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★★★★★ Karen · Nairobi
Giraffe Manor
Bar/Restaurant
Bar/Restaurant
Bar/Restaurant
Hotel +1 photos

Giraffe Manor

Nairobi Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya

Giraffe Manor is a 5-star address in Karen, Nairobi — a top-tier base for travellers who want polish, service and a location within reach of Kenya National Archives.

The surrounding Karen district is one of the most convenient parts of Nairobi to stay in, with restaurants, cafés and transport links close by.

Rates shift with the season and with demand, so the live price on the booking page is always the one to trust — tap through for tonight's or your dates' real availability.

Key facts

Class
5-star
Area
Karen
Address
Nairobi Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya

What’s included

ATM Air conditioning Bar/Snack/CafEn' Bars Beach nearby Bicycle hire Bike rental service Bowling Breakfast Business Center Car rental service Casino

Best time to visit Nairobi, month by month

The best months for Nairobi are January, February, September and October: dry, clear, daytime highs around 26–28°C, and good game viewing in Nairobi National Park while the grass is short. April and May are the long rains, the wettest stretch of the year, and hotel rates across Westlands, Kilimani and Upper Hill typically fall 25–40% below their January level. June marks the switch: the rain stops and the cold arrives. July and August are the surprise — Nairobi sits at 1,795 m and those two months are grey and cold, with nights near 10–13°C, even though they are peak safari season nationally and rates climb with Maasai Mara and Amboseli traffic.

Late October to early December brings the short rains, which usually mean an afternoon downpour rather than a washed-out day, and it is one of the better value windows of the year. Prices spike three times: mid-December to 2 January around Jamhuri Day on 12 December and New Year, Easter week, and any week the UN Environment Programme runs a major assembly at its Gigiri headquarters, which empties Gigiri, Muthaiga and Westlands of rooms at short notice. The Nairobi International Trade Fair at Jamhuri Park in late September and rugby's Safari Sevens also tighten mid-range supply for a few days. Book six to eight weeks out for December and July; two weeks is usually plenty for April or May.

Getting around Nairobi and coming in from the airport

From JKIA, a Bolt or Uber to the CBD runs about KSh 1,500–2,500 and to Westlands about KSh 2,000–3,500, plus the Nairobi Expressway toll of roughly KSh 300–360 for a saloon car; a hotel-arranged transfer is usually KSh 3,500–6,000. The Expressway runs above Mombasa Road from Mlolongo to James Gichuru Road in Lavington and turns a 90-minute crawl into 25–30 minutes, which is the single most useful thing to know about arriving here. Matatu route 34 links JKIA to the city centre for around KSh 100, but it is slow and awkward with luggage. Wilson Airport, on Langata Road, is the one you want for Safarilink and AirKenya departures to Nanyuki, Amboseli and the Mara, and it is only 8 km from Karen but a punishing 12 km from Westlands at 06:30.

Inside the city, app taxis do almost everything: CBD to Westlands is about KSh 400–700, Kilimani to Gigiri KSh 700–1,200. You do not need a hire car for Nairobi itself, and driving in the Waiyaki Way and Ngong Road rush hours (roughly 06:30–09:30 and 16:30–19:30) is a poor use of a holiday. You do want a vehicle, ideally a 4x4 with a driver, for Nairobi National Park, where the black-cotton tracks turn greasy in April and May. For longer trips, the SGR Madaraka Express leaves Nairobi Terminus at Syokimau for Mombasa in economy at about KSh 1,000, and the A104 covers the 90 km to Naivasha in around two hours and the 160 km to Nakuru in about three.

How many nights in Nairobi, and a first-timer's itinerary

Three nights is the sensible minimum for Nairobi and five lets you add a park trip without rushing. Day one: be at the Langata Road main gate of Nairobi National Park at 06:00 for a three-hour drive over its 117 km² of plains, then the David Sheldrick orphanage feeding, the Giraffe Centre and the Karen Blixen Museum, all within a few kilometres of each other in Karen and Langata. Day two: the Nairobi National Museum and Snake Park on Museum Hill, the Railway Museum near the old station, and Bomas of Kenya off Forest Edge Road, finishing with dinner in Westlands or Kilimani. Day three is for the Maasai Market, which rotates by day of the week — Village Market in Gigiri on Friday, Yaya Centre in Kilimani on Sunday — plus whatever you missed.

