Digital Nomads in Nairobi // Why Nairobi Garage is An Ideal Stop

Guest Post by Rebecca Dash

In this Guest Post, Rebecca Dash shares her experience at Nairobi Garage as a Digital Nomad and why Nairobi Garage should be an ideal stop for most Digital Nomads in Nairobi.

When the UK government finally removed a number of African nations from its red list, I was able to put two years of longing to head back to Kenya into action.

I had already informed both of my clients that I intended to travel as soon as I was able to, and would continue to support them as a freelance digital project manager from overseas for a few weeks.

My plan was: work during the week, wildlife at the weekends. I’d chosen Nairobi as I knew there would be a high chance of a reliable strong wifi signal in many places, and it is so easy to get to Kenya’s National Parks from there.

I booked into a hotel in the Westlands area for the first week and logged into my work emails on the Monday morning, having arrived on the Saturday evening.

The connection was fine and my room was great, but I was alone within those 4 walls all day. When I sat alone eating dinner that evening I thought – this isn’t the experience I came here for.

An aerial View of Nairobi Garage Westlands.

I started Googling shared offices nearby and found Nairobi Garage in Westlands. It was a 7-minute walk away, on the same side of the ring road as my hotel, and was within a few minutes from the Sarit shopping mall. I booked a viewing for the next morning – excited at the prospect of being around other people!

On arrival I was impressed by the warm welcome I was given by everyone from the security guards to the receptionist downstairs. I then received an even warmer reception from the ladies on the front desk.

They were full of smiles and wanting to know about me and what I’ve been up to, and clearly they enjoy working at Nairobi Garage – which is always a good start and sign.

I was so impressed with the setup and team that I decided to start working from there that day. The space is great for digital nomads as they offer different packages based on different requirements. I knew I would only be in Kenya for a month or so (on this occasion), and they were able to accommodate this. Facilities included:

• Shared open-plan office spaces as well as exclusive spaces for businesses that require more privacy
• Multiple call booths with plug sockets
• Meeting rooms with presenting features
• A kitchen equipped with fridge and microwave as well as crockery
• High speed wifi
• Printers and photocopiers
• A Slack channel to support networking

Events were starting back up again and offered an opportunity to network with others from around Nairobi Garage Westlands as well as other offices dotted around the city. One such event was focused on how best to secure funding for small businesses and start-ups.

I found my fellow office workers to be hard working, polite, friendly and sophisticated. It was interesting to be around a number of small businesses and it felt like there is a lot happening in Nairobi and a real buzz.

My plans to dedicate my weekends to wildlife worked out well – I managed to visit Ol Pejeta, Buffalo Springs, Samburu, the Masai Mara (twice!) and also spent a week in Uganda.

It was great to have Nairobi as my base and Nairobi Garage as an office space I could rely on when in the city. The team couldn’t do enough and always welcomed me so warmly. I look forward to seeing them in 2022!

Tips for a digital nomad in Nairobi:

• Nairobi Garage Westlands actually has someone who brings lunches and drinks to purchase each day – the options are very tasty and cost efficient
• Get a Kenyan phone chip and put money onto Mpesa – this method of payment can be used in most places, even supermarkets. It is also a great way of tipping guides when on safari if you don’t have cash to hand
• Allow plenty of time if you need to get anywhere by taxi – the traffic can be quite intense in Nairobi, this seems to be the case at all times of the day and even at night
• Speaking of taxis – Uber works, but most drivers prefer to be paid in cash, which is easy to select on the app
• There are plenty of Airbnb options in Westlands and throughout Nairobi, as well as hotels. Airbnb tends to work out cheaper and you can also sometimes agree a rate once you have stayed the first time. They are often trying to appeal to those who may be remote working so will highlight if they have wifi – also worth reading reviews
• Crossing some of the roads in Nairobi can be a bit of a hair-raising experience, but there are sometimes marked crossings and it’s a case of staying very aware of vehicles – also watch how locals manage it!
• SafariLink (as well as others) offer domestic flights to many of the National Parks and conservancies. They have also been awarded eco-warriors and they have a focus on offsetting their carbon footprint. Flying into the parks and camps is a lot quicker than travelling in by road and a flight on the propeller planes makes for an unforgettable experience

Things to do in Nairobi:

I was working UK hours so didn’t do much in the evenings, but the hotel I stayed at during my first week – Ibis Styles – had a great restaurant and bar up on their top floor with great views of the city. At the weekends this seemed to attract people from around Nairobi

• The Sheldrick Trust, which adopts orphaned elephants, has a daily one hour slot when it welcomes visitors. This does have to be pre-booked but is a great hour spent admiring the work, the carers and of course the gorgeous characterful young elephants.
• Nairobi has its own National Park – I didn’t go there on this occasion but have seen some very positive reviews
• The Sarit shopping mall has great places for breakfasts, lunches and brunches as well as a huge supermarket, a smaller organic shop,  bookshop, clothes shops, banks including ATMs, a Safaricom (phone network) outlet, ten pin bowling… it’s pretty big and a slightly strange layout but it’s very handy. The Sarit is also not far from the Nairobi Garage Westlands office
  • Barista Co does really tasty coffee and they have delicious treats such as eclairs. I also really liked their range of brunch options. The staff are friendly and they soon realised I had a favourite spot – at the window watching the world go by
  • There is also The Spring Noshery – relatively new on the scene as I understand it, but they serve great coffee and food. The staff are also super friendly. There were often people working from there – it’s not got an outdoor view but is very light and airy.

NB: The author of the article is the  a member of Nairobi Garage Westlands. Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-dash or Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beccajld/.