Background :
Kenya, republic in East Africa, a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Kenya has a varied landscape of plateaus and high mountains and is home to many different ethnic groups. Formerly a British colony, Kenya gained independence in 1963 and has been a republic since 1964. It is bounded on the north by Sudan and Ethiopia, on the east by Somalia and the Indian Ocean, on the south by Tanzania, and on the west by Lake Victoria and Uganda. Nairobi is the country’s capital and largest city.

Language and Religion :
Kenya’s official languages are English and Swahili; both are widely used for communication between members of different ethnic groups. Nearly all of the African ethnic groups in Kenya also have their own languages, making for considerable linguistic diversity within the country. Many Kenyans thus speak three languages: the language of their particular ethnic group, Swahili, and English.

About 76 percent of Kenya’s population is Christian, with Protestants outnumbering Roman Catholics. Muslims make up about 7 percent of the population. The remainder of Kenya’s people are mainly followers of traditional African religions. There are also a small number of Hindus and Sikhs.

Education :
Kenya’s educational system, established in the 1980s to replace the system that existed under British rule, consists of eight years of primary school, four years of secondary school, and four years of higher education. Schooling is compulsory for 8 years. Primary education is nominally free in Kenya, but pupils must meet the cost of uniforms, books, supplies, and school-related fees. Examinations taken at the end of the 8th and 12th grades determine whether students will be admitted into high school and university.

Although 92 percent of school-age children attend the first years of primary school, factors such as cost, examination performance, and inadequate facilities eliminate large numbers from secondary and university education. The percentage of boys and girls attending school is roughly equal at the primary level, but the percentage of girls drops at the secondary level and again at the university level. Kenya has made great progress with adult literacy since independence. In 2001, 95 percent of the adult population was literate, although the rate was significantly higher for adult males (96 percent) than females (94.6 percent).

Kenya has five public universities, as well as a number of private ones. The public universities are the University of Nairobi (founded in 1956); Kenyatta University (1972), in Nairobi; the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (1981), near Nairobi; Egerton University (1939), near Nakuru; and Moi University (1984), outside Eldoret. The government also provides opportunities for higher education through 3 polytechnic institutes (in Mombasa, Nairobi, and Eldoret) and about 20 teacher-training colleges.

Economy :
Traditionally, Kenya’s economy was based on farming, herding, hunting, and trade. With the establishment of colonial rule, however, Kenya was brought into the world capitalist economy. Under the British, Kenya developed an economy based on the export of agricultural products. The colonial government encouraged the settlement of European farmers in Kenya to provide a greater supply of exports. From World War I (1914-1918) through the mid-1950s, produce grown on settler farms and estates, such as coffee, sisal (a fiber used to make rope), and tea, dominated Kenya’s exports. Meanwhile, African households were encouraged to produce commodities for subsistence and for sale in local markets, and to work on European farms producing export crops.

During and after World War II (1939-1945), Kenya’s economy was altered by the initiation of import substitution manufacturing—that is, the production of goods that formerly had to be imported. The 1950s also witnessed an important change in the agricultural sector as the colonial government adopted measures to stimulate greater production by African households, including granting Africans permission to grow high-value export crops. This helped spur small-scale production over the next two decades, and despite the departure of most European farmers after Kenya gained independence, agricultural exports expanded dramatically. This, together with influxes of foreign capital and technical expertise, made Kenya’s cumulative rate of economic growth—6.8 percent—among the highest in sub-Saharan Africa between 1963 and 1980.

Kenya’s booming economy weakened in the 1980s as a consequence of a rising trade deficit, among other factors. Kenya’s slowing economic growth rate and expanding budget deficits caused the government to turn to structural adjustment policies advocated by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as part of their economic assistance to Kenya. Nevertheless, the Kenyan government has set the ambitious target of achieving the status of industrialized economy by 2020. In 2000 the gross domestic product (GDP), which measures the value of goods and services produced, was $10.4 billion, or about $340 per person.

Foreign Trade :
Kenya is dependent on foreign trade. Since 1980 the country has usually run a substantial trade deficit with countries outside Africa and a surplus with those in East Africa. In 2000 Kenya’s imports totaled $3.1 billion and its exports totaled $2 billion. Kenya’s chief imports are industrial raw materials, crude petroleum, machinery, and other equipment. Chief exports, in order of importance, are tea, coffee, horticultural products, petroleum products, cement, soda ash, and pyrethrum extract (used in insecticides). The main suppliers of imports are the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, India, Germany, and the United States. Exports go principally to Uganda, the United Kingdom, Tanzania, Germany, The Netherlands, and the United States.

