KENYA

General Information:

Kenya lies astride the equator on the eastern coast of Africa. Kenya is bordered in the north by Sudan and Ethiopia, in the east by Somalia, on the southeast by the Indian Ocean, on the southwest by Tanzania and to the west by Lake Victoria and Uganda.

Kenya is notable for its' geographical variety. A gradually rising coastal plain, a dry region covered with savanna and thorn bush, backs the low-lying, fertile coastal region, fringed with coral reefs and islands.

Climate:
Kenya is a year round destination with excellent game viewing. The annual wildebeest migration between Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya takes place from around June to September.

Kenya is divided by the equator and enjoys a tropical climate that varies greatly. It is hot and humid at the coast, temperate inland and very dry in the north and northeast parts of the country. Because of geographical diversity, temperatures, rainfall and humidity vary widely. It is very hot and humid in the coast, temperate inland and very dry in the north and northeast parts of the country. The hottest periods are in February and March and coldest in July and August.

The long rains occur from April to June and short rains from October to November. Rainfall is sometimes heavy and tends to fall in the late afternoon and evenings over higher altitude areas.

For weather updates and forecasts, please go to the following website: http://www.meteo.go.ke

Entry Requirements:

Passports:

To travel internationally you must be in possession of a passport. To obtain a passport please visit www.travel.state.gov/passport_services.php for instructions and an application form. Alternatively contact your local post office and they will advise you of your nearest passport issuing office.

As a general rule your passport must be valid for at least six months after your scheduled date of return home.

Visas:

A visa may be obtained on arrival at Nairobi or Mombasa airports, and at Namanga Gate on the Tanzania/Kenya border. However it is advisable to obtain visa in advance. Visas cost US$50 and usually valid for three months. There should be sufficient blank pages in your passport to stamp the visa.

Visa requirements often change. We advise you to check with your local Kenyan Embassy or Consulate for the latest visa requirements.

USA - Los Angeles 9150 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 160, Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Tel: +(1) 310 274 6635

Fax: +(1) 310 859 7010

USA - New York 424 Madison Ave New York, NY 10017

Tel: +(1) 212 486 1300

Fax: +(1) 212 688 0911

USA - Washington DC Embassy of Kenya, 2249 R. Street, NW, Washington DC 20008

Tel: +(1) 202 387-6101

Fax: +(1) 202 462-3829

Customs/Duty Free:
Travelers over 16 years of age may import duty-free 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars of eight and three quarter ounces of tobacco, one liter of alcoholic beverage and ¼ liter of perfume. Importing any fruit, plants, seeds or animals is prohibited. Domestic dogs or cats may be admitted with an entry permit obtained at the same office as your visa. Personal effects, including cameras and film, are generally duty free. Check with the nearest Kenya Tourist Office about customs restrictions on video cameras and recorders. Some electronic devices may require a refundable deposit.

Export of any live animal, bird or reptile is prohibited without a special permit. Anatomical relics of animals cannot be exported, particularly ivory, rhinoceros horns, game skins and trophies.

Departure Tax:
In Kenya, International flights departure tax is included in the airfare. Some local airports also require a departure tax for domestic flights payable in local currency.

Currency:

The unit of currency is the Kenya shilling (KES). While currency conversions fluctuate daily, an approximate USD to KES is 73.5.

Foreign currency or traveler’s checks must be declared on a declaration form when entering the country. You are not allowed to take out more foreign currency than you bring in. Foreign currency can be exchanged at banks and many hotels. Exchanges should be noted on your declaration form. This form must be turned in when you leave the country.

Hold on to your exchange receipts to change shillings back to foreign currency. Customs may inspect these records before departure. Don't be surprised if you can't get as much as you exchanged for shillings, particularly at hotels. Notes aren't always readily available in good supply. Spend all your shillings before you get to the airport if possible. You are not allowed to take them out of the country.

Credit cards are accepted at many hotels. American Express, Diner's Club, Visa and Mastercard all have local agents in Nairobi and Mombasa.

Further to the use of credit cards, we advise that before you depart the US, call your credit card company to advise them you will be traveling and to expect to see charges from the destination/s in which you will be using your credit card.

Vaccinations and Health:

Inoculation against yellow fever is not mandatory but recommended. Anyone entering Kenya from or via a yellow fever infected area must, however, be in possession of a valid International Certificate of Vaccination against yellow fever.

It is imperative that you obtain malaria prophylactics before entering Kenya. When purchasing these, please tell your doctor or pharmacist that you intend visiting Kenya. It is important to note that the Kenyan authorities have banned the use of chloroquine combinations as prophylactics, and instead recommends the use of either mefloquine (Lariam/Mefliam) or doxycycline. Depending on which you take will depend on when you need to begin taking them and for how long however most need to be started before departing home. If you suffer from side effects, try taking your malaria prophylactics at night, after dinner, as this usually minimizes the effect of the symptoms.

You can check with the Center For Disease Control - CDC for up to date information on health concerns in countries you are traveling to.
Phone: 1-800-311-3435
Website: http://www.gov/healthservices/immunize

Time Zone:
Kenya is 3 hours ahead of GMT.

Language:
Kenya is a diverse and multilingual place. As well as over 40 different local languages, Kiswahili (the lingua franca of eastern Africa) and English (Kenya's official language) are also widely spoken. As a visitor you are unlikely to encounter any difficulties with English. In tourist hotspots a good deal of German, Italian and French is also spoken.

It's extremely useful for the traveler to have a working knowledge of Swahili, especially outside the urban areas and in remote parts of the country.

