Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also form the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyrobi, which translates to "cold water". The phrase
is also the Maasai name of the Nairobi River, which in turn lent its name to the city. However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is surrounded by several expanding villa suburbs.
Nairobi is the most populous city in East Africa, with a current estimated population of about 3 million. Nairobi is currently the 12th largest city in Africa, including the population of its suburbs.
Nairobi is a prime tourist destination with several tourist attractions. The most famous is the Nairobi National Park. The national park is unique in being the only game-reserve of this nature to border
a capital city, or any major city. The park contains many animals including lions, giraffes, and black rhinos. The park is home to over 400 species of birds. The Nairobi Safari Walk is a major attraction to the Nairobi National Park as it offers a rare on-foot
experience of the animals.
Nairobi is home to several museums, sites, and monuments. The Nairobi National Museum is the country's National Museum and largest in
the city. It houses a large collection of artefacts portraying Kenya's rich heritage through history, nature, culture, and contemporary art. It also includes the full remains of a homo erectus popularly known as the Turkana boy. Other prominent museums include
the Nairobi Gallery, Nairobi Railway Museum, and the Karen Blixen Museum located in the affluent Karen suburb. Uhuru Gardens, a national monument and the largest memorial park in Kenya, is also the place where the first Kenyan flag was raised at independence.
It is located along Langata road near the Wilson Airport.
Nairobi is nicknamed the Safari Capital of the World or the City Under the Sun, and has many spectacular
hotels to cater for safari-bound tourists. Five star hotels in Nairobi include the Nairobi Serena, Laico Regency (formerly Grand Regency Hotel), Windsor (Karen), Holiday Inn, Nairobi Safari Club (Lilian Towers), The Stanley Hotel, Safari Park & Casino
and many more.