Currency and Banking :
Kenya’s basic unit of currency is the Kenyan shilling, consisting of 100 cents (76.2 Kenyan shillings equal US$1; 2000 average). Currency is issued by the Central Bank of Kenya, established in Nairobi in 1966. An extensive network of commercial banks, the largest of which is the partly government-owned Kenya Commercial Bank, serves most of Kenya’s urban areas. The Nairobi Stock Exchange serves the whole country.

Health Issues :
Vaccines and prophylaxis: The only obligatory vaccine is yellow fever, but only to travellers older than one year old coming from infected areas. Even if you are a citizen from a non-infected country, you may be requested to show your certificate if you arrive from countries such as Rwanda or Congo. In any case, it is advisable to get the vaccines against yellow fever, hepatitis, typhus and tetanus. Paludism or malaria is a severe disease communicated by the bite of the Anopheles mosquito carrying the Plasmodium parasite. Chemoprophylaxis against this illness is highly convenient and even essential in certain areas of Kenya. Risk exists in all the country throughout the year. However, it is very reduced in Nairobi and the Highlands above 2,000 m, whereas the risk rises in the Indian Ocean coast. The malignant type of the illness, produced by Plasmodium falciparum, is the most frequent in Kenya. The usual prophylaxis consists of a combination of chloroquine (Nivaquine®, Resochin® or similar) and proguanyl (Paludrine®), or otherwise drugs that combine the two compounds (Savarine®). Prophylaxis with mefloquine (Lariam®) is specially recommended for high risk areas, given the presence of strains resistant to chloroquine and sulphadoxine-pyrimetamine. However, the secondary effects of this drug are also more severe, reason why it is not suitable for everyone. If you take Lariam, start at the very least two or three weeks before your trip, hence you will be able to check at home if you suffer from any secondary effects. Prophylaxis must always be continued until four weeks after returning from the risk area. For vaccination and the most suitable antipaludic chemoprophylaxis, ask your country's international and travel health service. And talking about prevention, Kenya has a high AIDS rate. At least half of the prostitutes are HIV carriers. Further, the classical sexual diseases are widely spread. If you happen to maintain sexual intercourse with Kenyans, take all the necessary precautions.

Water :
In general, tap water is not drinkable, except for Nairobi and Mombasa, but caution must always be taken. Drink only mineral water from sealed bottles, water boiled for 10 minutes, bleach-chlorated water (2 drops per liter of pure sodium hypochlorite devoid of detergents or perfumes, 30 minutes), chemically purified water (Aquaclear® or similar) or bottled drinks. In the hotels' and lodges' rooms you will find bottles or flasks of mineral water. During your game drives, do not forget water supplies to avoid dehydration, especially in the hottest areas. Mineral water is quite expensive at the lodges. Concerning freshwater bathing, avoid it unless you are absolutely sure of the sanitary conditions of the waters. These can contain parasites that penetrate the skin, such as Schistosoma, which produces the disease known as bilharziosis. Never be too confident, even the most crystal clear waters are potentially dangerous. This parasite is frequent in Lake Victoria. Do not bathe even if you see the natives doing it. Obviously, the same applies to walking bare footed or with open shoes through swampy lands. The lodges' swimming pools are fully safe.

Food: As a general rule, avoid raw food. Non-cooked vegetables must be maintained for half an hour in bleached water (sodium hypochlorite devoid of detergents or perfumes), with one or two drops per liter. Fruit should be peeled or washed in bleached water. Be careful with the ice-creams, cakes and drinks on the rocks. This advice does not apply to the major hotels and lodges, that are fully reliable in the foods and drinks they serve.

