THE STANLEY HOTEL - NAIROBI:

As Kenya's first luxury hotel, The Stanley has always occupied a special place in Nairobi's heart. From the day it opened its doors in 1902, it has been making history - hosting royal safaris, ground-breaking business events and a long line of living legends.

Kenya's first locally-brewed beer was served at The Stanley's Long Bar in 1923. Ewart Grogan, who walked from Cape to Cairo to prove his love for a woman, slaked his considerable thirst here. So too did Ernest Hemingway, Denys Finch Hatton and Edward Prince of Wales.

Today, as The Stanley enters its second century, it is once again making history - by readopting its original name, and much of its original character.

For health enthusiasts, the Pool Deck restaurant on the fifth floor offers wholesome buffets and a vast array of salads beside the shimmering waters of the heated pool.

Guarding The Stanley's entrances is the world's most famous messenger - an acacia xanthophildea, whose message-board has formed the centrepiece of the legendary Thorn Tree Cafe since 1959. Although the cafe is now on to its third acacia and the messages also flow through the tree's own website, the atmosphere of Africa's best-known meeting place is still as warm and welcoming as it was in those early days.

In keeping with its place at the heart of Nairobi's central business district, The Stanley offers some of the finest conference facilities in the country - with nine fully-equipped function rooms for all manner and size of occasion.

The largest, the Churchill Room, seats 250 for dinner and 350 for conferences, while the Baden Powell Room opens out onto a central courtyard for open-air lunches or cocktails. The hotel's Business Centre is equipped to put all the function rooms - as well as individual guest rooms - in touch with the world.

The luxurious rooms, the largest in Nairobi, blend Victorian grandeur and comfort with all the practical amenities of the 21st Century.

The Club rooms, the most spacious rooms in the hotel, offer pure indulgence such as luxury bathrobes and slippers, deluxe toiletries and daily room courtesies.

The expansive Executive rooms have spacious bedrooms, walk-in wardrobes, en suite lounges and two bathrooms, while the upper floors offer new heights of luxury in the sumptuous Presidential, Penthouse and State suites.

The Stanley's fully-equipped health club, staffed by fully trained instructors, features a gym with state-of-the-art cardiovascular equipment and a fitness centre with daily aerobics classes, as well as spacious saunas, steam and relaxation rooms.

Today, the standards of comfort and style for which The Stanley is world renowned continue to make it the choice of discerning travellers globally. Indeed the glamour and glory of yesteryears is very much alive today at The Stanley.

NAIROBI:
What once was a remote railway outpost has become the largest city between Johannesburg and Cairo and is Kenya's capital city and the world's safari capital. It has long been the commercial centre of Eastern Africa and one of the world's cross-roads with its international airport servicing most of the world's airlines. Kenya's capital city has risen in a single century from a brackish uninhabited swampland to a thriving modern capital. Nairobi is a city that never seems to sleep. The entire town has a boundless energy, and is a thriving place where all of human life can be found. This is a place of great contrasts where race, tribe and origin all become facets of a unique Nairobi character. Some of the places to visit whilst in Nairobi include; the National Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, McMillan Memorial Library, Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Parliament Buildings, Nairobi National Park, the Snake Park, National Museum, Bomas of Kenya (for traditional dancing and tribal villages), Nairobi Races (horse racing on Sundays), and the National International Show (August/September/October). Nairobi also has several modern cinemas in the city centre and two drive-in cinemas.

The City Market on Muindi Mbingu Street is worth a visit if you are shopping for curios. Depending on how good your bartering is, you can get a good bargain be it soapstone carvings, wood carvings or other handicrafts. The city has not lost its sense of the past, with an excellent museum and the historical home of Karen Blixen, author of Out of Africa open to visitors.

From the wildlife to the nightlife, Nairobi is a city unlike any other. With a fantastic music scene, excellent international restaurants and an endless and colourful array of shops and markets, there is plenty on offer for the visitor.