Tipping:

Most major hotels and restaurants include a service charge. Tipping is not obligatory and is entirely at your discretion. A gratuity of 10% is customary at restaurants and bars where a service charge is not included. Tipping to your driver/guide is not included and once again is at your discretion; you could tip $2.00 to $5.00 per person per day. Porters at airports, hotels or lodges may be tipped a $1.00 per piece of baggage; this too is at your discretion.

Telecommunications:

The international dialing code for calling Kenya is +254.

International direct dialing is available at most hotels but remember that hotels levy a substantial surcharge on all calls.

Public phones work with coins or with telephone cards (which can be purchased at post offices or from international call services in major towns.) Most game lodges will have a central phone at reception but not individual phones in the rooms.

Many hotels have facsimile machines, but often limit their access to guests; fax services are also available at office supply shops. Hotels levy a substantial surcharge on all calls. Most lodges have telephone communication facilities, unless they are in very remote areas, and are able to maintain radio contact with the "outside world".

Internet:

Major centers like Nairobi, Mombasa, Thika and Eldoret have Internet cafés, and Internet facilities are constantly being upgraded throughout the country. Several local companies offer computer Internet access, and charge by the hour.

You may wish to set up a net-based (free) email account such as Hotmail or Yahoo so you can receive email from any computer.

Electricity:
It is supplied at 220/240 volts AC, 50HZ. Plugs are UK-type round two-pin or flat three-pin. Major hotels and some game lodges may supply adapters on request. Bayonet light sockets exist in Kenya.

Business Hours:
As a general rule of thumb, business hours in Kenya are Mondays to Fridays, 9am-2pm (4:30pm in the major cities).

Travel Insurance:

We highly recommend travel insurance to protect you and your travel investment if you need to cancel your trip for covered reasons prior to departure, or if other covered unforeseen circumstances arise during your trip.

The cost of transportation from a remote area to a local hospital, or in extreme cases, repatriation, is high and generally not covered by your regular medical insurance.

Clothing/Packing List:

Depending on the area you are traveling and the activities you are planning. Jeans and shorts are accepted everywhere but in fine dining restaurants and at some formal lodges, where trousers and a button down shirt or sweater would suffice.

If you use the layering system (several layers that can be worn alone or in combination, rather than taking one heavy jacket for cold weather) you’ll be ready for any conditions and won’t have to over-pack.

Clothing:

Neutral colors are more suitable for safari, white is not practical. It is best to pack hardy, durable clothing

T-shirts; Shorts or a light skirt

Jeans or safari trousers for evenings and cooler days

Blouses with long sleeves (even in summer; they will protect you from the sun and from mosquitoes)

Bring an elegantly casual outfit for dinner at the smarter hotels.

Swimsuit, as most hotels/lodges have swimming pools
Comfortable walking shoes

Layers:

Fleece or sweater and a windbreaker for game drives (necessary, even in summer)

Light, compact raincoat is a good idea for the summer

Layers are most practical for the fluctuating day and night temperatures: warm-up suit/sweats— good for sleeping in during winter months

General Items:

Sun block, sunglasses, hat, insect repellent - essentials!

Binoculars and a camera are a must

Towel, flashlight and sleeping bag for camping safaris (sleeping bags can be hired from most safari operators)

Important:

Packing space is limited on all modes of safari transport so you will need to restrict your baggage to 12-15kg (preferably packed in a soft bag) plus a reasonable amount of camera equipment.

All else is optional, and most of it is superfluous

Frequent Flyer Mileage Programs:

If you buy an airline ticket, you may be eligible for mileage credit either on that airline or one of it’s U.S partners.

Great Expeditions will put your frequent flyer number in the computer if requested but is NOT responsible for your mileage being credited, so please ensure that your number is in your record when you check in for your flight. Retain your passenger receipts and all boarding passes in case you need to make a claim retroactively.

Seat Requests:

Great Expeditions is happy to make seating requests however seating is under the control of the airline and may be changed without notification.

Driving:

Kenya has an extensive network of roads, mostly sealed and passable throughout the year. You may have problems on unsealed roads, particular in the game reserves, during the rains if you don't have 4 wheel drive.

Driving is on the left hand side and although not required it is convenient for you to have an International Driving License. You can drive on your own valid license but you need to get it endorsed at the Road Transport Office in Nairobi.

As well as all the major international car hire firms, there are numerous local ones as well and it is worth shopping around for the best deal. Always compare the inclusive insurance. Most companies require renters to be over 23 years of age and under 70 and must have held a license for at least 2 years.

Most reputable car hire firms are members of the Automobile Association of East Africa and have road patrols on the major highways. Nearly all lodges in the Parks have resident mechanics.

Speed/distance Reckoner:

Pleading ignorance of conversion values will not save you from getting a speeding ticket!

Km per hour = Miles per hour

Metric Conversion:

Here is a rough conversion chart:

To convert from to divide by

Centimeters inches 2.5

Meters yards 0.9

Kilometers miles 1.6

Liters gallons 3.8

Grams Ounces 28

Kilograms Pounds .45

Hectares acres .4

Indigenous People:

Currently there are more than 40 different ethnic groups in Kenya. The main groups of tribes are the Bantu who migrated from western Africa, the Nilotic people who originated from Sudan and the Hamitic group, who were mainly pastoral tribes from Ethiopia and Somalia. The main tribes are Kikuyu (21%), Meru (5%), Kalenjin, Luyha, Luo (14%), Kisii, Kamba, Swahili, Masai, Turkana.

Interaction with the locals can lend much to your trip, but in your enthusiasm to learn, please be sensitive to local customs. If you are asked to dress or behave in a particular way to attend an event hosted by indigenous people, please abide by the request.

As a general rule, discussing indigenous politics is a tricky thing even for residents of the country; travelers do so at their own risk!

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