Mosquitoes :
In addition to antipaludic chemoprophylaxis, it is very convenient to prevent mosquito bites. The high activity hours for these insects are at night, so make sure to wear long pants and sleeves from dusk to dawn. Avoid the dark clothes, since they attract mosquitoes. Protect the exposed areas of your body with a repellent among the many ones existing in the market. Choose products containing 35-50% of N,N-diethyl-m-tholuamide (DEET), the most classic of the repellent compounds. DEET-based repellents must be reapplied every 4-6 hours. They are not recommended for pregnant women or children under 10 years. DEET is toxic, sticky and smells terribly, also it attacks plastics and impregnates its flavour in everything you eat. Not very nice but highly effective. Other repellents are based on dimethylphthalate (DMP), which must be used at a concentration of at least 40%. For children under 10 years and over 30 months, it is advisable to use repellents based on ethylhexanediol (EHD). This substance, specially effective against Anopheles, must be used at a concentration of 30-50%. Other repelling compound is N-buthyl-N-acetyl-3-ethylaminepropionate (better known as 35/35), which is used at 20-30%. Finally, the new generation of Autan® repellents contain a different substance called Bayrepel®, a piperidine derivative (1-piperidincarboxylic acid, 2-(2-hydroxiethyl)-, 1-methylpropilesther) at 20%. Whatever repellent you choose, check the concentration of the active compound, since even within the same brand this concentration may vary depending on the product's presentation: repellents may be found as a lotion, cream, spray or stick. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations regarding contraindications and lasting of protection. There is a repellent called Mosquito Milk, which is sold as a roll-on and is apparently very effective. The peculiar thing about this repellent is that a couple of strips on each exposed area of the body is enough for achieving full protection. For added safety, it is usual to use ambient insecticides and mosquito nets. Some lodges, specially in risk areas, provide mosquito nets, but if you prefer to use your own, better impregnate it with a pyrethrine derivative (permethrine or deltamethrine). You will find insecticides in some lodges' rooms, either in spray or in tablets for electric diffusers. In the latter case, check the power supply, most lodges are self-powered and some of them cut the supply at certain times.

First-aid kit: In addition to antipaludic drugs and repellents, a good first-aid kit should include a disinfectant, material for curing wounds and some drugs for diarrhoea, colds, pains, allergies and insect bites. If you suffer from motion sickness, bring some pills for the road.

Medical care: If in spite of all you need medical care, don't worry. In Nairobi there are good doctors and hospitals, especially Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi Hospital and Aga Khan Hospital. In the rest of the country you will only find modest hospitals and clinics.

Packing Tips

Suitcases: The right kind of suitcases depends basically on your travel plan. In any case, do not bring an expensive set of suitcases. Your luggage will end up full of dust and a fancy suitcase may also result too "attractive". If you travel with a driver, they usually carry blankets to protect luggage from dust. If you self-drive, you can bring a couple of old blankets or sheets for this purpose. Unless you plan to camp, it is not necessary to carry a backpack, suitcases are well suitable for lodge accommodation. But keep in mind that your luggage will remain at the lodge during your game drives, so some sort of handbag is usually pretty useful. If you plan an overnight stay at Treetops or The Ark, you should know that these lodges have a special plan. You will access the lodge from a base hotel (Outspan Hotel and Aberdare Country Club respectively) where you will leave your bulk luggage. You will only be allowed to carry one handbag or backpack per person. In this bag you will have to stuff all the necessary things for your overnight stay, including some warm clothes you will definitely need if you go to Treetops.

Clothes: Safari clothing must be comfortable, light and loose, mainly cotton or linen. Avoid tight clothes, keep in mind that you will spend plenty of time bumping inside a vehicle. Due to the climate diversity in Kenya, if your trip covers different climatic regions you will need a bit of everything to tolerate Samburu's heat at noon and the chilly nights at Aberdares and Mount Kenya. Don't forget a warm pullover and even a thermal vest if you are going to Treetops. The lodge provides some blankets. During the day, shorts are almost a must. But remember that at dusk you should cover your body to avoid mosquito bites. Trousers with detachable legs are very handy for any occasion. And don't forget your bathing suit, most lodges have a swimming pool. Dressing up for dinner is not required in most lodges, with a few exceptions, for instance the Mount Kenya Safari Club. Fortunately black tie is no longer required, but shorts, jeans, sport shoes and T shirts are not allowed for supper. Other useful complements will be a pair of sunglasses, a hat or cap for the sun and a bandana for dust, some roads are very dusty during the dry season. If you travel during the rain season, a light plastic mackintosh, coat or cape offers the most comfortable and effective protection.

Shoes: Shoes should be comfortable and closed. A good pair of safari boots are an all-terrain, the acacias' thorns easily pierce the soles of sport shoes. Sandals or flip-flops are useful for the swimming pool, but not for walking. You may use sandals at night, but remember that in this case you will have to bathe your feet in mosquito repellent and that DEET melts plastics. Depending on the kind of trip, you may need trekking boots if you plan to walk up Mount Kenya.

Drugstore: Don't forget sun protection: solar milk with a high factor and aftersun lotion. Remember you are in the Equator, two hours under the sun at the coast without protection and your body will end up full of blisters. At the lodges you will find shops that sell all the basic toiletry items, but prices are high, so you'd better bring everything you need, including prophylactics and sanitary pads or tampons. Don't bring toilet rolls unless you plan to camp. If you use glasses, bring a spare pair to cover contingencies. Remember that most of the time you will be away from large cities. If you use contacts, don't forget your glasses and bring enough amount of your cleansing solutions. Read the health issues page for information regarding antipaludic prophylaxis, mosquitoes and first aid.

