The United Nations Tour + 5 Quick Travel Tips!

Happy New Month Folks! 😀 Have you heard about the United Nations Tour in Nairobi? Yes.. No?

Well, I reckon that this tour should definitely be on your list of ‘Things to do in Nairobi’! And I will tell you why… 🙂

 

Short Story Time… My First United Nations Encounter!

But first, let me share with you about my first UN experience!

It was a couple of years ago, when my friend Faith and I were job hunting, and trust me- we had big dreams O!

We’d drafted a list of potential employers, and Googled their exact locations in Nairobi. The United Nations was top on that hopeful list!

Then with our CVs and Cover letters sealed in brown envelopes, addressed to ‘The Human Resource Manager’, we got to tarmacking!

It had been a long sunny day of walking, when we finally came up to the United Nations entrance….

At the gate, the guards rightfully questioned: ‘Do you have an appointment?’

To which we honestly replied: ‘No, but we’d like to see the HR Manager about applying for a job…’

The guys politely told us to leave our documents in a ‘box’, that looked like it had seen many a brown envelopes! And that my friends, is as far as we got- the gate!

And if you are curious- no, we never heard back… (*insert sad music. Lol)

At the time, the United Nations felt so out of reach… And honestly, that image of the UN stuck with me.

>>>Fast forward, to maybe 7-8 years later… I get an email from the United Nations Visitors’ Service, with an invite for a Complimentary visit, along with fellow Travel Bloggers.

Admittedly, I felt a smile down creep to my heart… Things had fallen into place after all, albeit differently, but still. 🙂

 

The United Nations Tour

Did You Know?? The United Nations Office in Nairobi, is one of the 4 Main UN Headquarters in the world. The rest are in: Geneva, New York and Vienna.

The United Nations Visitors Service, Nairobi, is a section of the UN Secretariat, that helps to organize tours that are open to the public.

One of their main aims is to demystify this notion that the UN is closed off, and to create more awareness about their mission and objectives.

 

 

 

5 Tips For an Awesome United Nations Tour

Here are my 5 Travel Tips from what I picked on our visit, on how you can make your experience a good one!

 

1. Make Your Booking In Advance

You certainly don’t want to get to the gate and be turned back, so make an advance UN Tour booking online via their Website.

In addition, be sure to send your name and ID Number to email: un.tours@un.org

This will ensure you get security clearance in advance, and security will be furnished with your details at the gate.

 

2. UN Tour Costs and Timings

It costs between Kes. 500 and Kes. 1,500, for adults, Kenyans and Non-Residents respectively.

And it costs between Kes. 300 and Kes. 1,000, for students, Kenyans and Non-Residents respectively.

>>Payment is made in cash at the gate, when you arrive.

>>You can book for tour Tours between Monday to Thursday (8 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and on Fridays (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

 

 

3. How to Get There

If you’re going by public means, pick a Matatu No. 106 or No. 108 at the Koja Mosque Stage, and alight at the UNEP stage, off Limuru Road.

Or if driving, drive a little past the Java House on Limuru Road, and turn onto UN Avenue.

The United Nations is about 200m away from the stage on UN Avenue, right opposite the American Embassy.

Pro Tips>>

• Remember to submit your car registration details to your Tour Guide in advance via email, to ease the parking procedure.
• Arrive at least 30-45 minutes early to allow time for the Security clearance process.

 

 

4. Carry Your ID or Passport

This might sound a little obvious, but don’t forget to carry your ID or passport. They will need to verify your identity using your National ID or passport.

 

5. Wear Comfortable Shoes

The tour takes between 1-2 hours, and a good chunk of this time will be spent on your feet. So be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes.

 

Bonus: Carry a camera

You might want to take some pictures during the tour, so be sure to carry your camera. Also, find out from your tour guide, whether some places are off-limits for pictures.

 

>>I have to admit, after our United Nations Tour, I realized there’s a lot I did not know about the UN…

>>Plus, the idea that you don’t have to cross to different continents to visit a UN Headquarter sure feels good, no? 😀

 

Fun Facts About the United Nations & The Tour

• The United Nations Headquarters is located in Nairobi, because H.E. Jomo Kenyatta, our first Kenyan president, donated 100 acres to the UN.
• H.E. Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi later donated 46 acres, making a total of 146 acres.
• The United Nations is 73 years old. It was established on 24^th October, 1945, after the 2^nd world war, in an effort to prevent a 3^rd World War.
• One of the 6 Principle Organs of the UN is the Trusteeship Council, and it runs a Special Committee of Decolonization.
• It has been widely successful, although 17 Countries are still being colonized in the world today like the: Western Sahara, British Virgin Island and the American Virgin Islands.
• The UN Tour can be conducted in English, French, Swahili, Chinese, German and Hungarian.

 

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Let’s keep it light for now, so you can book yourself a UN Tour to learn more… 😉

Many thanks to our amazing Tour Guide Lisa Adiedo, and Adrienne Juhasz for hosting us, and for taking us on quite the informative journey! 🙂

 

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Thank you my beautiful people for reading! I hope this piqued your interest in the United Nations Tour!

Feel free leave a comment with your feedback/and or questions. I love reading from you and your comments go a long way to support my blog!

 

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