There is a reason why Karen Blixen fell in love with Kenya. The landscape varies widely, including everything from desert plains to fertile rainforests - and the animal life is just as wealthy. The many National Parks strive to protect indigenous animals from human 'civilisation'. Amongst other triumphs the rhinoceros has been saved from extinction. Kenya does not only have National Parks to offer an enthusiastic tourist - on the coast you can find shady palms and powder-grained sandy beaches. It is a world for every sense, from staggering vistas to perfumed breezes to the natural music of Africa. All in Kenya.
Find your travel arrangement to Kenya here
Region and City Guides
Region:
City:
Facts
Local name
Kenya
Capital
Nairobi
Size
582.650 km2
Principal Languages
Kenya has two official languages, English and Swahili
Principal Religion
Christianity is the principle official religion - but in addition the traditional variations on animism are also widespread.
Inhabitants
28.808.658 (1999)
Government
Republic
Geography
Kenya is situated in East Africa. Kenya stretches from the Indian Ocean in the east to Uganda and Lake Victoria in the West. The landscape is very varied, deserts in the north and fertile lowland along the coast, snow covered mountains in the west and flat savannah land in the south!
Travel preparation
Best time to visit
Most tourists visit Kenya in January and February; it is during these months that the weather is generally the best. It rains from March to May and then from June to September it is warm and dry again. Rainfall begins again from October until December, but not as heavily as in the spring months.
Literature
Lonely Planet Kenya
Insight Guides Kenya
Rough Guide Kenya
Fieldings Kenya
Insight Guides Kenya
Rough Guide Kenya
Fieldings Kenya
Local conditions
Weight and Measures
In the Kenya the following weights and measures are used:
Length: metres
Weight: ounces
Liquid/Volume: gallons
Surface area: acre
Length: metres
Weight: ounces
Liquid/Volume: gallons
Surface area: acre
Photography
It is forbidden to take photos in Airports and Police/Military areas. One should always ask before photographing the local people, otherwise it could be problematic for the photographer.
Drinking water
It is safe to drink tap water in the larger towns but it is recommended to buy bottled water when in the more rural areas.
Electricity
In Kenya the following current is used:
220/240 Volt. 50 Hz. Plugs are round with 2 prongs or flat with 3 prongs.
220/240 Volt. 50 Hz. Plugs are round with 2 prongs or flat with 3 prongs.
Behaviour
You may definitely not bathe topless or nude in Kenya. It is not considered proper to wear shorts in the cities and in the Muslim parts of the country, particularly along the coast, women should dress 'modestly'.
Business Hours
Banks are open from 9.00 to 14.00 (Monday to Friday) and from 9.00 to 11.00 the first Saturday of every month.
Shops don't have any strict opening times, somewhere from 8.00 to 18.00 as a rule. Many shops close for a couple of hours over lunchtime.
Shops don't have any strict opening times, somewhere from 8.00 to 18.00 as a rule. Many shops close for a couple of hours over lunchtime.
Food and drink
The local food can be very tasty but it is also rather monotonous. Ugali (a kind of maize porridge) is served usually with animal flesh such as chicken, beef, fish or goat. The stable diet consists of potatoes, rice, beans, maize and spinach. A wide variety of fruit is available - mangoes, papaya, coconuts and many others. The restaurants in the larger cities are more European in inspiration. Kenya's national drink is tea.
Disabled travellers
Kenya is not very well equipped with facilities for the disabled and it is nearly impossible to get around in a wheelchair. Some of the larger hotels have limited facilities for wheelchairs but unfortunately these standards don't meet with western standards.
Holidays
New Years Day: 1 January
Workers Day: 1 May
Madaraka Day June
Moi Day 10 October
Kenyatta Day 20 October
Independence Day 12 December
Christmas Day 25 December
Boxing Day 26 December
Flexible Public Holidays
Good Friday and Easter Monday March or April
The Muslim holiday Eid Al Fitr, falls in either December, January or February and is celebrated in the Muslim parts of the country.
