From Safari Adventures and national parks to beach escapes and cultural cities. Kenya is one of the most popular safari destinations in Africa with a long
Location: Eastern Africa. It has borders with Ethiopia and South Sudan to the north and Uganda to the west, Indian Ocean coast lies between Somalia to the northeast and Tanzania to the south.
Capital: Nairobi
Language: English and Swahili are the official languages in Kenya
Currency and exchange rate: Kenyan shilling 1 USD = 101 KSH
Time Zone: Time zone in Kenya ( GMT +3 )
Kenya Country Code +254
Best time to visit Kenya
Best time to visit Kenya is dry seasons January to March (Low season) prices drop but it could be raining continuously during this period. And July to October the weather is dry and it’s the high season (so the prices increase) for tourism and the best to enjoy the wildlife there
Climate:
The climate in Kenya is tropical moderated by altitude.
It’s hot and humid at the coast, temperate inland,
and very dry in the north and northeast parts.
The long rain season occurs from April to June. The short rain season occurs from October to December.
The hottest period is from February to March and the coldest from July to August.
Below table shows Nairobi climate by month:
Prices in Kenya:
Macdonald’s Meal or Equivalent Combo Meal cost start from 4.43 up to 9.45 USD
Domestic Beer (0.5-liter draught) average of 1.98 USD
Imported Beer (0.33-liter bottle) average of 2.46 USD
Cappuccino (regular) average of 2.40 USD
Coke/Pepsi (0.33 liter bottle) average of 0.54 USD
Water (0.33-liter bottle) average of 0.51 USD
Food and Drinks in Kenya
Local beer in Kenya are Tusker Lager, Tusker Malt Lager and White Cap Lager + imported beer is also available
Some Kenyan food:
Nyama Choma: Barbecued meat often served with spicy tomato relish and ugali.
Ugali: Maize meal porridge, the main staple for most Kenyans, often eaten with a meaty stew.
Mandazi: Fried savory dough ball with a similar constitution to a doughnut.
Kachumbari: Spicy tomato relish served with meat.
Tilapia: Freshwater fish associated with the Rift Valley lakes and often grilled whole.
Sukuma Wiki: Spinach-like leaf often served boiled as a side dish or in a stew with meat.
Biryani: Spicy rice-based stew similar in appearance to risotto but with a more oriental flavor.
Matoke: Cooked banana.
Places to visit in Kenya
1- Aberdare National Park — cool and cloudy Rift Valley park with lots of large game, and over 250 species of bird recorded.
2- Amboseli National Park — a swampy lowland Masai park that is one of the best places to view large mammals.
3- Hell’s Gate National Park – a small National Park close to Nairobi, which allows you to get out of the car and offers some nice opportunities for rock climbing and some game
4- Lake Nakuru National Park — a stunning 400 species of bird have been recorded here including the largest flocks of Flamingos anywhere on earth
5- Lake Elementaita — One of the smaller lakes in the Great Rift Valley recently declared a UNESCO world heritage site. scenic and rich in bird life.
6- Masai Mara National Park — probably the most popular reserve in Kenya due to the high concentration of large cats
7- Nairobi National Park — virtually in Nairobi and a great option to see a large game for those on a tight schedule
8- Tsavo East National Park — major game park on the main road from Nairobi to Mombasa
9- Meru National Park – a wide range of wild beasts like elephant, hippopotamus, lion, leopard, cheetah, black rhinoceros and some rare antelopes.
10- Sibiloi National Park – listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a part of Lake Turkana National Parks.
11- Mount Elgon National Park
Safety in Kenya:
UK government advise against traveling to any city close to Somali Boarders.
ATMs are widely available in all main towns so avoid having a big amount of cash money.
Avoid being out after dark or walking alone in quite areas.
Kenyan Visa & Entry requirements:
Kenya Visa isn’t required for the following countries: Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Burundi, Cyprus, Darussalam, Dominica, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Jamaica, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia (For less than 30 days stay), Maldives, Mauritius, Namibia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, St-Kitts & Nevis, St-Lucia, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa (For less than 30 days stay), Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu,Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Kenya Entry Visa is required for the below nationalities with the cost of 20 USD for Transit visa / 50 USD for single entry visa / 100 USD for multiple entries:
A-C:
Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Bermuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Rep, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic
D-H:
Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Estonia, Finland, France, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary.
I-N:
Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland {Republic}, Israel, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kampuchea, Kazakhstan, Kirghizistan, Korea South, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Macau {SAR}, Madagascar, Malagasy, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar {Burma}, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Norway.
O-Z:
Oman, Pacific Isles, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russian Federation, Salvador, Saint Christopher Cape, Sao Tome & Principe, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yugoslavia and former States of Yugoslavia
The following nationalities are not eligible for Kenya visa on entry and must obtain a visa from the director of immigration services in Kenya before traveling:
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cameroon, Eritrea, Iraq, Republic of Korea, North Korea, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Palestine, Senegal, Somalia, Syria, Tajikistan, Yemen