Safari equipment: The basic safari equipment consists of maps, guides, binoculars, flashlight and a compass or GPS. No matter if you are driven, you will like to know where you are. There are several good Kenya maps in the market, some of them covering all East Africa. You can either bring them from home or purchase them in Nairobi. Concerning the guides, there are many good ones, but The Rough Guide Kenya is probably one of the best, as well as the Lonely Planet guide. You can also print these pages... And of course, you will also need some safari field guides. It is very unlikely to obtain maps of parks and reserves in your country. Some guidebooks include basic maps, useful to know where you are if you travel with a driver but useless if you self-drive. You can obtain maps either at the parks' gates or at the lodges' shops, as well as some field guides. If you travel on your own and you want to keep free of contingencies, better buy more than one map for each park, when there are several available. Many of them, if not all, are quite incomplete. And better purchase as soon as you find them, sometimes it is easier to find a map of Tsavo at the lodge in Amboseli than at Tsavo itself. Include in your luggage a pair of binoculars for you. This means each one should carry his own pair: during the game drives, binoculars are as intransferable as your toothbrush. Each person calibrates his binoculars according to his needs and very often there is no time for recalibrating. Sometimes you will spot a distant animal, but if you get your sight off, you may not find it again. Binoculars should not be too powerful or heavy since you will be handholding them. The best for wildlife viewing are 8x40 or 10x50 with good optics. A flashlight is useful under many circumstances. It is good for reading the map if you drive by night, which by the way shouldn't be done outside the parks for security reasons and is forbidden inside the parks. However, it is wise to cover contingencies, and if night falls when you are stuck in the road with a puncture or a breakdown the flashlight is essential. If you drive on your own, bring more than one flashlight and spare batteries. On the other hand, sometimes lighting may be scarce at the lodges, and some of them cut power at certain times. The flashlight is a must if you camp. The speleologists' head lights are very useful since they leave your hands free. If you are renting a car, positioning systems are between useful and essential. Parks' maps are not always accurate and in some of them it is quite easy to get lost, especially in Masai Mara. A simple compass can be helpful, mainly if the sun is not visible. With a little more investment you can purchase a GPS, much cheaper nowadays, and more precise since on May 1st 2000 the US government has removed the induced distortion known as Selective Availability. You can find waypoints for Kenya in Hans-Georg Michna's website, as well as some useful info on several GPS brands and models. If you go camping and travel on your own, you will need all the basic camping gear. However, if you are travelling through an agency in an organised camping trip, you will probably need just your sleeping bag and little more, most of the gear will be provided by the agency (read the lodging section).

