Kenya has long been a popular safari destination, but there is more to the country than just the Masai Mara, and there are compelling new reasons to travel there. Innovative new hotel concepts like The Social House Nairobi, which opened just before the pandemic, are entice visitors to stay for a while, whereas Nairobi was frequently relegated to one-night layovers on the way to the bush.

The four restaurants and café are popular gathering spots for Nairobi’s creative crowd, and the 83 sleek rooms are filled to the brim with Kenyan toiletries and coffee. Creative kitchens like farm-to-table Cultiva, the brainchild of Ecuadorian chef Ariel Moscardi, who fell in love with Nairobi during a brief visit, are also flourishing in Nairobi’s restaurant scene. He is currently working on Aya, an experimental chef’s table offshoot that will open in the coming year. In addition, designer Anna Trzebinski has turned her attention to the coast following the opening of her residence in 2021 as the art-filled Eden Nairobi to guests.

In the enticing island archipelago of Lamu, she has taken over three apartments and furnished them with furniture and decor she designed. In 2023, she will present them as Jannah Shela. This is a chic hideaway for a new generation of Kenyan and international tourists thanks to its stunning indoor and outdoor areas and rooftop bar with the best views in Lamu. The dazzling details of Angama Mara will be replicated in Amboseli National Park further south with the opening of Angama Amboseli in November 2023. Ten tented suites will feature sweeping views of Mount Kilimanjaro. — Sarah Khan