With five to seven nights, keep two or three nights in the city and run one trip out. Naivasha at 90 km is the easiest: Hell's Gate on a hired bicycle, a walking safari on Crescent Island, and back the same evening if you must. Nakuru at 160 km gives you Lake Nakuru National Park, its rhino and its flamingos; Nyeri and the Aberdares at about 150 km suit a cooler, forested overnight; and Nanyuki at 200 km is the base for Ol Pejeta and the Sirimon route up Mount Kenya, worth two nights minimum. Machakos and Kajiado work as single days out of Nairobi rather than stays, unless you are pushing on to Amboseli.

Questions, answered

Where is Giraffe Manor located?
Giraffe Manor is in Karen, Nairobi (Nairobi Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya), close to Kenya National Archives.
How much does Giraffe Manor cost per night?
Prices are set live by the hotel — check the booking page for a real rate for your dates.
How many stars is Giraffe Manor?
Giraffe Manor is a 5-star hotel in Nairobi.
What is a typical nightly hotel rate in Nairobi?
Most visitors pay KSh 8,000–15,000 a night in Nairobi for a solid three- or four-star room with breakfast, generator back-up and secure parking. Below that, KSh 3,500–6,000 gets a clean guesthouse in Parklands or the CBD; above it, KSh 28,000–65,000 buys the five-star tier in Westlands, Gigiri, Upper Hill or Karen. Remember the 16% VAT and 2% catering levy that many hotels add to net rates at checkout. Weekends are the bargain here rather than the premium, with Friday to Sunday often 20–30% cheaper in business districts like Upper Hill.
Is Nairobi walkable?
Parts of it are. The CBD grid around Kenyatta Avenue, Moi Avenue and City Hall Way is genuinely walkable by day, as is Westlands around Woodvale Grove and the strip of Village Market in Gigiri. Between neighbourhoods it is not: the CBD to Westlands is 5 km along Waiyaki Way with poor pavement, and Karen is 17 km out. Kilimani and Kileleshwa are pleasant to stroll but have long blocks and few crossings. After dark, take a taxi anywhere in the CBD rather than walking, which is what Nairobi residents do themselves.
Can you really see wildlife in Nairobi without leaving the city?
Yes — Nairobi is the only capital with a national park on its doorstep, and the Langata Road main gate is about 7 km from the CBD. Nairobi National Park covers 117 km² and holds lion, black rhino, buffalo, giraffe and cheetah, with the city skyline behind them; there are no elephants, which is why the Sheldrick orphanage next door exists. Gates open at 06:00 and the first two hours are by far the best; entry is roughly KSh 430 for residents and around KSh 5,500 for non-residents, paid cashless through eCitizen. A half-day drive here plus the Giraffe Centre makes a genuine safari morning without ever leaving Nairobi County.
Which is the best area to stay in Nairobi?
Westlands is the best all-round base for a first visit to Nairobi, with the widest choice of four-star rooms at KSh 9,000–25,000 and short taxi hops to Gigiri, Kilimani and the CBD. Choose Karen instead if your trip is built around Nairobi National Park, the Sheldrick orphanage and a dawn flight from Wilson Airport, which is 8 km away. Kilimani, Kileleshwa and Lavington suit longer stays and serviced apartments at KSh 6,000–15,000. Gigiri is calm and expensive at KSh 20,000–45,000, and Parklands or the CBD are where you go to spend KSh 3,500–8,000 and still be central.
What is the cheapest month to visit Nairobi?
May is the cheapest month, at the tail of the long rains, when Westlands and Kilimani hotels commonly sit 25–40% below their January rates. April is close behind, and early November during the short rains is the third option. The rain in Nairobi usually falls in heavy bursts rather than all day, so a 06:00 game drive in Nairobi National Park often still happens — just insist on a 4x4, because the black-cotton tracks get slippery. The trade-off is long grass, which makes cats harder to spot than in September or February.
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