Photography gear: Obviously, we couldn't forget the photography gear. Fortunately Kenya banned hunting in all the country in 1977, but our trophies will last in photographic prints or slides. Given that photography is a very expensive hobby, recommendations must be taken with moderation. From the wish to the fact there is a large gap, at least for me. I am not an expert photographer, but here you may find a couple of hints. In the photography page of the links section, you will find some links to other websites published by professional photographers that offer a lot of expert advice. The basic wish is to use a good camera body and excellent lenses. Maybe more realistic is to use a regular camera body and good lenses. If you are thinking about buying a camera for field work, set your priority in the lenses' quality. Nowadays there are magnificent camera bodies with fully automatic functions, but purchasing an expensive camera and using it always in automatic mode is like buying a Rolls Royce just to drive through your backyard. It is preferable that everything can be configured manually: shutter speed, aperture and film speed (ISO). A very interesting function is the depth of field preview (depth of field is the range of distances in which you get sharp focus), very useful for wildlife photography. The possibility to adapt a cable release is other useful feature. Concerning the lenses, rather buy them from the same manufacturer as your camera body. They will surely be more expensive, but if you can't afford them you can go for some good cheaper lenses from other manufacturers. Don't buy zooms with excessive range of focal distances, such as 28-200mm, since in general they do not provide enough sharpness. A zoom lens in the range 28-70/80mm is versatile enough for landscapes and animal groups. Another one in the range 70/80-200/210mm would fulfil the basic equipment. However, 200mm is clearly insufficient for animal close-ups and birds. The wish is a fixed fast 500mm lens, but this is unaffordable for almost everyone. A 200-400mm f5.6 zoom lens may be a good compromise for focal distance and speed. Choose preferably a normal lens rather than a catadioptric (mirror) lens. Other accesories include, first, a good tripod. The best ones are quite heavy. Most of your pictures in Kenya will be taken from inside a vehicle, which implies two things: it doesn't matter if your tripod is heavy because you will not carry it on your back, but on the other hand you will not have many chances to use it. A lighter -and cheaper- tripod may be enough for taking pictures from the lodge or from places where you can leave the car. If you travel in a minibus with a roofhatch you can use a mini-tripod, but be careful not to end up picking your camera from the floor next to a lion's back. For your pictures from the car, you can use one of those bean bags, small bags made with cloth and filled with beans or sand. For higher budgets, a window mount is the best solution. The most interesting filter is no doubt the polarizer, which will lend impressive colours to your pictures. You will need a circular polarizer for your zoom lenses. Concerning lens cleaning, use a rubber blower, which does not physically touch the lens. Stains or fingerprints may be removed using a drop of lens cleaner or diluted alcohol and a piece of cotton or, better, microfiber cloth. Last, the film. Choose the brand of your preference among the top ones, in general it's a matter of taste. Stick to the same brand, it will give coherence to your pictures and you will get to learn its features. Personally I use slides, they give more brightness and life to colours. Further, the quality of your pictures will not be affected by print processing. If you prefer prints, it's your choice. In any case, bring more film than you will need, in Kenya you can buy it but at a higher price, and you may not find your favourite brand or even just slide film. The main decision for choosing film is the speed (ISO). The best nature photographers use slow film, ISO 64 and ISO 25, but save at bright sunlight these film speeds will always require to use a tripod. ISO 100 is a good choice half the way. Before you start shooting, you should know that it is forbidden to take pictures of the president of the Republic, military facilities, police stations, national TV buildings and uniformed policemen. There is also no need to photograph government buildings, just in case. To take pictures from the lodge by night, for example in Treetops or The Ark, it is preferable to use ISO 100 or 200 film with a tripod than using faster film with the handheld camera. At these places you will be able to use your tripod safely, so camera movement is not an issue. Remember that the grain is heavier in faster films, resulting in a loss of sharpness and details. You'd better not use a flash, even if other people do, your pictures won't be better and you will scare the animals. Never take pictures of people without their consent. This might be true anywhere else, but in Kenya there is also a legal issue involved: law protects their privacy against photographers, and this applies especially to the Maasai and Turkana. If they say no, do not shoot. If they ask for a tip, give them some shillings regardless what they ask for, but always seek their consent. If you are looking for a good nature photography guide, just one but The One, I recommend "The nature photographer's complete guide to professional field techniques", by John Shaw, published by American Photographic Book Publishing, New York, 1984. And please, by all means do not harass the animals to take a good picture. The people making nature documentaries must wait patiently for months before shooting the take they want. Bear in mind that the nature photographer must create his images solely with what nature gives when nature gives. This philosophy is opposed to model photography, based on the manipulation (in the right sense) of the object. At least in my opinion...

How To Travel In Kenya

In general, it is a good idea to make your bookings at home, not only for flights which is essential, but also for local transport and accommodation. Given that the regular safari implies a lot of movement, just one failure in bookings may ruin all the trip. Apart from this, there are as many types of trips as travellers, but all of them can be grouped in three basic varieties. Let us review the pros and cons for each of them.

Travelling in a minibus with driver: The most usual way of travelling to Kenya is through a safari agency, which will arrange a group trip. You can either join a bigger group, cheaper but sharing transport with other people and with no possibility of choosing your itinerary, or otherwise make a private safari, just your party with a tailor-made itinerary. In both cases you will travel in a nine seat minibus with a professional driver. Vehicles are equipped with a roofhatch for viewing wildlife and taking pictures from an elevated point of view, which is very convenient, especially when the grass is high. Obviously, in common safaris the minibus may be full, whereas in your private safari you will have all the seats available. In general, drivers act as guides at the same time, reason why they are usually well knowers of both the roads and the wildlife. If you organise a private safari and you wish to focus on something in particular, for example birds, you may ask your safari agency for a specialised guide. The advantages of this system lie mainly in that you don't have to care about driving or the eventual breakdowns; local drivers are experts in car mechanics. They know perfectly the parks and roads, so you will very rarely get lost. They know the suitable places for finding animals and they keep in contact with other drivers, so your driver can receive information from another one regarding the location of an interesting animal. They can also act as Swahili interpreters whenever it may be necessary, and they can tell you about the tribes, their habits, etc. Concerning the cons, it means loosing freedom of movement to a certain extent, mostly in the case of common safaris, because the group decides what to do and where to go above personal interests. The usual thing then is that the driver finally decides. Further, guides have their time hired for the game drives. Usually you will get two game drives, at dawn and at dusk, and possibly a third one at midday. The rest of the time you will remain stuck at the lodge and any extra drive must be paid separately. Lodges usually offer game drive service, but at very costly rates.

