Kenya's capital city is barely over a century old. Once nothing more than a watering hole where the Maasai people would bring their cattle to drink, the city's growth shadowed English colonization and the construction of the huge railway line that connects Mombassa, on the Indian Ocean, to the heart of the African continent. Among the many legends that arose during these early years, it is said that lions would frequently attack the Indian workers who had been called in to work on the railway's construction.

Thoroughly modern, Nairobi has never stopped developing. Today, this sprawling metropolis is home to more than 3 million people. It spreads outwards from its large downtown area, which features a mix of skyscrapers and traditional African sites, such as its vibrant marketplace and the minibus district on Lagos Road. Deserted by night and bustling by day, the city's large avenues are where diplomats and NGO representatives, who have made Nairobi their base in Eastern Africa, walk alongside tourists and the Maasai who've come to spend the day in town. And let's not forget the thousands of workers, merchants and young Kenyans who are also drawn by the bright lights of the big city.

Nairobi usually cools off in the evening thanks to its exceptional location, on a high plateau at an altitude of 1,700m. Gnus, zebras, antelopes, rhinos, lions and cheetahs saunter across the savannah at the city's doorstep. As recently as the 1950s, giraffes had to be chased off runways at the airport so that planes could land...