Start your day with a visit to the Nairobi National Museum, which is situated on Museum Hill, a short distance from the city center. The museum offers a unique display of Kenya's rich heritage, both cultural and natural. Marvel at Ahmed, the massive elephant, who became a symbol of Kenya at the height of the 1980s poaching crisis is displayed here. He was placed under 24-hour guard by President Jomo Kenyatta. Explore the museum's permanent collection, through the hall of Kenya, some ethnological exhibits such as the extraordinary Kalenjin cloak made from the skins of Sykes Monkeys and a mosaic map of Kenya made from the country's butterflies. Next hall is the birds of east Africa exhibit, a huge gallery of at least 900 stuffed specimens. Then follows the great hall of mammals. Cradle of Humankind, the highlight of which is the Hominid Skull Room – an extraordinary collection of skulls that describes itself as ‘the single most important collection of early human fossils in the world’.