Travelling in a rented car: More people are travelling each year in a rented car, mainly second time travellers. This type of trip requires renting a 4 Wheel Drive, since some roads are very rough for salon cars. You will need the international driving license, which you can obtain in your country. There are several rent-a-car companies, both the locals and the top multinationals (Avis, Hertz, Budget,...). The first issue is rates. Since roads are rough, vehicles get a lot of suffering along the journeys. Together with the high prices for spare parts, import taxes, etc., this serves as an excuse for rising the prices to levels that would allow, for a three week safari, to purchase a similar used vehicle in Europe. A big 4WD, five to eight seats plus luggage, like a Mitsubishi Pajero, Toyota Land Cruiser or Land Rover Discovery, with unlimited mileage, costs around 10,000-15,000 Kshs per day. A smaller car, for 2-4 persons, such as a Suzuki Sierra, costs about 5,000 Kshs per day. These rates exclude insurance and possibly a refundable deposit. The roads are improved periodically, but only some of them are paved. Weather greatly damages the road network, dirt tracks become heavily muddy after the rains and the paved roads get cracked until traffic opens big potholes which sometimes are real craters. In case you had to cross some big puddle or a mud area, learn how to use the 4WD gear. Upon picking the vehicle, ask for two spare wheels (which no doubt will be recycled) and check that the jack works. Punctures are frequent and you may also break a couple of shock absorbers. Vehicles are old, with many kilometers and often badly maintained. If you dominate car mechanics, it will serve you well. Driving in Kenya is on the left, British heritage in many of their former colonies. If you belong to a right-driving country, don't worry, you will soon get used to it. Pedals and gears are not inverted, they keep the same position you already know. You just have to adapt to a different appreciation of the car's dimensions, since most of the vehicle's volume will be on your left. Orientation is critical when driving on your own. Good maps and a compass or GPS are a must. Signalling along the roads is erratic, sometimes you will find signposts and sometimes you won't. If you get lost, something pretty usual, you can always count on the natives' help, but perhaps they might speak rudimentary English or nothing at all. Ask the young people, they will probably speak English. Keep your Swahili skills at hand. Eventually, you may have a breakdown in a solitary place, like inside a park at the times of the day when the groups are by the swimming pool. If you are unable to repair it on your own, wait patiently till someone appears, the first driver to pass along will help you. Conversely, if you find another driver in trouble, lend a hand. The accident rate in Kenya is bloodcurdling. Some buses and lorries are a public danger, drivers often drink too much and sleep too little. Be extremely careful when driving, specially along roads with heavy traffic. Always give way, even if you have the right. Concerning personal safety on the roads, read the "safety issues" page. Fill your tank before leaving the lodge. Petrol stations are restricted to the main towns and cities. The usual daily journeys do not require to carry extra petrol cans, a daily refill is always possible. All the above implies that there are multiple cons for this option. High prices, getting lost, breakdowns, dangers, being all alone,... What about the advantages? The most obvious one is that, since you don't depend on drivers and timings, you can spend all the time you wish driving through the parks, with the only limitation of the times allowed for driving, usually from 6 AM to 6 PM. The great advantage is to depend just on your own. Personally I've always chosen this option, not only in Kenya but in other 30 countries. It is difficult to explain and even maybe not too logical, but if you share my views you will understand perfectly. The sensation of freedom is unparalleled, even with breakdowns, punctures and problems, or maybe just because of breakdowns, punctures and problems.

