Entertainment in downtown Nairobi,Kenya, for the budget tourist.

If you are a Nairobian,then you know that one of the juiciest entertainment spots is the CBD.I happen to live in Nairobi for The last ten years,and being a youth,am x generation,have been a greedy consumer of the entertainment offering.For a low budget,you can have a memorable day at the CBD,where food and drinks as well as accommodation in some quarters are not as expensive as they are in other entertainment spots of the city.I have had countless fun for a budget of just ksh.5,000,which is about 50 dollars.For those of you who don’t know Nairobi,it’s the capital city of Kenya,a country in East Africa,and the most cosmopolitan city in east and central Africa. Let’s start an ordinary day out,with just 50 dollars or ksh.5,000.We assume you are going to spend the entire day in the CBD,and if you are a tourist in Kenya today,or planning a visit,you will find this most useful.Even with the covid-19 restrictions,Nairobians will also find it useful. For breakfast, I would recommend Lazarus inn along Moi avenue and any of the restaurant chain Highlands doting the CBD.There you could get a filling breakfast in cozy sorroundings for 3 dollars or ksh.300.Be sure to try tea or coffee,both grown locally,for a unique Kenyan taste.For a slightly higher budget,you could enjoy some particularly good coffee at deacons.After breakfast,to idle away the time before lunch,visit the bar at lazarus inn along moi avenue or Paleo along Tom Mboya street.Drinks are reasonably priced with beers at ksh.200 (2 dollars) and wine at ksh.250 per glass or ksh.1,500 per bottle of red or white table wine.Hot liquor is very popular and is available in a mountain of brands,but it’s still early in the day and you haven’t had lunch so you might want to steer clear of spirits and stick to beer or wine for now.After a few drinks it’s lunch time and I know just the spot for you. There is Homelunch along kimanthi street,near Hilton you hotel,where you could gate a steaming plate of authentic orgainic African cuisine for as little as ksh.200,if you go for matoke.Chicken will be the most expensive dish,for about ksh.500.If don’t want to go to homelunch you could try Seasons restaurant,or if you don’t mind chips and chicken you are spoilt for choice.Chips and chicken,by my reckoning, is the most popular dish in the CBD,going by the number of outlets and how full they ever are!You could also decide to eat at the same joint you have been sampling drinks,as both Paleo and Lazarus inn also have restaurant sections,but that’s less fun as you won’t move about,and they are more expensive than the named alternative lunch joints.Dessert is not common in Nairobi,where most meals are single course,but if interested,you could get some very good quality ice cream from a supermarket nearby.I recommend Tusky’s supermarket or Naivas for this.Fruit salads are also on offer at a good price,or just organic fruit juice,very popular in Nairobi.With your belly full it’s time to try more aggressive entertainment,and as you still have about 3,500 Kenya shillins remaining from our ksh.5,000 budget,you have no need for worries! Most Kenyans start drinking in the afternoons,so this time round you will have more company in the clubs.You could try club sevens or Edge,both along Moi avenue.They have ample balconies with lots of sitting space where you can enjoy a smoke.A packet of embassy cigarettes or sportsman goes for sh.300,or 3 dollars,and the security guards are ever eager to get you a matchbox in return for a small tip,as little as ksh.20.If you like football feel at home,as watching football on TV is a favorite Kenyan pastime,and the clubs will most likely be showing football on the many well positioned TV's.While you are watching football and enjoying a cigarette you may feed your eyes on the ever beautiful barmaids and engage them on the drinks on offer.This time round because you have a full stomach you could try a hot liqueur.A half gilbeys goes for about ksh.750,which is a favorite gin in Kenya guaranteed to raise your spirits.You could also try chrome,at sh.1,500 for the ‘mzinga’ or 0.75 litre bottle.Common mixers are soda or warm lemon water.This should keep you occupied for the afternoon till early evening,even if you are a small group. For supper I recommend Highlands,the one at ambasaddeur,or ambasadeur hotel itself,where you could try fish and ugali,the favorite fish for Kenyans being Tilapia.Then after supper you go to club 64,the hottest club in the CBD,which is along kimathi street,for some closing beers,and worldclass music entertainment.If you prefer the darker entertainment arts,I recommend club sweet waters at riverroad,or the nearby Tahiti, where for ksh.200 entry fee you can enjoy watching stark naked strippers at their act,and cheap beers.security is not a problem,and you need not fear coming out of sweet waters in the wee hours of the morning,drunk and horny….i might also add that you can get a call girl along Luthuli avenue for ksh.200,to unburden yourself! So next time you are in need of fun and you are in Nairobi,you now have the picture,and know the spots,and remember you got the juice from the blog fortunes!  

Author:Lion Mambo.