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Kenya traveling tips
Unlimited foreign currency can be brought into the country but only maximum of Kenya shillings (Kshs.) 100,000 can be exported. Unspent Kenya Shilling may be re-converted at the airport bank on departure but this takes time and patience. We recommend you change only what you intend to spend.
Do not exchange money on the street. You may be approached by someone willing to give you a 50% to 70% premium for your dollars. This is what is known as the black market. It is illegal. Do NOT therefore, get involved. Hotels, Camps and Lodges can change money but sometimes their exchange rate is lower. There are several foreign exchange bureaus in Nairobi offering competitive rates.
Never leave money or valuables in your hotel room or in your vehicle. You can check valuables in security boxes at the hotels and lodges. Please keep your passport and money ON YOU at ALL times. Be especially careful during stays in camps and lodges and on special excursions such as boat-rides. Avoid wearing expensive jewellery (necklaces etc.).
Majority of banks open from 0900hrs – 1500hrs from Monday through Friday and 0900hrs – 1200hrs on the first and last Saturday of the month. At Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi and Moi International Airport, Mombasa banks remain open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Credit cards such as American Express, Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted in Nairobi and Mombasa Hotels and in most camps and lodges.
Always take a taxi when moving around Nairobi City and let a tour member know where you are going when you go off for errands. Do NOT walk around Nairobi at night and apply extra caution on weekends when Nairobi is relatively deserted.
On safari be prepared for bumpy and dusty roads. These can be an irritant to contact lens wearers. Eye drops and a spare pair of glasses are a sensible precaution.
Remember your 23 kg per piece limit (32 kg for first and club class travelers) on your return from East Africa. Excess luggage charges may apply. Pack light, Laundry facilities are available throughout your safari
Remember, if you are staying at one of the ‘tree hotels’, the cabins are small and you are only allowed to take one small overnight bag with you. The bulk of your luggage is stored at the base hotel and retrieved the following morning. If your itinerary includes any flying in light aircraft around Nairobi or on safari, you are restricted to a maximum of 15 kgs, including hand luggage. Coastal scheduled light aircraft flights have a limit of 10 kgs per person.
Safari attire is casual and comfortable. Dress mainly for outdoor comfort with a change of informal clothes for the evening. Evenings and early morning can be chilly especially on the mountain areas. Warm jerseys, socks and walking shoes or sneakers are recommended. Footwear should be low-heeled and comfortable. There is not much walking and you stay in your vehicle during game runs. Bring a light-weight raincoat and a hat for sun protection. Roof hatches on safari vehicles are left open during game viewing. Although evening wear is informal, the Mt Kenya Safari Club at Nanyuki and some Restaurants in Nairobi do require gentlemen to wear a tie and jacket for dinner, and ladies, equivalent evening attire.
Always observe time when you meet at your mini-vans for game drives.
Too much of our strong equatorial sun can cause dehydration, nausea, dizziness and headaches. We recommend that you wear sun screen and a hat, as well as a strong pair of dark glasses. All of the lodges, with the exception of the ‘tree hotels’ and some of the permanent camps, have swimming pools.
In Nairobi and on safari, we recommend that you do not drink the water from the taps and even out of the flasks provided. We recommend instead, that you purchase bottled water at the lodges. Use mouthwash to brush and wash your teeth. Ice is generally frozen from boiled water and is ok for consumption.
Food in Kenya is delicious, varied and plentiful. From succulent crayfish from the Indian Ocean to smoked sailfish (Kenya’s equivalent to smoked salmon), English roast beef, Molo lamb, and much more. Kenya’s’ famed fruits abound, pineapples, pawpaw, mangoes, avocados, passion fruits, banana, pears, and strawberries to name a few. Fresh vegetables are equally abundant.
The hotels, lodges and camps in which you stay are renowned for their high standard of cuisine. However, a change of climate and traveling can, in a few instances, cause travelers’ diarrhea, a minor complaint not comparable in severity with ‘gypie tummy’. Eating in moderation while avoiding cold buffet lunch tables that have been exposed to the mid-day sun, and fasting for a day (whilst drinking plenty of bottled water) should you be stricken, are sensible precautions.
All these are available around East Africa. The prices of soft drinks and beer are reasonable, while imported spirits, wine and cigarettes tend to be on the expensive side.
Generally, unless otherwise requested, Bed and Breakfast (BB) is the meal plan provided for in Nairobi, and Full Board (FB) on Safari. Mombasa hotels are booked on the meal plan of your choice, including Half Board (HB).
We strongly recommend that you take anti-malaria medication. Malaria is rare in most highland areas, but traveling in the hot bush and coastal areas requires precautions. If, on your return home, you develop influenza symptoms, please see your doctor immediately as you may well have contracted malaria.
The larger towns around East Africa have pharmacies and hospitals, but you should carry with you adequate supplies of your own medicines and toilet items as in the smaller towns these cannot be obtained. A spare pair of prescription glasses is recommended.
The voltage is 220-240 AC, suitable for appliances with the exceptions of those manufactured in the USA and Canada. Most hotels and lodges outside Nairobi and Mombasa generate their own electricity. However, take a small lightweight flashlight as some generators are usually only run for short periods in the early morning and again in the evening from 1830hrs to 2230 hrs.
It is PROHIBITED to take photographs of military, military institutions, armed forces barracks, policemen, the President and Government buildings. DO NOT take photographs of the locals without their consent.
In the event of a medical emergency, you will be flown back to Nairobi where an ambulance will be waiting to move you immediately to a leading Nairobi hospital. Evacuations will not be carried out if the nature of the medical complaint is minor. The Flying Doctor’s Society of Africa has been evacuating patients by air since the 1950’s
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