Travelling in public transport: Depending just on public transport for a safari in Kenya is unfeasible. The main reason is that the only way to visit most of the major parks and reserves is by car. Leaving the car is forbidden except in specially designated areas, which are usually few. Taxis offer a possibility, but only for the parks which lie close to large cities (Nairobi, Nakuru), since taxis are expensive for foreigners and this is not either the most practical way to travel the country or to visit the parks. Every time you take a taxi, agree the fare in advance. For safety reasons, always ask for taxis to the hotels' or restaurants' employees. There are collective taxis, the so-called matatus. The name derives from the Swahili tatu, meaning "three", since the fare was traditionally 3 shillings. They are minibuses similar to the ones used for safaris, and they cover trips inside the cities and connecting different towns. They are uncomfortable, crowded and the drivers are reckless. Pay attention to your belongings, pickpockets are frequent. Buses connecting cities are operated by private companies. This is the cheapest way to move in Kenya. They are partly responsible for the high accident rates in the country. The train, operated by Kenya Railways, only covers long distance trips along the Mombasa-Nairobi-Kisumu railroad. Trains have first, second and third classes. Return tickets are valid for three months and cancellations must be done 24 hours before departure. The fares include meals and taxes. You can find the prices and timetables here. There is also a special daily service called Iron Snake, a classical train that makes the trip Nairobi-Mombasa or viceversa. Departures are in the afternoon and arrives to destination the next morning. The price includes supper and breakfast and the train has first and second class. This service is available upon request and its price during the year 2000 is $102. Domestic flights are very useful for long distances, for instance Nairobi-Mombasa. The possibility exists to hire air taxis for trips from park to park, since most of them have at least one airstrip. However the extensive use of this transport would make you loose the feeling of the country on the ground. After all, the road's dust is also part of safari. Air taxis operate from Wilson Airport in Nairobi. Communications by ship are very scarce. There are no international services in Lake Victoria, just some domestic connections. At the Indian Ocean coast you will still find some of the old dhows, the lateen sail boats formerly used by the Arabs. Naturally, now they have an engine too.

Customs :
Custom restrictions in Kenya are similar to those in other countries. Guns are totally forbidden since hunting was banned in 1977. There is no problem with photo or video cameras.
You may import personal effects like binoculars, cameras and films temporarily into the country without a permit but a customs bond will be required for video equipment, musical instruments, radios cine and slide projectors and tape recorders during your stay. Consumables in small amounts of one liter of alcohol, a quarter liter of perfume, fifty cigars, two hundred cigarettes or quarter kilogram of tobacco will be allowed duty free. Obscene literature is not allowed. Pets accompanied by a recent health certificate and special permission from the Commissioner of Customs will be allowed. These are , however, not allowed into the National Parks /Reserves. Firearms cannot be imported without an import certificate from the Central Firearms Bureau (P O Box 30263, Nairobi, Kenya).

Transport :
The most popular method of tourist transport in Kenya is by road using "mini-buses" which are specifically built for tourist safaris in the country. They are operated by nearly all established tour operators in Nairobi and Mombasa. These chauffeur-driven mini-buses will pick you up from the airport on arrival and take you to the city hotel of your choice. When there is no tour operator organized transport, there is proper organized taxi service run by Kenatco Transport Company. They run taxi services from the international airports to all the main urban hotels. They are also available to take you from your hotel to the railway station, the city center for shopping or to the parks and other recreational areas near the city or around Mombasa town. There are other privately owned and run taxis usually marked with yellow lines on the sides. They offer the same service as the Kenatco taxis with much cheaper negotiable charges but may not be as comfortable. Major five star hotels run guest courtesy buses from the airport to the city centre. Kenya Bus Services (KBS) runs cheap public bus serviceswithin the city and its environs. Similar bus services are available in Mombasa, Kisumu and Nakuru. Their services are supplemented by privately owned and run matatus mini-buses sometimes noisy and crowded. There are country bus services between Nairobi and all other towns. These are supplemented by the matatu mini-buses, the speedy Peugeot 404 or 504 communal taxis known for their breack-neck speeds. To move to the National Parks and Reserves in the rural areas, tourists travel in the packaged tour operator mini-buses, chauffeur-driven saloon cars, Toyota Land Cruiser vans, or in Range Rovers which are operated by tour operators or are available for hire from car-hire companies in Nairobi and Mombasa. Those who want to enjoy exclusively private self-drive safaris will find numerous local companies offering everything from Range Rovers and Troopers to small saloon cars for their convinience. It is perfectly possible for visitors to the country to hire and drive around the country without problems. Nearly all roads to the National Parks or Reserves or to major towns are sign-posted so that strangers will find way around the country with ease. The second popular mode of transport is by Kenya Railways from Nairobi to Mombasa and vice versa or from Nairobi to Kisumu on the shores of Lake Victoria, with lake steamer connections to all the ports in the lake. The rail travel in the first or second class coaches offers visitors spectacular views of the country side from the coach windows in addition to first class cabin services, bars and restaurants. There are also dhows, steamers and motorboat services at the coast between Mombasa, Kilifi, Malindi and Lamu sea port, for ocean lovers. Those who want to travel by air and visit many National Parks and Reserves in a short time will book domestic flights which fly between Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or Wilson Airport to Moi International Airport, Malindi and Kisumu Airports or may charter light aircrafts which depart from Wilson Airport, Mombasa, Kisumu or Malindi Airports for various destinations in the National Parks and Reserves. DC3 aircrafts with seating capacities of 36 passengers are available from the charter.

