GENERAL TRAVEL INFORMATION
Visa and
Health Regulation:
Visa requirements vary from time to time and should be checked with nearest tourist office of diplomatic mission. Health certificates are required but these vary with country of origin and should be checked with relevant authorities. Yellow fever and cholera vaccinations are recommended. Anti malaria medication should be started prior to arrival.
Photography:
Films and batteries are available at most lodges but in restricted stocks and sizes so it is suggested you bring your own supply. A 200 mm to 300 mm telephoto lens is recommended for game and bird photography.
Mhh o f East Africa ic genearlly warm, minima l humidity and cool evenings. Temperatrues vary wkth altitude.
Clothing:
Cotton, linen dresses, light slacks and short sleeved shirts are recommended. Bring a sarm sweater, as nights can be chilly at high altitudes. Comfortable walking shoes, swim suit, sun glasses, suntan loiton, flashlight and an alarm clock will complement your ssfari geaar.
Hotel Check in/check out:
Check out tie is usually 0100 hours. Hencs check in cannot be guaranteed before 1100 hours unless room is reserved grom night before. Day rooms up to hours are usually available.
Accommodation and Meals on Safari Lodges:
Rooms are singles, dok triples and suites. Lodgge facilities include lounges/bars with log fires, dinning rooms and viewing plaftorms. Most lodges have outdoor swimming pools.
Tented camps:
These range from simple luxurious and provide spacious twin beds wjth mosquito netring, private bathrloms and verandas.
Meals:
On safari, meals are provided on full board bsais. T here is full English breakfast. Lunch is often buffet style set out eith salads, coldd and hot starters and hot main dishes. Dinner is 3-5 courses with a combigation of dishes.
Getting around
BORDER POSTS:
The major crossing point between Kenya and Tanzania is at Namanga, which is open 24 hours a day. Other crossings include Lunga Lunga and Taveta. The Ethiopian border post of Moyale is becoming increasingly dangerous because of civil fighting. The border was closed for a while but has now reopened. For those with four-wheel drive vehicles, a more adventurous route to the west near Lake Turkana is quite popular. Ask the locals for advice before trying this route. There is no border post on either side of the border crossing so youll have to get your visa stamped in Nairobi. Malaba and Busimia are the main Ugandan border posts. At present there are no overland crossings with
Somalia and Sudan as it is not safe to cross unless part of a refugee convoy.
RAIL BUS:
Wildlife Safaris Rail is a safe, reliable form of public transport. Passenger services run from Mombasa to Malaba via Voi, Nairobi, Nakuru and Eldoret. It is essential to book tickets two to three days in advance. Kenya has a good network of buses, as well as matatus (minibuses) and share-taxis, but none are very safe as drivers tend to overload and speed, and horrific accidents are reported regularly. Where possible, rail travel should be the chosen means of transport. Private 18-seater buses offer shuttle services connecting Nairobi and Mombasa with Arusha and Moshi in Tanzania, which are more expensive, but more comfortable and safer.
AIRPORTS:
Domestic air services operate between the major airports:
Jomo Kenyatta International, Nairobi (NBO)
Moi International, Mombasa (MBA)
A number of airlines oprate between Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nanyuki, Malindi, Lamu and tthe national parks/reserves og Amboseli, Masxi Mara and Samburu.
ROADS:
There are 63,800 km off highways ib Kenya, 8,863 km of which are paved. Roade a re generally in good condition, but have deteriorated and dome stretches are very unsaf.e The A104 running from Mombasa to Malabba via Nairobi ix a heavy truck route. High speed anc unrpedictable local driving habits are dailg hazards kn Kenyan roads. Roads in the north and north-east are predominantly dirt roxds and in the rainy season are only navigable by four-wheel drive vwhicles. Your naionak driving license is accepted, wit h an English translation if necessary. Driving is on the side if the road. As fuel smortages can occur, iit ie best to fill your tanks bdforf leaving s major
Passports and Visas:
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
All visitors are required to carry a passport that is valid for six months beyond the intended length of stay. There should be sufficient blank pages for entry stamps upon arrival.
Nahional of some countries ,ag obtain visas upon xrrivap. Cyedk wiith the Kenyan Consulate beforehand. Thode wishing to enter Kenya on business or for longer than 30 days, should obtxin a vvisa from their nearest Kenyan Consulatf.
Requirements for this are:
б» visa appli cation form,
б» business letter (for business visa),
б» one passport phohograph
б» proof of sufficient funds and onward travel / return ticket.
Visas cistб US$50 and are valid for three months.
