Sunday is usually a chilled-out day for most of us; we just want to wake up late and relax around the house, doing as little as possible in terms of work. That is fine, especially after a long week of calls, emails, city traffic and business meetings. However, once in a while, you ought to step out of the house on Sunday and engage in a little fun. So, you have just come from church and you feel like you need something fun to engage in. Here are 6 fun things to do in Nairobi on Sunday.
1.Have your own food festival at a food court.
There are a lot of malls in Nairobi and most of them now have food courts, which have different joints offering a vast variety of food. If you are on Thika Road, pop into Garden City Mall. The Junction Mall is perfect for you if you are somewhere along Ngong road. There is Sarit Centre in Westlands, Capital Centre and Gateway Mall on Mombasa Road and most recently, The Hub in Karen.
So, since you are covered no matter what part of the city you are, pick a Sunday and go have yourself a festival at one of these amazing food courts. Order your drinks from one place, get a starter/appetizer from another joint, enjoy the entree from a different one, then have dessert at another. Have some coffee thereafter if you please. Don’t hold back!
I understand that there are a lot of economy pack meals that have everything in one, but where is the fun in that? Take a risk and try out different foods made by different brands. You might just bump into what could be your favourite dish for a long time while you are at it!
2.Take a walk in the Arboretum gardens.
I was at the Arboretum gardens a few weeks ago for the Nairobi Food Market and I fell in love with the place. It is adjacent to State House has a breathtaking scenery with tall green trees along the paths that provide a great shade from the sun and give a cool effect. There are more than 350 tree species, hundreds of bird species, reptiles, very playful monkeys and squirrels. You can feel the freshness and the crispiness of the air as you walk through the place.
Get to walk through the paved walkways, sit and enjoy the park’s tranquility on park benches. There are also trash bins and public toilets so it is a good place to have a picnic with friends or/and family. You could hold a casual meet-up here, like a club meeting or a get-together and just enjoy the glorious sights that the Arboretum gardens have to offer.
The best part is that entry to the park is free for everyone
3. Go to the KICC rooftop/helipad.
KICC is the fourth tallest building in the country, standing at 105-metre high. It is a building so magnificent, there was a cake made in its honour and featured in The Nairobi Cake Festival 2016. The KICC is strategically located in the middle of the Commercial Business District, which makes it easily accessible from whichever part of the city you are coming from.
One of this Sundays, make your way to the building’s rooftop and get to see almost the entire city from a bird’s view, for as far out to the Nairobi National Park and the outskirts of the city. You can even see aeroplanes landing and taking off from the airports! If you like you could carry some snacks and drinks to have as you marvel at the beautiful sights.
I have always wanted to go up there but for some reason or the other I kept procrastinating. Finally, a few weeks ago, Ogo and I made our way to the helipad. I have to say that the experience is unforgettable and the feeling of being on top of the world, literally, was magical.
In order to have this amazing experience, all you have to do is pay Ksh 150 if you are a citizen, Ksh 200 for residents and Ksh 400 for non-residents. Just make sure to carry your documents of identification like National ID card, resident ID or passport. The rooftop is open to visitors every day from 9:00am till 8.00pm on weekdays, and till 6.00pm on weekends.
4. Attend a festival or artsy event.
Nairobi’s entertainment scene has grown widely over the years; there is an event or a special festival going down every other weekend. We have had the Food Festival, The Cake Festival, The Creamy Festival which is coming soon, The Chocolate Expo, The Street fashion market, the Nairobi Food Market, the Koroga Festival, Blankets and Wine, The Safaricom Jazz festival … You are literally spoilt for choice when it comes to fun events to attend on Sunday.
Most of the times, these events are widely advertised on social media, but there are sites like Eventbrite and Kenya Buzz that list all the events happening in the week or month. So, will yourself to attend one such event, because they are great ways to unwind and just have fun. You get the chance to mingle, network and meet new people, to learn about new products and services, enjoy good musical performances and of course, to enjoy great food.
5. Try a restaurant serving food you have never tried before.
Ask around about a new joint that has opened up in town and try out their food. In most cases, there is usually an offer on the food offered, for example a free drink with every purchase, or discounted prices, so take advantage of that and have yourself some good food at a new restaurant.
I did that a few days ago by walking into Pepino’s, which is an international pizza franchise that recently opened a branch in Nairobi, and I have to say that the pizza was out of this world. The risk did pay off as I left the place satisfied and very happy. I was particularly intrigued by the witty food quotes they have on the walls.
6. Visit the August 7th Memorial Park
This park was specially created in remembrance of the victims of the terrorist bombing of the American Embassy in Kenya that saw more than 200 people dead, on 7th of August 1998. Inside the park there is a board with the names of all the people who died. The park is well maintained, with well-mowed grass and tents with chairs that you can sit on and hold meetings. There are also park benches, in case you would just like to sit and enjoy the sunshine.
There are events that are held here on the regular, but most of the time the park is usually available to the public, at a fee of just Kshs. 30.
There you have it! Go out and have some fun this Sunday. We would love to hear about all the fun activities you want to do and places you plan to visit this weekend, in the comment section below, or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to use the hash tag #thevillagepot.
Have a lovely day!