Kenya can be described as a melting pot of global cultures. At the Coast you find the influence of Arabs and Portuguese who fought to rule the sea trade and island. The Arabs intermarried with the locals and birthed the Swahili people. The Portuguese influence can be seen in religion and architecture.

All these can be seen in a Coastal Cultural Tour. On trips outside of Nairobi (say to the Rift Valley or Masai Mara) you can take a few hours to visit a Maasai manyatta where you can see first hand how they have lived for centuries, always within reach of their cattle. For the spare hours that you have in the course of your stay in Nairobi there are two must-see cultural reservoirs:

The Murumbi Gallery and African Heritage House. Murumbi Gallery is right at the heart of the city and it is here that the extensive collection of Zuzarte Murumbi’s African memorabilia can be found, while African Heritage House is about an hours drive from the city centre. At the African Heritage House you will be hosted by African history and culture expert Alan Donovan.

The house itself is a marvel of Adobe architecture and within it you will find that every rug, photo, bed spread, carpet and piece of furniture is an expression of African culture. Alan is knowledgeable and interesting. A tour to the House is completed with a buffet lunch or sundowner overlooking the Athi plains.