Adelphi leather, Nairobi

What to buy here: Baskets.

Hand-woven baskets (known as kiondos) are a specialty of the Akamba women, who use them for anything from carrying groceries to storing wood. The baskets come in all sizes and because they’re made with sisal (a traditional local fiber) and cotton threads, they’re durable but also soft and easy to pack for the flight home. Kiondos are made completely by hand, and it can take up to 3 weeks to finish one. Before they begin weaving, women boil and dye the sisal threads to make the multicolored kiondos. Once finished, some weavers add leather trimmings and handles. Or sometimes weave beads and shells into the kiondo. Kiondos are available almost everywhere in Nairobi, from outdoor markets to antique stores to hotels souvenir shops. The Adelphi leather store in the Yaya Centre sells high-quality kiondos that can be customized with beads, drawstrings and other add-ons upon request. Their kiondos have a fabric lining (not part of traditional kiondos), which makes them suitable as handbags and to carry small objects without the risk of losing any of them. Cheap kiondos can be found for as little as a couple of dollars at markets, but the ones at Adelphi sell for U$15 and up.