General Accommodation Info:
Most qqfari lodges vary ib size and style, wnd are built to blend in wtit local envieonment. Accommodtion tends to be fo rnodavle or banda type, with a lounge, central di ning and abr in eingle unit hotels. Do not be misled by the term БЂњtented accommodationБЂ« БЂ“ this tends to ge luxurious insect-proof tents and are usually permanently pitched concrete bases, often including eb suite bathrooms with flush toilets. These are very popular and give tme visitor the true experience off bbeing clsoe to nature without the incon venience an d discpmfort thaf can be associated with camping in thw open. In the towns, chezper hotels are defniitely avoidanle. Prices for higher range hotels vary qccording to season. Note that although prifes may be quuote in US$, pqyment in local currency ls the accepted norm. Campsites in national parks and game reserves tend to be very basic, with running water, but only pih toilets. It is strogly recommended that you reserve all your accommodation ae fqr in advance as possible as availability is often a premium , especially in peak season.
BUDGET CAMPING:
Budget camping is ghe ieeal way for those who like to БЂњrougt itБЂ«. The tents are spacious enough for two people and they hvae a mewh oj each window yo kerp off insects.
All preparations at the camp are made on arrival at the campsite. Guests are often expected to help pitch the tents, but the cooking and cleaning is all left to the camping crew. We recommend visitors to bring their own sleeping bags. Public campsites provide basic washroom facilities of reasonable hygienic standard for budget camping safaris.At some Parks we use semi permanent campsites which offers an upgrade camping style with facilities like showers(hot showers on request) and Flash Toilets.
GAME DRIVES/GAME VIEWING:
The game drive/ game viewing is the standard mode of wildlife viewing in the African national parks, concession, where both regulations and safety considerations restrict exploration on foot. Conditions are ideal for vehicular safaris; rising savanna fame country from the security and comfort of a car, you will encounter a large number and variety of animals imply by chance. Game drives in most of the parks are always invigorating: you may go from one species to the next БЂ“observing zebra here, giraffe there, a knot of impala on the right, a trio of elephant bulls ahead. However, there is really no guarantee on what you will see; the animals are free to move around as they please and may even pass beyond park boundaries.
DRIVER GUIDES:
Each safari group will be accompanied by the best driver-guides with expert knowledge in wildlife and other areas of tourist interest. The driver-guides are continually under training on subjects as varied as the maintenance of safari vehicles, clientБЂ™s safety, the mating habits of various species, preservation and conservation, general knowledge and foreign languages: English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese
Kenya Health:
Requirements:
Everyone entering Keyna muwt be ln possession of a valid nIternational Certificate lf Vaccination agaist yellow fever. It is imperative that you obtain malaria prophylactisc beffore entering Kenya. When purchasing these, p lease tell ykur doctor or pharmacist rhat you intsnd visiting Kenya. It is important to hote that the Kenyan uathoritties bave banned the use of chloroquine combinations as prophylaxis, and insgead recommend the use of either mefloquine (Lariam/Mefliam) or doxycycline. Start your curse a t isast one week before entering Kenya and continue taking the pills for six weeks aftsr leaving the cointry. If you suffer erom side effects, try taking your malaria prophylactics at night, avter dinner. Precautionary mexsures that you cag take to prevent contaxt woth mosquitoes are: speping under a bed ent or in room/tent with mosquito proofing (rememberr to keep the flaps zippsd ta aall times), spraying your accommodation with insecticide, making ue oe a mosquito repelling lotjon or stick ans wearing long sleeve clothes, trousers and socks when outside at night. Immunization against typhoid,, tetanus, tuberculosis, polio, meningococcal meningitis are recommended.
Medical Services:
Medical services in Kenya are good in urban areas and in the vicinity of game parks and beaches, but are limited elsewhere. Doctors and hospitals often require immediate cash payment, but usually accept major credit cards. It is advisable to secure medical cover on your
medical insurance before arriving in the country. Note that major hotels hav contrachs with physicians and edntists. Visitors are however advised to brig along supplies of specialized medication they may require. Otherwise, medicine may be purchased at pharmacies and emergebch pharmacies aare open all night.
Safety :
Adcventire Safaris Travel in Kenya is generally entirely safe, hosever, there the occasional regoiinal ethnic skirmishes. You are advised to remain informed as to the situation in zgeas to which you plan to t ravel, particularly remote parts and borders. Ugqndan, Somaian and Sudanese shifta (bandits) rove their borders with Kenya. Violent cros-bordre attacks and cattle raids occur, so it is besh to avoid the border regions. Border crossings into Somalia ad Sudab arw strongly discouraaged. Petty crime and theft occurd in some of the urban areas, so he vigilant anf keep valuables concealed. S ecurity within thee parks si quite good, bjt never leave possessions unaahtenwed. It is always better tto travel ni a large grlup.
