KENYA TRAVEL INFORMATION
THE GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION: Kenya is a state, located on the eastern part of Africa, with its eastern shores bordering the Indian Ocean. To the south, it borders with Tanzania, to the West with Uganda, to North West with Sudan, to the North with Ethiopia, and to the North East with Somalia. The country covers 582, 6 thousand sq. km. Lake Victoria is located on the Western border and Lake Turkana is on the Northern border.
THE CAPITAL CITY: Nairobi is the largest city and the business center of the country. The main sea port is Mombasa. Other large cities are Nakuru, Kisumu and Eldoret.
LANGUAGES: Swahili and English
RELIGION: Christianity 73%, Islam 7%, traditional local beliefs 20%.
VISA: Visas can be obtained from the embassies and consulates of Kenya, and also at the point of entrance to the country, i.e. at the airports in Nairobi and Mombasa and at border points. To obtain a visa at the embassy it is necessary to have the following: a passport (renewed not less than 3 months from the day of obtaining visa), application form and 1 passport sized photograph. Visa takes 3 – 4 days to process. The visa fee is $50.
MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS: one should have a valid yellow fever inoculation card. Ant malarial tablets like lariam are recommended. Lariam should be taken at least one week before travelling to Kenya, the entire period of stay in the country and at least a week after leaving the country. Most of the big cities have drugstores, but it is recommended that you carry your own medicine as recommended by your doctor.
TIME: +3 GMT.
CLIMATE: Subequatorial. Day temperatures rarely descend below 24 degrees. The climate is moist and is hot on coast. In the central part of the country there can be sufficiently cold nights, and hot and dry days. In the regions, most frequented by tourists, the weather is almost always ideal, neither too hot nor too cold. During the year there are two rainy seasons: short (from October until December) and long (from March to the beginning of June). Most rains fall at the coast and in the Western region of the country and in the mountain regions of the country.
CURRENCY: The Kenyan shilling (KSH). One shilling is equal to 100 cents. At the airports, points of entry and at the banks in the city you can change your foreign currency into Kenyan shillings at the standing rates. Since 2006, the government forbade the use of US dollars issued prior to 2001. It is illegal to change money on the streets, though it isn’t necessary to show your passport at forex bureaus.
CUSTOMS: Duty free entry is permitted for the following: 200 cigarettes ; 1 bottle of spirit alcohol; 600g of perfume. It is prohibited to import fruits, seedlings and seeds; narcotics; explosives, firearms and toys imitating firearms. It is forbidden to export stuff made of ivory, animal hides and remains. The import of foreign currency is unconfined, but requires declaration.
ELECTRICITY: The country’s voltage is 240V, with three pinned English style sockets. In Lodges and camps (on safari) they use generators for electricity which they switch during sleeping hours at night.
POPULATION AND THE CULTURE: Kenya has a colorful mixture of peoples and cultures. Today, about 33 million people live in Kenya, represented by forty ethnic groups, the majority being grouped into Bantu, Nilot or Cushite language groups, with Asians, Arabs and Europeans representing the minority.
TIPPING: Tipping is expected in Kenya. It is always better to give a tip in the local currency. In the restaurants tips compose of 10% of the total cost of the bill. On safari, tips compose of an equivalent of $10 - $20 per person per day for the driver/ guide. Porters are tipped approximately 1 US dollar, and room maids 1 US dollar a day.