Giraffe Centre Review: A Must-Do Nairobi Experience

Thinking about checking out the Giraffe Centre in Nairobi? Very cool! It’s, like, this really neat place where you actually get up close and personal with some super tall giraffes. If you are even a little bit fond of animals, particularly the long-necked variety, this place just might be a highlight of any trip to Kenya. What is great is that you have, like, the fun of giraffe encounters mixed with knowing you’re actually helping conservation efforts. Let’s talk more about what you might see and what you might do during your trip to the Giraffe Centre and how to get there.

Getting There and First Impressions

Alright, so finding your way to the Giraffe Centre? Pretty easy. Usually, most people grab a taxi or a ride-sharing service, that sort of thing, from central Nairobi. It’s often, actually, just a pretty quick drive, that maybe clocks in around 20 to 30 minutes, give or take, totally pending on traffic. Just, you know, sitting in traffic in Nairobi can be, like, quite the thing. Now, your very, very first view? You see the center, which, naturally, is designed to look pretty natural. And guess what? You will usually spot a giraffe neck right from the entrance – a bit of a “hello!” from the locals before you even get properly inside, so cool.

Meeting the Rothschild Giraffes

What makes this place actually super unique is, you know, it focuses on the Rothschild giraffe. They, it seems, needed some help, because there weren’t that many left in the wild, but this place is, well, doing something about that. When you wander in, the staff often gives you these little food pellets. The best part? You feed the giraffes. They come right up to you, which is, like, wild if you think about it. You can feel their slobbery tongue taking the pellet out of your hand which feels really cool.

The Feeding Platform Experience

Okay, the feeding platform is, like, where the real magic happens. So, imagine you’re standing on this raised wooden platform, see? And you’re more or less at eye-level with these gentle giants. That are just looming! This vantage point, in a way, gives you super picture-perfect moments and gives a safer distance between you and, say, eager giraffes. Just you be prepared, those fellas have surprisingly long, dark tongues, that just adds a little something to the feeding experience, right?

Conservation and Education

What’s nice about the Giraffe Centre is that it’s not all just, like, giggles and selfies. Very neat that you will often find informative displays, there will be someone who sounds, usually, really passionate talking all about giraffe conservation, too. So, these giraffes, they help folks, you too perhaps, see the challenges wildlife goes through because people encroach on their lands, and stuff like that, but the center, in a way, acts and feels very proactive. It is involved, you know, with teaching all sorts of school kids all about conservation, and it breeds giraffes there.

Gift Shop and Refreshments

If you feel like grabbing, maybe, that bit of a souvenir? Of course, there is a little gift shop on-site, it has like, all sorts of giraffe-themed goodies. So, for those looking to take a bit of the Giraffe Centre home, well, they have got you pretty well sorted. Nearby, they may have some spots, maybe light snacks and refreshments. It is worth doing before going off on, potentially, a day of seeing touristy stuff.

A Quick Visit to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Since you’re in the area, it could be fun to nip over to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Basically, this Trust is dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned elephants and rhinos and some of that. Honestly, it is super emotional to see the baby elephants getting bottle-fed; like, really something special. Plus, it’s, sort of, just down the road from the Giraffe Centre, meaning it is pretty easy to do both on the very same day. Like, you would not be too pushed for time doing so.

Planning Your Visit: Times and Costs

You might check times, but typically, it is open pretty much every day, often from nine to five or something along those lines. Entry is often quite cheap, but check online! Mornings are maybe nice for cooler temps and fewer peeps. The best time to pop in might be when they chuck in some extra info talk by conservationists, though.

A Personal Reflection

What I, like your average tourist, took from the Giraffe Centre goes further than a photo-op, definitely. You can see folks, you too perhaps, seeing these animals close up actually changes the relationship people have with nature. As you get really very close to a giraffe it could be very moving and might stick with you a very long while.

Is the Giraffe Centre Worth It?

You thinking of popping in to the Giraffe Centre, but just want a person’s opinion? Absolutely you want to go there, if you feel very fond of animals, if you love taking photos, or, equally, want to learn something new about how we need to keep animals safe and alive. It mixes up all that’s really nice about tourism, fun with what is more thoughtful.