What To See

Generally, Kenya has a chain of attractions for everyone. The ocean lovers and divers have a 480 kilometer tract of littoral belt strewn with beautiful coral reefs, coral gardens and hundreds of coral fish species in view. Sun worshippers find the tranquil sun-drenched, silver-sanded coastal beaches a tourist paradise. Historical land-marks of Vasco da Gama pillar, Gedi ruins, Fort Jesus, Orlogesaillie prehistoric site and the archeological sites at Koobi Fora on the eastern shores of Lake Turkana are true magnet to many historians and archeologists. The savannah-bush woodland country provides the visitors with unsurpassed breath taking large concentrations of wild animals to be found anywhere else on the African continent. Mt. Kenya climbing adventure make even the most experienced mountaineers from Mt. Everest pause for a breath; while many world famous ornithologists do not believe their eyes at the first sight of the great bird spectacles in the Great Rift Valley lakes.

Useful Facts

Local time: Local time in Kenya is GMT+3 all the year round. Swahili time system is different from ours, as it is based on sunlight. Since the country is traversed by the Equator, it has 12 hours of sunlight. The sun rises at 6 AM, which corresponds to 00:00 hours in Swahili time, and sets at 6 PM, 12:00 in Swahili time.

Electricity: Electric current is 220-240 volts and 50 hertz. In general, plugs have three pins, British type. If you are from a country using two-pin plugs, you should know that you can plug your two pin devices just by inserting the cap of a Bic ballpen into the earth plug (the middle pinhole) and sliding the tag you will find inside. Many lodges located in remote places produce their own electricity, and in some cases there are power restrictions at certain times. You should take this into account to charge your batteries if you carry a camcorder. Regarding areas operated by the general power network, shortages come sporadically, specially upon severe droughts.

Telephone communications: From Nairobi or Mombasa you will have no problems calling abroad. Telephone boxes are red, English style. Calling from the hotels, as usual, is more expensive. Calling from the lodges is more problematic, since the domestic telephone system is based on microwave radio relay. It will depend on your luck. Satellite communications were covered by Iridium until March 17 2000, when the company went bankrupt. If you wish to keep communicated, contact your local cellular telephone operators to see if they have any agreement with a satellite operator.

Newspapers, radio and television: Freedom of expression is partially restricted in Kenya, since mass media are directly or indirectly controlled by the government. The main newspapers are Daily Nation and East African Standard, both edited in Nairobi. Weeklies include The East African (belonging to the Nation Group) and the Coastweek, edited in Mombasa, in addition to the weeklies of the two most important newspapers and the Weekly Review, ranked by some sources as the best political weekly in Africa. There are also some monthly magazines such as The Analyst, specialising in economy, and The Karengata Chronicle. There are several radio stations that broadcast in FM 24 hours a day. Nation FM, belonging to the Nation Group, broadcasts in English and Swahili in the dial 96.4. Concerning television, so far only the state-owned channel Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) reaches the whole country. Another channel, Stellavision (STV), has expanded to the west of Kenya, but it doesn't broadcast local news. Kenya Television Network (KTN) plans to extend its coverage to the whole country in July 2000. The ownership of this station is obscure; 40-50% of the shares were purchased in 1997 by the group of the daily newspaper The East African Standard, but the major shareholders of this group are unknown. The rest of the shares could be in the hands of people close to the circles of the ruling party KANU.

Post: Post offices are marked by the initials of Post, Telephone & Telegraph, PTT. Stamps may be also purchased at souvenir shops and bookshops. You can post your letters at the lodges, but it will be better if you post them in Nairobi. The Post Office is in Haile Selassie Avenue.

Holidays :

The holidays in Kenya are the following:

1st January: New year's day.
Good Friday. Easter Monday.
End of Ramadan (Idd-ul-Fitr).
1st May: labour day.
1st June: Madaraka Day, celebrating self-government.
10th October: Moi Day, celebrating the assignment of president Daniel Arap Moi.
20th October: Kenyatta Day, celebrating the imprisonment of Jomo Kenyatta after the Mau-Mau revolution.
12th December: Uhuru & Jamhuri Day, Independence and Republic day.
25th December: Christmas.
26th December: Boxing Day.

Useful telephones:
Police and ambulances: 999
Forecast Office: 822 245
Nairobi Automobile Association of Kenya: 720 382
Nairobi 26 778
Mombasa 2700
Eldoret 41 361
Kisumu 2314
Nakuru
Time information: 993
Calling abroad: 0196
Nairobi Airport - information: 822 111