Review: The Bomas of Kenya Show in Nairobi, Kenya

The heavy and late lunch at Carnivore (Read: Review of Carnivore Restaurant in Nairobi) almost got the better of us on Day One of our Kenya tour. We wanted to go to the hotel and sleep. The jet lag was still strong and hovering around. But then, the Bomas of Kenya beckoned strongly too. Here was the opportunity to get a glimpse of how Kenya lives, eats, sings, dances and plays. And so, refusing to fall prey to sleep and exhaustion, we asked our driver to take us to the Bomas of Kenya.

What is the Bomas of Kenya? It is sort of a make-believe village that showcases the lifestyle of Kenyans. Houses and huts, typical of different ethnic groups in Kenya, have been built in clusters over the sprawling grounds that exhibits Kenya’s ethnic diversity and informs the visitor about the richness of its culture and traditions. A walk around the place gives you a snapshot of the daily life of the different sections of people.

There is also a huge hall, where music, dance and acrobatic shows are held every day, giving the visitor a good taste of the Kenyan culture.

How is the Bomas of Kenya Show? Amongst many, you can get to see the Nubian Dance, the Giriama dance, the Masai dance, a Kenyan musical instruments show, acrobatics and a drinking party show.

The show is quite nice, and is a good introduction to the Kenyan culture. The music and dances are straight from the Kenyan villages and you sway along with the singers, reveling in the sounds and tunes of a land so different from yours. We loved every moment of it. The acrobatics are a special draw with the children as they gape in wonder at how the young boys jump and show their skills with spears, fire and gymnastics.

Here is a video of one of the dance from the show — Dance at the Bomas of Kenya

Frankly, maybe you will get to see all of these dances during any of your resorts stay at Masai Mara or Naivasha or elsewhere. Hence, if you are too tied for time at Nairobi, you needn’t come to the Bomas of Kenya. But if you have the time, do pay a visit. It is a worthy orientation. And it also helps the local artists who are commissioned to perform at the show.

Timings of the Bomas of Kenya Show: Catch them over the weekdays, Monday to Friday at 2:30PM. It’s a 90-minute show until 4:00PM. Over the weekends and public holidays, the timings are 3:30PM to 5:15PM.

How much do the tickets cost? It is 600 Kenyan Shillings for Foreign Adult Visitors and 300 KES for children visitors. Do refer to one of the photos here for the complete list of the charges.

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Have you visited the following places in Nairobi?

1. David Sheldrick Elephant Centre
2. Giraffe Centre

Find out How is the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

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We went for a 5-day trip to Kenya one Christmas, of which, we spent one day in Nairobi, one day in Naivasha, three days in Maasai Mara. We have written exhaustively about our explorations and experiences — In order to make it easy for you to locate all the information, should you be planning a similar trip, this post will give you a snap-shot of all the ‘must-dos and must-sees’ — Itinerary for Nairobi, Naivasha & Maasai Mara in Kenya