Girraffe Centre

Situated in Karen, merely 16 kilometers from Nairobi’s Central Business District, you will find an animal lovers’ paradise: the Giraffe Centre. The project was created in 1979 to protect the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe subspecies and to promote its conservation through education. This place turned out to be one of our favorite attractions in Nairobi, not just because we got the opportunity of getting as close as possible to some giraffes, but also because we kissed many of them, seriously!

The center’s facilities are very well maintained and consist of a raised feeding platform (a tall one for tall giraffes!), where visitors can come face to face with the giraffes; a small auditorium, where talks about the efforts of conservation are held; a gift shop and a simple café. Don’t forget to visit the nature sanctuary located right across from the road, which is included with the Giraffe Centre entrance fee.

What to do

After arriving at the center and paying your entrance fee, you can listen to a short and interesting talk about the giraffes of Kenya and the endangered Rothschild. Then, you can ask the nice staff members to give you some giraffe food (pellets) so you can feed them. The pellets consist of dietary supplements, as the giraffes eat mainly tree leaves. It is important to give them one piece at a time, as it is more fun, and you will avoid being bitten. If you dare, you can place one of the pieces between your lips and get close to the giraffe so it gives you a lovely wet kiss! After taking many pictures with these beautiful animals, you can also take a look at the warthogs (pumba) and tortoises, buy something at the souvenir shop or grab a snack at the café. Before leaving back to Nairobi, remember to enjoy a nice walk in the nature sanctuary across the centre. There, you will see some local flora, birds and nice walking trails where you can spend as much time as you like.