My Nairobi…

Luxurious, for me, isn’t nearly opulent inns or high-quality eating. It’s additionally about genuine experiences, native immersion, and cultural understanding. It’s the prospect to attach with individuals and locations on a deeper stage. It’s about exploring native cultures, understanding how individuals reside, and gaining insights into other 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 individuals, creating unforgettable reminiscences, and gaining private progress. 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 really outstanding 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 of luxurious. Nevertheless, the privilege of experiencing Nairobi first-hand, past the standard vacationer sights, the chance to find out about and from totally different cultures, work in real-world settings in a very totally different surroundings, being uncovered and out of our protected field, and constructing lasting relationships has been an incredible expertise.

Fly, land, test, repeat

The second I landed in Nairobi, I knew this was going to be a novel expertise, regardless of having travelled extensively over time. The infinite 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 pieces ultimately labored out, the tempo was undeniably slower.

I usually 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 individuals? The wait wasn’t disagreeable, merely time-consuming. Thankfully, the airport provided free and dependable Wi-Fi, permitting me to remain linked throughout the downtime.

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

The Golden Tulip Westlands Nairobi, a premium Four-star resort conveniently positioned in Westlands, was our chosen lodging. Regardless of our late arrival, the resort workers was extremely useful and environment friendly, shortly checking us in and getting us settled into our snug rooms. Certainly one of 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 lovely metropolis views and the huge African sky.

Getting acquainted

Our first day in Nairobi was a tour of a number of the metropolis’s landmarks and cultural experiences. We kicked off the morning on the KICC, a towering skyscraper that provides panoramic views of the town. As we ascended to the rooftop, we had been handled to a breath-taking 360-degree vista, stretching from the town centre to the Nairobi Nationwide Park.

From the heights of the KICC, we descended to the Giraffe Centre, a novel 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 variety of Kenya’s ethnic teams via charming dances and music performances. The energetic performances transported us to totally different areas of the nation, proper within the coronary heart of Kenyan tradition.

Consulting initiatives

On Monday morning, after a vigorous breakfast, we commenced our firm visits, every group venturing to a unique suburb of Nairobi. This supplied us with a glimpse into the day by day lives of the 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 Houses. This firm is concentrated on growing vacation properties within the burgeoning coastal vacation spot of Diani Seashore, close to Mombasa. The undertaking aimed to develop a complete technique to advertise the vacation properties to each Kenyans dwelling overseas and worldwide consumers. Given the worldwide reputation of vacation properties in numerous locations, the objective was to place Diani Seashore as a beautiful funding alternative and a sought-after trip spot. By working carefully with native professionals, I gained helpful insights into the challenges and aspirations of the Kenyan actual property and vacation trade. Furthermore, drawing on my years of expertise within the journey trade and witnessing the unfavourable impacts of poorly deliberate tourism growth in lots of locations all over the world, this undertaking reignited my curiosity in sustainable growth. It strengthened my perception that solely via environmentally pleasant and socially accountable practices can we guarantee a optimistic influence on each the local people and the pure surroundings.

Not simply enterprise, additionally pleasure!

Whereas the journey’s major focus was schooling, Nairobi’s vibrant nightlife supplied ample alternatives for leisure and enjoyable. We visited the vigorous Alchemist Bar, a novel mix of meals vans, eating places, and leisure. It’s a must-visit for its reside music, native ambiance, and late-night camaraderie. For a extra intimate expertise, attempt the Hero Bar on the ninth Ground of Trademark Resort, famend for its modern cocktails, scrumptious finger meals, and beautiful metropolis views. This hidden gem, ranked #62 on The World’s 50 Finest 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 luxurious, multi-level backyard, adorned with fairy lights and candles, created a very 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 basic cuts and unique choices like ostrich and crocodile. The meal started with a welcome Dawa drink, a refreshing alcoholic native beverage.

Somebody stated “safari”?

And also you thought we had been achieved? Not fairly! No go to to Nairobi is full with out a safari journey in Nairobi Nationwide Park. This distinctive park is the one one on the earth positioned inside a metropolis’s boundaries.

Image this: a day spent in a Four×Four automobile, chasing lions and different wildlife. The whole expertise is designed to seize the proper shot, particularly of lions, the undisputed stars of any African safari. The fun of an in depth 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 finest that method!

Nairobi Nationwide Park gives unimaginable wildlife viewing alternatives, together with lions, zebras, hippos, ostriches, and numerous different animals, however it 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 huge animals.

Nairobi: Wrapped up

Time flies, and it was already time to go again house. I used to be glad to return to London, as soon as once more with a broader perspective, having been uncovered to fully totally different experiences. I attempted to take advantage of each second, as I consider experiences alone don’t maintain a lot worth until 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 resort as the town fell asleep, the flavours of the meals, the nice and cozy and welcoming individuals, 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 charming rhythms of the music.

As I look ahead to future adventures, whether or not as a scholar, 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 respect the world’s variety and sweetness.

Dimitrios Athanasopoulos

Dimitrios Athanasopoulos is Director of Nice Illustration. Nice Illustration is a London-based boutique and unbiased illustration and consulting company for beautiful journey and travel-related manufacturers. If you want to be a visitor blogger on A Luxurious Journey Weblog in an effort to elevate your profile, please contact us.