Workers Day: 1 May
Madaraka Day June
Moi Day 10 October
Kenyatta Day 20 October
Independence Day 12 December
Christmas Day 25 December
Boxing Day 26 December
Flexible Public Holidays
Good Friday and Easter Monday March or April
The Muslim holiday Eid Al Fitr, falls in either December, January or February and is celebrated in the Muslim parts of the country.
Accommodation / Hotel
General Description
If you stay in a private home your trip will be completely different to if you chose to stay in a Hotel. Locals are often happy to share their Kenya with guests and this can lead to many exciting experiences. Kenya has hotels in all price ranges; there is also the possibility to stay at a camping site where you can rent a tent.
Book your Hotel in Kenya here
If you stay in a private home your trip will be completely different to if you chose to stay in a Hotel. Locals are often happy to share their Kenya with guests and this can lead to many exciting experiences. Kenya has hotels in all price ranges; there is also the possibility to stay at a camping site where you can rent a tent.
Book your Hotel in Kenya here
Camping
There are large Tent Camps in Kenya where it is possible to rent a tent. One can choose between luxury tents that have wooden floors, a toilet and a big bed and the more primitive where you take a bath in a tub and there is no electricity. It is also possible to try a camp-safari, where you sleep in a tent out in the wild!
There are hotels in all price ranges. There are expensive, luxurious hotels and the more spartan, less luxurious too. The Luxury hotels are definitely not cheap, but you do receive luxury service for the price.
Bed og breakfast or guesthouse
There are many places in Kenya where you can stay in a private home. It is often out on small farms or ranches that one will find rooms set aside for tourists. It is a good way to find out a bit about the way the locals see the land, it is often the case that the people who rent their rooms out are very eager to share their knowledge of Kenya with their guests.
Other Accommodation
Safari-Lodges are luxury hotels where you can stay overnight while on a Safari. They are beautifully situated and blend in well with the natural surroundings.
Local transport
With the over 200 landing strips in the country it is easy to fly all over the place, one should be aware that the strips are often just a flat dry field. If you are travelling across the country, there are public trains that have first, second and third classes, this is a good, cheap option.
Planes
There are 232 landing strips in Kenya but only 21 are tarred. There are daily Flights between the big cities (with Kenya Airways or Air Kenya). Local companies fly tourists around in little propeller driven aeroplanes. Sometimes it is cheaper to fly long distances than it is to take a bus or train. It is possible to reach nearly every part of the country by plane.
Bus
If staying in a Hotel outside of town a bus service is often provided, this is cheaper than taking a taxi. Taking a local bus is definitely an interesting experience. The buses are of a poor standard and most bus drivers drive hazardously. It is however a good way of getting close to the local inhabitants.
Trains
Kenya Railways only covers the long stretches: Mombassa-Nairobi-Kampala and Nairobi-Kisumu. The trains are divided up into first, second and third class. The third class offers sitting places only. The other two classes provide bunks. The trains are also equipped with a restaurant.
Taxi
It is not customary to hail a taxi on the street; one must find them at their taxi rank. One should check whether it is a licensed taxi first. Most taxis use a meter but with those who don't be sure to agree on a set price before embarking on your journey.
car rental
In Nairobi and Mombassa there is a good supply of car rental firms. It is also possible to hire a car and driver from reliable companies. Prices do vary but it is often expensive.
Other Transport
A popular mode of transport in Kenya is the so-called Peugeot Taxi. Peugeot taxis are minibuses, which drive once full; it is just a little more expensive than a regular bus.
Special conditions
You cannot phone for Emergency help outside of the big cities. If you have insurance with the Flying Doctors you can be flown to the nearest hospital for free. Cars drive on the left hand side of the road in Kenya. There are a lot of things to beware of in Kenya, there is often unrest and the crime rate is high.
Region and City Guides
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