African heritage is immortal even with the threat of foreign culture partly because of the existence of curio shops in Nairobi. These shops display an array of African-themed art and souvenirs speaking of the African culture. They are a major tourist attraction because they tell about the African culture in depth. Most of it includes traditional African jewellery, wildlife, and decorations, among other things. Curio shops in Nairobi hold a rich history of the land in a way that only art, and art alone, explains.
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What is a Curio?
A curio is an African shop or store that sells handcrafted souvenirs and a variety of decorative artifacts representing a particular culture or place. Kenya is famous for her curio shops usually offer a range of handcrafted souvenirs with an African inspiration. You are likely to get the following in all curio shops in Nairobi and beyond.
- Wood carvings of different objects
- Wildlife sculptures
- Traditional jewelry
- Ceramics
- Pottery
- Local paintings
- Traditional artwork
Best Curio Shops in Nairobi
If you love art and handcrafted souvenirs and are in Nairobie, it’s your lucky day. The city has charming curios with some of the best African souvenirs and jewelry. They have been in business for decades now – an indication that whatever they sell is impressive. No one remains in business in Nairobi selling unimpressive stuff to people. So, whenever you are in the city, check out the following curio shops:
- Hilton Arcade Curio Shop
- Maasai Market
- Westlands Maasai Market
- Kazuri Beads
- Utamaduni
1. Maasai Market
Maasai Market in Nairobi. Photo/Andariya
Maasai Market is a go-to destination for curio shops in Nairobi. It is a superb point for hagglers. Interestingly, sellers from the main Maasai Market along City Hall Way take the wares to major malls across the city on different days. Traditional items, like brightly coloured beaded jewellery, hand-woven baskets, soapstone figures, and wooden masks, are all available. Its history begins with a group of Maasai women in the city who came up with the idea to sell their traditional jewelry to city residents.
They established this as a base, and more Maasai entrepreneurs came along. With time, other non-Maasai businesspeople infiltrated the trade, selling different Maasai-inspired wares. The only downside of Maasai Market is that brokers and overly ambitious businesspeople sell their goods expensively, especially to tourists.
2. Hilton Arcade Curio Shop
The iconic Hilton Hotel in Nairobi. Photo/Wikimedia
Hilton Arcade Curio Shop is the oldest of curio shops in Nairobi. It’s famous for the affordable prices of its goods. A section of curios across the country are expensive, and many people shy away from buying. Aware of this, the Hilton curio shop prices all its products reasonably to allow more people to make purchases. Beaded bracelets, necklaces, earrings, wooden spoons, carved wildlife, local paintings, Kitenge bags and purses are all available here.
3. Westlands Maasai Market
Westlands Maasai Market. Photo/Maasai Market Westlands
At the hub of Nairobi’s commercial hub – Westlands – is the bubbly Maasai Market. Unlike its sister market in the CBD, curio shops in Westlands have a very calm demeanour. They are at the Westlands Square on your way to West Gate Mall. The attendants in these shops are friendly and knowledgeable. They can attach every souvenir in their shop to a piece of history. Every curio shop has unique merchandise for sale. You get hand-woven African shopping baskets, souvenirs, beads, necklaces, the big five animals and other decorations. The prices are affordable.
4. Kazuri Beads
Kazuri Beads factory in Karen, Nairobi. Photo/Kenya Wildlife Tours
Add Kazuri Beads to your bucket list of curio shops in Nairobi. It’s iconic and charming, serving an informed clientele from Karen suburbs. Kazuri started as a platform to help women learn a skill to help them make money. Beadmaking came off as a popular start for the women, who later diversified their skillset into handcrafting. You have an opportunity to see how Kazuri’s famed beads are made by taking a factory tour. Every step of their making is transparent and enjoyable to watch.
Besides purchasing jewellery crafted by the women, you can also purchase a packet of loose beads and create your masterpiece. With $40, you get a jumbo packet of the beads to while away time with.
5. Utamaduni
Utamaduni curio shops in Nairobi. Photo/Tripadvisor
Utamaduni is along Bogani Road in Karen, Langat’a Constituency in Nairobi. It’s near the Giraffe Centre and the Elephant Orphanage. Utamaduni is a big house packed with a variety of African crafts. Service is excellent, and so is the ambience in the leafy suburbs of Karen. Have you ever heard about mud cloth whose origins are in Bamako Mali? You will get it at Utamaduni, your one-stop shop for any African cultural product.
Curio shops in Nairobi have everything you need. Moreover, they are well spread out in the city to serve different clients with different tastes. In Westlands, the owners of those curio shops fascinate with their mastery of history behind every piece of souvenir they sell. At Utamaduni, you learn that handcrafted products have some class, too.
