Kenya Travel Tips

Tourist Visas
Tourists visiting Kenya require a tourist - or transit visa which can be obtained on entry at the Airports in Mombasa or Nairobi. You can purchase your visa in advance from Kenya embassies in your Country of Residence.

Medical Requirements
It is advisable to check with your doctor at least a month before your travel to get recommendations and advice. Anti malarial drugs are strongly recommended. Before departure check if you've packed your personal medication with a copy of the descriptions.

Insurances
It is most recommended that all travellers arrange their personal travel insurance to cover medical, property and other personal risks for the duration of their holiday and safari.

Temporary membership of the Flying Doctor Service, based in Nairobi and providing cover in Kenya and northern Tanzania can be arranged at a modest cost on request.

Language
The official languages of Kenya are Kiswahili and English. Most of our driver guides, hotel staff, etc. also speak German, French and other languages. Moreover, 42 tribal languages are spoken all over Kenya.

Currency and Exchange
The Kenyan currency is Kenya Shilling (KSh). Payments for safaris can be made in EUR, USD, GBP and others. There are numerous banks and bureaux de change in towns with reasonable rates. Lodges / Hotels will exchange currency at higher rates.

Local items and services are priced and paid in KSh, it is advisable to convert funds into the local currency for incidental expenses on arrival in Kenya. Credit cards are only accepted in some establishments. The use of credit cards in banks only gives KSh. The use of Traveller Cheques is virtually not possible.

Electricity
The power supply is at the UK/European standard voltage of 220/240, and power sockets are the U.K. square pin type. To use U.S. appliances a voltage convertor and a plug convertor will be needed. Mains power supply is subject to cuts and voltage fluctuation.

On safari, most lodges supply power from generators, and these are often turned off during parts of the day and night to reduce noise and fuel consumption.

Drinking Water
It is recommended to drink only bottled mineral water which is available everywhere.

Climate
Kenya is an equatorial country, hence little seasonal variation in temperature which is experienced between coastal and low lying regions, and the high plains and mountain regions.

There are two seasons: dry season and rainy season with long rains in April and May, and short rains in November. In practice, the rainfalls are unpredictable. Generally, during rainy seasons the rain often falls in tropical downpours during the night or evenings with pleasant sunny days in between.

Public Transportation
There are local buses and minibuses which are likely to be uncomfortable, overcrowded and potentially dangerous.

Better hotels generally have a superior selection of taxis available, and it is advisable that you obtain one of these, particularly for longer journeys.

There is a railway link between Nairobi and Mombasa just on specific days, i.e. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from Nairobi to Mombasa and Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from Mombasa to Nairobi. These are night journeys.

Alcoholic Drinks
In general, there are no restrictions on the sale or consumption of alcoholic drinks; however, in some areas such as Muslim villages alcohol is restricted.