Bowling in Nairobi has become a popular activity for dating, team building, and general competition. Indoor bowling especially has seen a massive peak in interest. But we can’t forget the luster of lawn bowling that’s as old in this country as the country itself.
With more bowling locations always opening, this list is certain to expand in the future. For now, let’s look at the state of bowling in Nairobi and where the best places are to bowl.
Indoor Bowling (10-Pin Bowling)
Village Bowl – Village Market
- Location: Limuru Road
- Call: +254 20 712 2476
- Opening hours: Mon – Wed, 10 am – 9.30 pm; Thur 10 am – 10.30 pm; Fri – Sun, 10 am – 11.30 pm
- Cost: Peak Ksh 500pp; Off-peak Ksh 350pp
- Social: Instagram
Even with the immense size of the Village Market, you can’t miss the corner that houses Village Bowl. There’s always a buzz of laughter and cheer from within the brightly coloured hall.
Village Bowl has 11 modern lanes. After paying at the counter, you are given a pair of shoes and your bowling lane. You’ll find your names already on the board once you get there, and you can just start when you’re ready.
The staff is accommodating and attentive for the most part – but they serve a lot of people at the same time. You should keep an eye on your belongings as the place is dimly lit, and with strangers around, you don’t want to risk an encounter with sticky-fingered humans.
Strikez Bowling – Westgate Mall
- Location: Mwanzi Road
- Call: +254 716 274 798
- Opening hours: Mon – Sun, 10 am – 12 am
- Cost: Peak Ksh 400pp; Off-peak Ksh 600pp
- Social: Instagram; Facebook
Strikez Bowling strikes a perfect balance between indoor sports and partying. There’s more than just bowling here: the facility houses a restaurant, a bar, table-top games like pool, foosball, and air hockey, and even has a resident DJ.
The bowling alleys are immaculate, polished with a punk look on the walls and pillars. The bowls and the lanes are spotlessly maintained, and the shoes feel hygienic enough to eat from (but don’t).
Strikez bowling is playful, exactly what you want from an arcade.
Pins Entertainment – Sarit Centre
- Location: 1st Floor Old Wing, Sarit Centre, Lower Kabete Road
- Call: +254 780 101 010; +254 740 101 010
- Opening hours: Mon – Sun, 10 am – 11 pm
- Cost: Ksh 400pp off-peak, Ksh 600pp peak.
- Social: Instagram; Facebook
Pins Entertainment tells you precisely what it’s about, with its huge decorative pins plastered on the walls and ceiling and a blue hue greeting you at the door. Bowling is the focus here, and the establishment does it well.
Pins focus on group events like parties, team buildings, and bowling leagues. But the one-on-one bowling is also fantastic. The atmosphere is laid back. Subtle glow-in-the-dark decals on the walls are a nice touch, and the lanes are lit just right.
If you want a break from bowling, there are other games to play. Pins Entertainment also has pool, darts, virtual golf, and PlayStation. And with a food court just a few steps away and a kitchen and bar within the facility, the variety of food and drinks here is unmatched.
Playland Amusement Park – Nextgen Mall
- Location: MRGV+FJV, Nairobi
- Call: +254 736 549 284
- Opening hours: 10 am – 10 pm
- Cost: Ksh 500pp
- Social: Instagram; Facebook
Playland Amusement Park is a family zone! The park is divided into two floors, with the lower level dedicated to a kids’ play area comprised of a soft play area, a ropes course, a trampoline park, and more.
The upper level is more mature. There’s a pool table, virtual reality consoles, and, of course, bowling. The bowling alley has 6 lanes, and though they may not be as long as the others here, you can still have a decent time.
There’s also a bar and restaurant, making the park a well-rounded day for the whole family.
Lawn Bowling
Lawn bowling is a much older sport than indoor bowling, dating back to the ancient Greeks, and it is still held in high regard in Nairobi and around the world.
The spirit of lawn bowling is one of dignity, acceptance, and encouragement through competition. If you’ve never tried it, I highly encourage you to give it a go at least once. It’s likely to be something you didn’t know you needed.
The unfortunate thing is that you can’t really play the game outside of members’ clubs. The good news is that there are simple workarounds.
The Nairobi Club
- Location: Ngong Road, North
- Call: +254 722 203 649; +254 733 363 628; +254 772 827 157 /8 /9
- Opening hours: Mon – Fri, 8 am – 5 pm; Sat, 8 am – 12 pm
- Cost: Ksh 300pp
The Nairobi Club is the oldest members’ club in town, dating back to 1901. Just taking a look around the walls of their hall will give you an indication of how deeply bowling is rooted in their history. There are plaques of former captains hung proudly and going back decades.
The lawn has been meticulously maintained all these years as a mark of pride for the club. It’s not as busy as it used to be 30 years ago, when the club frequently hosted international tournaments, but the facilities and services are there for the modern players.
To play lawn bowling at The Nairobi Club, you could:
- Ask a member you are friendly with to accompany you and your party for the game. The member simply has to sign you in. You have to be well behaved as any misconduct will reflect on the member.
- Get in touch with the Kenya Bowling Federation for assistance. They are very welcoming and will gladly guide you through the procedure. You might be limited to playing on weekdays, so this is best done when you’re on holiday or pretending to work from home.
You will be required to wear an all-white uniform here (bring your own – the club doesn’t provide any); as I said, they highly regard their traditions. But you get a thrill when you walk out to the green field all kitted in white.
Karen Country Club
- Location: Karen Road
- Call: +254 733 606 950; +254 722 204 431
- Opening hours: Daily, 7 am – 11 pm
- Cost: Ksh 600pp in a group, Ksh 1,250pp alone
- Social: Instagram; Facebook; Twitter
If you’re looking for a bowling green set in mid-highlands conditions, flanked by trees, and scored by gently whispering wind, Karen Country Club is the ground for you. The surrounding vegetation offers a vibrance of colour that’s hard to find elsewhere, and the peaceful environment is enough reason to visit the club.
There is a clubhouse dedicated to bowlers, even aligning its rules to the rules of the sport. Service is kind and knowledgable – you can easily kick up a chat about your game as they serve you refreshments.
Non-member bowling at Karen Country Club is the same as Nairobi Club:
- You can align yourself with a member to sign you in, or
- Get in touch with the Kenya Bowling Federation for assistance. This option will limit you to a single day in the week.
Ruiru Sports Club
- Location: Thika Road
- Call: +254 716 886 215; +254 720 170 170; +254 758 380 139
- Opening hours: Daily, 7 am to late
- Cost: Ksh 300pp
- Social: Instagram; Facebook; Twitter
Ruiru Sports Club makes accessibility to lawn bowling easy, and I commend them for that. The club is also stunning, with friendly members and staff. There’s a club night on Friday where you can bowl with the other members and make a night of it.
The club is very active. They have internal events on most days of the week and host some of the most prominent tournaments in Kenya.
The lawn is manicured to perfection. The service on the ground is magnificent and gratifies the experience, even for the spectators.
Bowling is available on any day of the week. The club is affiliated with the Kenya Bowling Federation, so you can go through them to gain access, but you don’t have to. Just call the club using the numbers above.
Final Thoughts
The level of care put into bowling in Nairobi is remarkable. Indoor alleys are kept hygienic and polished, while the greens are maintained at international standards. I would only wish we had more game variations, like 12-pin bowling. I hope those are on the way. But I raise my glass to these locations and can’t recommend them enough.
We have a few excellent date ideas in Nairobi to complement going bowling, as well as 20 other awesome things to do in Nairobi.
