The National Archives live in the former Bank of India building right in the bustling heart of Nairobi. It is a vast collection of documents and reference material. The ground-floor atrium and gallery display an eclectic selection of contemporary art, historical photos of Nairobi, cultural artefacts, furniture and tribal objects.

This charming farmhouse is where Karen Blixen, author of the popular novel Out of Africa, lived from 1914 to 1931. She left after a series of personal tragedies, but the lovely colonial house has been preserved as a museum. It was presented to the Kenyan government at independence by the Danish government along with the adjacent agricultural college.

It's set in lovely gardens and it's quite an interesting place to wander around, plus there's accommodation and a restaurant on site.

Kenya's National Museum is an imposing building amid lush leafy grounds just outside the city centre. It has a good range of cultural, geological and natural-history exhibits. Volunteer guides offer tours in English, Dutch and French. The 1st floor contains excellent contemporary East African art; as all the items are for sale the displays change regularly.

While the museum itself is being renovated until 2007, temporary exhibitions are on show at other locations in Nairobi and the recreated Kikuyu homestead and a snake park in the museum's grounds are still open.

This interesting little museum displays relics from the East African Railway. There are train and ship models, photographs, tableware and oddities from the history of the railway. One such is the Engine Seat that allowed visiting dignitaries like Theodore Roosevelt to take pot shots at unsuspecting wildlife from the front of the train.

In the grounds are dozens of fading locomotives in various states of disrepair, dating from the steam days to independence, including the steam train used in the movie Out of Africa.

The Langata Giraffe Centre, run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, is a sanctuary for the rare Rothschilds giraffe. Here you can observe, hand-feed or even kiss the giraffes from a raised circular wooden structure, and it is quite an experience. It's a good place to get the close-up photographs that eluded you on safari.

Simmers is the place to come to rediscover a bit of true African rhythm. This lively alfresco pub-restaurant cooks up a variety of traditional African dishes alongside some greasy Western offerings. The atmosphere here is always jumping, with live bands playing anything from Congolese rumba to Kenyan benga while you chow.

Nairobi's best clubs and bars are mostly found in the suburbs. This is one of the best. DJs play most nights and there are live music events most weekends. There are also occasional CD launch parties and stand-up comedy to amuse the wealthy Kenyans, expat teenagers, travellers and NGO workers who frequent it. Next door is the legendary Carnivore restaurant.

Split between a relaxed ground-level bar and the big, modern basement club, Pavement is the dancefloor of choice for most resident expats. Weekends favour the kind of jump-up commercial dance music you might get on a night out in Europe.

For a lunch splurge in an upmarket environment, head for the Stanley's legendary cafe. It's an oasis of civilization amid the madness of the streets and the food, while overpriced, caters to most tastes. Although it still serves as a popular meeting place for travellers, the once famous noticeboard has been reduced to a shadow of its former self.

Vegetarians, please look away now. This is hands down the most famous nyama choma restaurant in Kenya. At the entrance is a huge barbecue pit laden with real swords of beef, pork, lamb, chicken, camel, ostrich and crocodile. As long as the paper flag on your table is flying, waiters will keep bringing the meat, which is carved right at the table.

This place is highly rated by Kenyans. There's a butchery where you select your meat and then it's tossed on the barbie - any day of the week you'll see clouds of delicious-smelling smoke rising from the restaurant. It's best to come in a group as meat is sold in the form of whole goat legs or complete racks of ribs. Chips or ugali are also available.