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    Karen

    Kenya

    Karen

    City

    Karen is a green, sprawling suburb in the southwest of Nairobi, at the foot of the Ngong Hills. Here, in close proximity, are three Nairobi-day classics: the Karen Blixen Farmhouse, the Giraffe Centre, and the Kazuri Bead Workshop.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
    3. Destinations
    5. Kenya
    7. Nairobi
    9. Karen
    Karen is a green, sprawling suburb in the southwest of Nairobi, at the foot of the Ngong Hills. Here, in close proximity, are three Nairobi-day classics: the Karen Blixen Farmhouse, the Giraffe Centre, and the Kazuri Bead Workshop.Large plots, many trees, and sparse development characterize the district, complemented by garden restaurants and shopping centers like The Hub.

    Sights in Karen

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Karen Blixen Museum
    Museum

    1Karen Blixen Museum

    The former farmhouse of the Danish writer who became known for her memoirs 'Out of Africa'. Blixen came to Kenya in 1914 and left the country after 17 years; on a guided tour, you'll see the living quarters and garden with views of the Ngong Hills.
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    Giraffe Centre
    Park

    2Giraffe Centre

    The center of the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW) dates back to Jock and Betty Leslie-Melville, who took in a young Rothschild giraffe calf in 1979. From a raised platform, you feed the giraffes at eye level.
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    Kazuri Beads
    Point of Interest

    3Kazuri Beads

    The workshop was founded in 1975 by Lady Susan Wood to provide an income for single mothers. On a tour, you'll see women hand-forming and painting ceramic beads; the shop offers jewelry and pottery.
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    Restaurants in Karen

    1

    Talisman

    One of Nairobi's most acclaimed restaurants, with several lounge-style rooms and a courtyard on Ngong Road. The menu includes curries and a Zanzibari fish soup, many ingredients come from its own organic farm; a reservation is advisable.
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    2

    Karen Blixen Coffee Garden

    Garden restaurant on the grounds of the former coffee farm, not far from the Blixen Museum. The menu ranges from burgers to Swahili curries from the coast; the Sunday buffet is popular.
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    Food and Drink

    Karen is known for garden restaurants with long lunches. The menus feature international cuisine alongside Kenyan classics and dishes from the Swahili Coast.

    Swahili Curry

    Coastal curries feature on many menus in Karen, such as at the Karen Blixen Coffee Garden.

    Nyama Choma

    Charcoal-grilled meat, usually goat or beef, the Kenyan national dish, served with Ugali and Kachumbari.

    Ugali

    Thick cornmeal porridge, Kenya's most common staple and the usual accompaniment to meat and vegetables.

    Culture & History

    Out of AfricaThe Danish writer Karen Blixen came to Kenya in 1914 and lived for 17 years on a farm whose land comprised the current neighbourhood. The suburb is generally considered to be named after her, though this has never been officially confirmed. Her former home is now the Karen Blixen Museum.Giraffes and HandicraftsThe Giraffe Centre originated from the initiative of Jock and Betty Leslie-Melville, who championed the endangered Rothschild giraffe from 1979. The Kazuri bead factory was founded in 1975 to provide work for single mothers and has since employed more than 300 women.

    Getting There & Around

    Getting HereKaren is southwest of the center. The easiest way to reach it is by taxi or ride-sharing app; allow ample time for heavy rush hour traffic.Around KarenThe Blixen Museum, Kazuri, and Karen Blixen Coffee Garden are close to one another; the walk between the Coffee Garden and Kazuri takes about ten minutes.It's best to drive to the Giraffe Centre and the National Park, as the distances are too great for walking.Many operators combine these three locations into a half-day or full-day tour with hotel pickup.

    Accommodations in Karen

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      • 1Karen Blixen Museum3 days
      • 2Giraffe Centre4 days
      • 3Kazuri Beads5 days
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    Nearby

    Ngong Hills

    Ngong Hills

    The Ngong Hills are a green ridge on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, about a 40-minute drive southwest of Nairobi. From the ridge, you look east over Nairobi National Park and the city, and west down into the Rift Valley.A hiking trail leads over the peaks up to around 2,460 meters. Many know the silhouette of the hills from the film "Out of Africa"; today, wind turbines of Kenya's first wind farm turn on the ridge.
    Nairobi

    Nairobi

    Kenya's capital lies in the highlands and is the start and end point for almost every safari. Nairobi is a loud, rapidly growing metropolis with skyscrapers in the centre, green villa districts, and a national park directly on the southern city limits.Besides the National Museum on Museum Hill and the KICC's observation deck, Karura Forest and the cultural performances at Bomas of Kenya are worth visiting. In the evenings, life shifts to the bars and clubs of Westlands.
    Nairobi & Surroundings

    Nairobi & Surroundings

    Nairobi and its surroundings are the starting point for most Kenya trips: a metropolis in the highlands, on whose southern edge lies a national park home to black rhinos, wildebeest, and zebras. To the west, the green suburb of Karen and the Ngong Hills adjoin, sloping down to the Great Rift Valley.A day or two here is worthwhile before or after your safari: for the National Museum, the elephant orphans of the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, the giraffes at the Giraffe Centre, and a hike along the ridge of the Ngong Hills.
    Nairobi National Park

    Nairobi National Park

    The Nairobi National Park begins just about seven kilometers south of the city center: savanna with black rhinos, wildebeest, and zebras against the capital's skyline. Opened in 1946, it is Kenya's oldest national park.At just over 117 square kilometers, it is small, but is considered one of the country's most successful rhino sanctuaries. A half or full day is enough for a game drive, ideal before an evening flight or after arrival.
    Mount Longonot National Park

    Mount Longonot National Park

    Mount Longonot is a 2,776 m high volcano southeast of Lake Naivasha, approximately 60 km northwest of Nairobi, and a classic day trip destination for hikers from Nairobi. From the park entrance, you ascend to the crater rim in about one to one and a half hours, looking into the crater and over the Rift Valley, which the volcano towers over by approximately 1,000 m.Those who circumnavigate the entire crater rim will be on the move for a total of about five to six hours from the gate.

    Sources & method

    • Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Google Maps. Each photo carries its credit.
    • Place data such as addresses and ratings comes from Google Maps.
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