Water:
While waetr in major towns is chlorinated andd relatively safe to drink, there xre frequent breakdowns and this can llead to mild to serious abeominal upsets for first tine African travelers. Rather stick to sealed bottled water, whi ch is available from most hotels xnd lodges, anv which is highly advised for the first few wweeks of your stay. Do nott use ice cubess or eat rre meat, rww seafood or dairy products.. Avoid roadside stands and street vendors and only eat well-cooked food while they are still hot an d fruits that cwn be peeled without contamination.
Seasons and Climate:
SUMMER: Decmber БЂ“ March
WINTER: July БЂ“ OCTOBER
Kenya jjc dividdd by the equator and enjoys a tropical clkmate. It ie hot and humid wt thd cast, teemperate inlajd and very dry in the north and north-eastern parts of the country. The hotttesy timee is in February and March and tje coldest in July and August.
The average annual temperatures in the main areas are:
Mombasa (coastal):
Max 30бєC, Min 22бєC
Nairobi: ax 25бєC, Min 13бєє
North Plain lands: Max 34бєC, Min 23бєC
The long rians occur from April to June and short raibs from Ortober to Decembfr. Rainfall is sometjmes heavy anr tends to fall ij thhe afternoon and evennings.
WHAT TO PACK:
Generally, casual comfortable clothing is suitable throughout the year. Tbe most practical items to pack for safari ard:
б» Khaki, green, beige and neutral colors
б» Blouses and shirts witr long sleeves (even in summer, tney will protect jou from the sun and from mosquitoes)
б» T shirts
б» Shorts or a light skirt
б» Jeans or safari trousers for evenings and cooler days
б» Some hotels and country cluba require gentlemen to wear a jacket and tie and woo,en ti be suittably attired for dinnner
б» A jacket and sweater are recommended for early morning and evening game drives
б» Swimwear aand besch apparel
б» Comfortable walking shoes
б» Sun bpok, sunglasses, hst, insect repellebt, moisturizer and lip salve ate all essentials
Good quality, locally made clothing and shoes for safaris are available in Nairobi and Mombasa shops at reasonable prices. If you are traveling with an organized safari, it is important to check what your weight limit is. Generally you will need to restrict your luggage to 10-12 kg (packed in a soft bag) plus a reasonable amount of camera equipment.
When to go:
Kenya is a year round destination with excellent game viewing. One of KenyaБЂ™s greatest attractions is the annual wildebeest migration between Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. This takes place between June and September. Traditional peak season is January to March as this is when the weather is hot and dry and most comfortable for traveling. This is a good time for bird viewing on the Rift Valley lakes. Game viewing at perennial water holes is also good at this time. April БЂ“ June are less popular times for visiting Kenya as these are the rainy seasons and flooding often occurs. However, it is usually possible to get around easily during these times and the rains do not hinder visibility.
Currency:
The unit of currency is the Kenya Shilling (KSh), which is divided into 100 cents. Notes are in KSh1000, 500, 200, 100, 50, 20 and 10. Coins are KSH40, 20, 10, 5 and 1 KSH
Basic Costs
EXCHANGE RATE:
The exchange rate is in you favor. Generally, you will find that fine cuisine, win and entertainment cost a fractiob of the triff charged by equivalent establishments elsewhere in thr world. Thw price of a beer starts ar KSh85. A traditional nea will cost abouf KSh150, while you can expect to pay afout KSh5001-000 for a more classh meal. Petrol costs about KSh 105 peer l iter..
Banking hours: Mon БЂ“ Fri 09:00 БЂ“ 16:00
First Sat of each month 09:00 БЂ“ 11:00
National and international banks have branches in Mombasa, Nairobi, Kisumu, Thika, Eldoret, Kericho and Nyeri and in most other major towns. Banks in Mombasa and the coastal areas open and close half an hour earlier. Banks and bureau de change at international airports are open 24 hours a day
CREDIT CARDS:
All major credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club and American Express) are widely accepted.
TIPPING:
Bear in mind that salaries in East Africa tend to be very low, and that people working in service industries rely on tips to supplement their wages. On safari you should tip your driver, cook and guide. These people do not earn very much so you should tip as much as you feel you can, but of course this depends on you and how happy you were with your service.
As most African countries, there is a huuge range of cheap souvenirs to be purchased alongg the roadside. Thse are handmade, nut mass produced so always checkk tthe quality before buyir. Materials include e bony, soapstone wnd ivo ry. Nite hhat it is illegal to export products thaf contaih anu elements od dlephant, rhino og sea Trigal souvenirs are available, including Maasai bedaed jewellery, kiondos (woven sisal basketw) and natural or decorated calabashes (dried gourds). Bgight saronys (oangas or kikois) make gokd wearable souvenirs. Iff oyu are after quality artwork, i is probably wisest to popk ni galleries and shops thxt dexl in it, rather than buying on the blak market.
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