things I can't get?

Welcome to the forum Michelledj

I hope members from Nairobi will advise you accordingly by contributing to your discussion!

Best Regards!

hey michelle
im in kenya and have a friend from Australia. you can find most if not all things here thing is they are in different stores around town. but you can come with baking and mould trays since you can never go wrong with them. would be glad to give you guys an orientation if need be.

In Nairobi you will get most of the stuff - maybe not the same labels, convenience products are not so common here. Iam from germany here is nothing i really miss - except a really good cheese. Some things are more expensive like diary products.
If you need special medicine you should figure it out before, as i did not get my normal insuline so i changed it before.
If you need special stuff you can may make a list than i can answer concrete.
istria

Istria -

Thank you for your offer to look for things for me.  I have friends who have moved to different countries and can't find things like chocolate chips, etc.  I don't need anything specific (I don't think) ~ I was just wondering if anyone could tell me things that they missed.  If I think of anything specific, I'll definitely let you know!

Michelle

chocolate chips is def not here, also plain gelatin is not in the market then wafers are scarce too to mention a bit.

Thanks Chuck.  That's the kind of information I'm looking for!  Have a great day!

Michelle

get lots of clothes and your make up stuff. They are so expensive in kenya. i moved from ireland recently and these are the stuff i miss here on a daily basis..

hey you welcome michelle. have a lovely evening too. looking to keep in touch though.......


@Twinfun what sort of clothes are you after maybe i can give you pointers? let me know aiit? :)hope you finding your stay in kenya awesome with the different cultures and all

hi chuck86, thanks a lot. i m enjoying my stay in kenya a lot. its a great mix of cultures..

the clothes i m talking abt is regular clothes for womenn.. they are ridiculously expensive in the shopping centres. its almost double or more of what i pay in ireland. and same with regular cosmetics. its not that u wont get them here. but very very expensive. i would love to know any places where i can get them for better price

Hey twin fun can you mail me on watcher.charles@gmail.com.............think i know what you mean and i can help no need to worry hope your morning is coming along good. just from uploading some pics......do you want clothes from shopping centres only or you open to try out other shops as well that sell them cheaper and good quality. i know of a place where most expats go to buy such items I'm i seeing a smile on your face now

Chocoloate chips? I don't see a problem there, use a choclate and crush in peaces ... Wafers - I have seen them in nakumatt westgate?? But there is a problem that lots of things are out of stock here from time to time. And lots of stuff is more expensive here that in my homecountry - nairobi isn't cheap at all. I brought *some* of my makeup-stuff, more for a "home-feeling" I think that is not neccessary - maybe if you use special stuff like I like to use natural cosmetics. Clothes in the normal shopping centre are more expensive but as chuck86 told you already there are cheaper possibilities - you can get very good second hand clothes (the ones we donate in europe ...), you find Mr. NicePrice, and there is also the possibility to go to a tailor (which is not expensive here). But i think its never bad to come with some more basic stuff like shirts.

istria

thanks Istiria you sound like a typical kenyan and you know your way around lol. i tried looking for plain wafers for making some sugar treats cause i LOVE cooking but i dint get it at the westgate shopping mall. guess you will have to be my guide in some of my items on the shopping list huh

You can get almost everything, though often not your own brand.
Typical western things can be expensive. Cosmetics for white skins are available, at a price. Clothing from South Africa is reasonably good, but twice the SA price.
Watch it if you are on specialist medication. The Kenya private health system is however excellent and will sort you out with alternatives if required.
For food, go Kenyan. Excellent quality,and cheap. For cravings, post a message. We have 152 nationalities in this town.

Hi Michelle,

I've been in Nairobi for almost 3 years and we still bring things back to Nairobi from Canada when we go home for vacation.  Like someone mentioned, convenience items are not abundant and if they are they are extremely expensive.  You can't get good brown sugar here (the sugar here is ok but you can't beat the brown sugar from North America).  You can't get the regular bottles of Advil or Tylenol (for headaches and such) or not that I've seen. What else???  You can't get Miracle Whip (not sure if that's a staple in your house but it is for my husband).  For the most part, you can get pretty much anything but you sometimes have to shop around and when you do find something you like buy several of them as you might not see it again for a long time.  We buy 2-4 of everything that we like, just in case....  If there are any particular items you're wondering about let us know. 
Tanya

U can get abit of everythng u used to back home but it all depends on where u shop coz most of the supermarkets stock up depending on where they r loctated n the same applies for the price tag...f u looking 4 a gud bargain stay off the posh areas..n f u are up for it try our flea markets u would be shockd at u what u can get n at a very gud price...but f u r loaded like our former cj who was a briton fanactic couldnt have anythng from any other part of the world otha then tha uk..u could import everythng 4rm ur fav bottle of water 2 ur fav morning paper..lol..

Hi Michelle,

U can bring the make-up from the US, they are very expensive here, and the skin care stuffs!

Hi all,
I didnt realise that there is such a problem with make up! I deal with health and beauty products and if you want anything from cleansers to foundation you can drop me a line for 100% natuaral products. (moderated: no ads please)

Im glad that most stuff can be found here but the price varies with the location as Tekwane mentioned. I see alot of expats doing their shopping at the market at adams its affordable and lots of unique stuff though second hand.

Hmmm...

Like most people have said, you can get most things in Nairobi, if you are willing to pay the price.  They key is to finding out all the secret and not so secret store that shelve certain items.  For instance when I was looking for specific ingredients for my x-mas dinner, I have to visits 6-7 different store, and still ended up improvising on the pecans.  Last year I stocked up on granola bars whenever they were in the stores, as they seemed to run out frequently.  I also always keep an extra jar or two of my favorite sauces, as you never know when Nairobi will run dry.  When something sells out in one store, it normally sells out everywhere for a period of time. 

Slowly over the time I have been here, I have limited the items I bring back from home.  But a few things I still order are books, make-up (I am very fair and cannot find the right colour here), some baby stuff (things I am particularly worried about safety or price), maple syrup, shoes and clothes.  I also suggest stocking up on kitchen appliances and items before you come if you are sending a shipment.  You will pay a high premium for items that are not great quality.  I spent a small fortune on knives and pots & pans that were supposed to be top of the line, but really would be low end items back home. 

Basically anything that is imported will have a premium price tag!  So think strategically when packing!

Cheers and enjoy your travels!

Leslie

The other thing is to GET LOCAL.Especially with food items.
Don't chase all the things you want... leave those for a lovely treat when you go back home.


Otherwise you will pay through the nose!

There are just 1 or 2 things I miss now... and I do most of my clothes shopping when I visit the UK.

Learn to embrace ugali (or at least use it to fill cracks in the wall)