Kenya: Travel
Tips
Visas, Health,
Safety and Weather
Travel to Kenya
and experience one of Africa's best travel destinations. Kenya
offers fantastic safaris for all budgets, a beautiful
coastline, unique cultures and much more. This article covers
your basic travel information for Kenya including visas,
health, safety, weather.
Visas
US passport
holders need a visa to enter Kenya, but they can get it at the
airport or border crossing when they arrive in Kenya. If you
want to plan ahead then you can apply for a visa in the US.
Details and forms can be found on the
Kenyan Embassy web site. Nationals from Commonwealth
countries (including Canada and the UK) do not need a visa.
Tourist visas are valid for 30 days. For up to date
information see the
Kenyan
Embassy web site.
A single-entry
visa costs USD50 and a multiple entry visa USD100. If you are
planning on visiting just Kenya, then a single-entry is
all you need. If your plans include crossing over to Tanzania
to climb Mount Kilimanjaro or visit the Serengeti, then you'll
need a multiple-entry visa if you wish to re-enter Kenya
again.
Health and
Immunizations
Immunizations
No
immunizations are required by law to enter Kenya if you are
traveling directly from Europe or the US. If you are traveling
from a country where Yellow Fever is present you will need to
prove you have had the inoculation.
Several
vaccinations are highly recommended, they include:
-
Yellow Fever
-
Typhoid
-
Hepatitis A
-
Diptheria
It is also
recommended that you are up to date with your polio and
tetanus vaccinations. Contact a travel clinic at least 3
months before you plan to travel.
Malaria
There's a risk
of catching malaria pretty much everywhere you travel in
Kenya. The highlands used to be a low-risk area, but even
there you have to be careful and take precautions. Kenya is
home to the chloroquine-resistant strain of malaria as well as
several others. Make sure your doctor or travel clinic knows
you are traveling to Kenya (don't just say Africa) so s/he can
prescribe the right anti-malarial medication.
Safety
In general
people are extremely friendly in Kenya and you will be humbled
by their hospitality. But, there is real poverty in Kenya and
you will soon realize that you are far richer and more
fortunate than most local people you meet. You will probably
attract your fair share of souvenir hawkers and beggars, but
try and take the time to meet ordinary people going about
their day to day business too. The experience will be worth
it. Don't be afraid to step out of that tour bus, just take
some precautions.
Basic Safety
Rules for Travelers to Kenya
-
Make a copy
of your passport and keep it in your luggage.
-
Don't walk
on your own at night in the major cities or on empty
beaches.
-
Don't wear
jewelry.
-
Don't carry
too much cash with you.
-
Wear a money
belt that fits under your clothes.
-
Don't carry
a lot of camera equipment especially in the major cities.
-
Beware of
thieves posing as police officers.
Roads
Roads in Kenya
aren't very good. Potholes, road blocks, goats and people tend
to get in the way of vehicles. Avoid driving a car or riding a
bus at night because potholes are difficult to see and so are
other vehicles especially when they are missing their
headlights, a fairly common occurrence. If you are renting a
car, keep the doors and windows locked while driving in the
major cities. Car-jacking occur fairly regularly but may not
end in violence as long as you comply with demands made.
Terrorism
In 1998 an
attack on the US Embassy in Nairobi left 243 people dead and
over a 1000 injured. In November 2002 a car bomb exploded,
killing 15 people outside of a hotel near Mombasa. Both
attacks are thought to have been caused by Al-Qaeda. While
these are scary statistics you can still go and enjoy your
safari or the beach in Mombasa. After all, tourists haven't
stopped going to New York city and security has improved in
Kenya since 2002. For more information on terrorism check with
your Foreign Office or Department of State for the latest
warnings and developments.
When to Go
There are two
rainy seasons in Kenya. A short rainy season in November and a
longer one that usually lasts from the end of March in to May.
It doesn't necessarily get cold, but the roads can become
impassable.
If you wish to
plan your trip around the annual migration of the wildebeest
you should go between the end of July - September.
