Nairobi

Shopping

A wide variety of shopping experiences can be found in Nairobi. It is a good place to pick up souvenirs and handicrafts. All sorts of goods can be obtained from vendors, kiosks, boutiques, small shops, department stores, and malls.

Souvenirs and handicrafts can be purchased all over Nairobi. The city market on Muindi Mbingu Street has a good range of items from souvenir kiondo (colorful woven sisal bags), jewelry, wood, and soapstone carvings to everyday goods like meat, fish, and fruits. However, shopping at city market will test any shopper's bargaining abilities. On Tuesdays there is a Masai market (which is an informal market) at Kenyatta Avenue near the roundabout on Uhuru Highway. There Masai women sell beaded jewelry, gourds, baskets, and other Masai crafts. The Kigali market, between Kigali Road and Tubman Road, is an overpopulated tourist spot. All kinds of souvenirs can be found there, and if the shopper's bargaining skills are sharp, some good deals can be obtained. Safari wear, T-shirts, wood carvings, and better assortments of jewelry can be found at a number of downtown shops situated along the major roads of Kenyatta Avenue, Koinange Street, and Kimathi

Street. More upscale handicrafts, artwork, and jewelry from all over Africa can be found at the African Heritage Center on Kenyatta Avenue.

The appropriately named Biashara (Business) Street is the core of downtown Nairobi ' s shopping district; it is made up of endless small shops and cafes. In the Langata area, the Ostrich Park has a craft center with an artisans workshop where passersby can see items being made and enjoy a nice cafe. The Yaya and Sarit Centers are well-known shopping malls located outside of the city center. Uchumi supermarkets, located throughout Nairobi, cater to grocery shopping needs, as do stalls that sell fresh vegetables, fruits, and meat.