A Wild Time

Bring the kids to Nairobi and make memories to last a lifetime.

- Richard Newton

IS KENYA A SUITABLE DESTINATION for kids? It was a question my parents asked themselves in the early 1970s when we moved there. They made sure I was aware of all potential hazards, and I was scared of everything: the wildlife, the people, the food. But soon I engaged with the country to such an extent that every return visit has been a homecoming.

My parents were right to warn me of the dangers. This is no glorified version of The Lion King. Wild animals are a potential threat, and on safari it is important to stick to the rules. Some safari camps are unfenced, and children should be supervised by adults at all times. But in Nairobi there are opportunities to get up close and personal with Africa’s most famous species.

One essential stop on any family vacation here is the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Orphanage, founded by the late Dr. Daphne Sheldrick in memory of her husband, David, one of Kenya’s first game wardens. Although the orphanage cares for a wide range of young animals for eventual release into the wild, its most famous residents are its elephants.

The orphanage, located on the edge of Nairobi National Park, opens for an hour to the public every day, 11 a.m.–noon. It offers a chance to see and learn about the current residents. But if you adopt an animal (details on the orphanage’s website), you can visit by appointment at 5 p.m. (book as far in advance as possible to avoid disappointment). After feeding time — a chaotic event, when the baby elephants jostle to be bottle-fed by their keepers — adopters are escorted around the nursery to meet the animals. What does it feel like to stroke an elephant? You’ll find out.