternative and a sought-after trip spot. By working carefully with native professionals, I gained priceless insights into the challenges and aspirations of the Kenyan actual property and vacation business. Furthermore, drawing on my years of expertise within the journey business and witnessing the unfavorable impacts of poorly deliberate tourism improvement in lots of locations around the globe, this undertaking reignited my curiosity in sustainable improvement. It bolstered my perception that solely via environmentally pleasant and socially accountable practices can we guarantee a constructive influence on each the local people and the pure surroundings.

Not simply enterprise, additionally pleasure!

Whereas the journey’s main focus was training, Nairobi’s vibrant nightlife supplied ample alternatives for rest and enjoyable. We visited the full of life Alchemist Bar, a singular mix of meals vehicles, eating places, and leisure. It’s a must-visit for its stay music, native ambiance, and late-night camaraderie. For a extra intimate expertise, strive the Hero Bar on the ninth Flooring of Trademark Lodge, famend for its modern cocktails, scrumptious finger meals, and gorgeous metropolis views. This hidden gem, ranked #62 on The World’s 50 Greatest Bars, was chosen for a Bayes Alumni night time in Nairobi.

For a style of native luxurious, About Thyme provided a serene backyard setting and delectable delicacies. The plush, multi-level backyard, adorned with fairy lights and candles, created a really magical ambiance. It’s an absolute must-visit! Final however not least, the Carnivore is an iconic open-air restaurant providing quite a lot of meats. The restaurant specialises in an all-you-can-eat meat buffet, that includes traditional cuts and unique choices like ostrich and crocodile. The meal started with a welcome Dawa drink, a refreshing alcoholic native beverage.

Somebody mentioned “safari”?

And also you thought we had been completed? Not fairly! No go to to Nairobi is full and not using a safari journey in Nairobi Nationwide Park. This distinctive park is the one one on this planet situated inside a metropolis’s boundaries.

Image this: a day spent in a 4×4 car, chasing lions and different wildlife. All the expertise is designed to seize the right shot, particularly of lions, the undisputed stars of any African safari. The joys of a detailed encounter with a lion, lazing round within the park, is an unforgettable expertise. Whereas they could not pay a lot consideration to you, maybe it’s greatest that approach!

Nairobi Nationwide Park affords unimaginable wildlife viewing alternatives, together with lions, zebras, hippos, ostriches, and numerous different animals, but it surely doesn’t have all of the Large 5 (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and African buffalo). Regardless of this, the Park stays a significant wildlife sanctuary, a continuing problem in balancing city life with nature, as proven by the imposing Chinese language-constructed Mombasa Railway that crosses the park on a bridge to facilitate the motion of enormous animals.

Nairobi: Wrapped up

Time flies, and it was already time to go again residence. I used to be glad to return to London, as soon as once more with a broader perspective, having been uncovered to utterly completely different experiences. I attempted to benefit from each second, as I imagine experiences alone don’t maintain a lot worth except we be taught from them and apply them to our lives.

I nonetheless mirror on the busy streets of Nairobi, the huge African sky, late nights engaged on the rooftop of the lodge as town fell asleep, the flavours of the meals, the nice and cozy and welcoming folks, the crowded Sunday morning church buildings we drove by, the African bush and the enjoyment of the safari, the colourful colors of the normal costumes, and the fascinating rhythms of the music.

As I look ahead to future adventures, whether or not as a pupil, skilled, or just a traveller, I understand as soon as once more how fortunate and grateful I’m for the privilege of immersing myself in new cultures and environments. It’s an unimaginable alternative to develop, be taught, and recognize the world’s range and wonder.

Dimitrios Athanasopoulos

Dimitrios Athanasopoulos is Director of Advantageous Illustration. Advantageous 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 Journey Weblog as a way to increase your profile, please contact us.