“Here I am, where I ought to be”.
This is what Danish author Karen Blixen wrote in her world-famous memoir Out of Africa about her time on a coffee farm in Kenya – a place that quickly came to hold a very special place in the author’s heart.
Read on as we follow in Karen Blixen’s footsteps and visit the museum that was once her home.
Who was Karen Blixen?
Born in 1885, Karen Blixen is one of Denmark’s most internationally acclaimed authors. She discovered the joy of writing stories as a child, and her work was later particularly shaped by the 17 years she spent in Africa.
In 1914, Karen Blixen moved to Africa with her husband, Bror von Blixen-Finecke. Together, they bought a coffee farm at the foot of the Ngong Hills near Nairobi, which they ran together until they divorced in 1925. Karen Blixen then continued to run the coffee farm and began a relationship with Denys Finch Hatton. Sadly, he died in a tragic accident in 1931, after which the coffee farm was sold at auction and she left Kenya.
Her experiences during her time in Kenya formed the basis of her memoir Out of Africa ("Den afrikanske farm"). The book was published in 1937 under the pseudonym "Isak Dinesen" – a name that gave her the freedom to write as she pleased. The fact that she used male pseudonyms several times throughout her writing career was probably no coincidence either, as female authors at the time were primarily expected to write romantic stories.
The book achieved great international success and was made into a film in 1985 starring Meryl Streep – a film that won no fewer than seven Oscars.
Experience Karen Blixen’s Africa in Nairobi
If you visit Nairobi on a tour of Kenya, you'll have the opportunity to get up close to the place that provided the setting for Karen Blixen’s African adventure and influenced much of her writing.
In the neighbourhood of "Karen", located approximately 10 km from Nairobi and named after the author, you can visit the Karen Blixen Museum and Karen Coffee Garden. Each offers a unique insight into her time in Africa.
If you really want to feel history come alive, it’s well worth reading Out of Africa before your visit, or watching the film adaptation of the book, also called Out of Africa, which, as mentioned, tells the story of Karen Blixen’s life on the coffee farm.
Visit Karen Blixen’s house in Nairobi
Today, Karen Blixen’s farm in Kenya is a museum and one of the top attractions in Nairobi.
In 1964, two years after Karen Blixen’s death, the Danish government bought the coffee farm and gave it to Kenya as part of the country’s independence from Britain. During the filming of Out of Africa, interest grew in turning the house into a museum. It opened in 1986, following restoration work supported by the film company.
The museum comprises the old farmhouse, kitchen, and coffee-drying area, where original furniture, historic photographs, and props from the film tell the fascinating story of Karen Blixen’s life in Africa during the colonial era.
Take a break at Karen Coffee Garden
If you fancy a rest after visiting the Karen Blixen Museum, stop by Karen Coffee Garden, which is also located in the Karen area, just under a kilometre away.
At the heart of Karen Coffee Garden stands the original farmhouse, built between 1906 and 1908. It once served as the administrative building for the coffee farm. Surrounded by beautiful gardens and mature indigenous woodland, it makes for a truly magical experience.
At Karen Coffee Garden, you can enjoy a delicious lunch or an exquisite cup of coffee made from beans grown in the area where Karen and Bror cultivated coffee on their African farm.
Enjoy the view of the Ngong Hills
One of the things Karen Blixen loved about the coffee farm was the breathtaking view of the Ngong Hills.
The Ngong Hills are the remains of an extinct volcano formed between 6 million and 500,000 years ago. Today, they stretch across the landscape like a rippling green carpet.
You can enjoy views of the Ngong Hills directly from the veranda of the museum house or from the surrounding nature trail, where you can also experience the area’s rich birdlife.
Practical information about your visit to the Karen Blixen Museum
The Karen Blixen Museum is open every day from 09.30 to 18.00, including weekends and public holidays.
You can either explore the Karen Blixen Museum independently or join one of the guided tours held throughout the day. Lasting approximately 45–60 minutes, these tours are included in the admission price. The knowledgeable guides offer fascinating insights into the author’s life, the film adaptation of her famous book, and the colonial era.
Photography is permitted as you walk around the Karen Blixen Museum. Please note, however, that photographs may only be taken without flash.
The museum’s location also makes it easy to combine your visit with some of Nairobi’s most iconic wildlife experiences. For example, you can get up close to the giraffes at the Nairobi Giraffe Centre or explore the savannah in Nairobi National Park. With its rich wildlife, the park is an obvious choice for a safari in Kenya.
Would you like to follow in Karen Blixen’s footsteps?
The Karen Blixen Museum in Nairobi is a place where you can feel the presence of history in every corner.
Several of our tours to Kenya offer you the unique opportunity to experience Karen Blixen’s Africa.
Not sure which tour to choose, or have any questions? Please feel free to contact our travel specialists, who are ready to help!
TourCompass – From tourist to traveller
