16 Things To Know Before Your First Visit To Kenya

Kenya is an East African nation that straddles the equator and is roughly the scale of France. The land has a number of distinct zones, together with semi-desert, savannah, moorland, wetlands, and rainforests. In these habitats stay over 25,000 species of animals, 1,000 species of birds, and seven,000 species of crops and timber. As such, Kenya is a well-liked vacation spot for an African Safari searching for the “Massive 5”: Cape buffalo, black rhinos, leopards, lions, and elephants.

Not too long ago, I spent two weeks in Kenya. The primary week, I lived with a household in Nairobi, and the second week, I went on a six-day safari.

In your first journey to Kenya, there are some “essential issues to know” and a few “good issues to know.” From a ban on single-use plastics to the place not to take images, listed here are the 11 essential issues to know earlier than your first journey to Kenya adopted by the 5 which are good to know.

1. Kenya Requires A Visa

Apply in your visa no less than 30 days upfront of your journey. The appliance is out there online and is kind of detailed. For instance, you want addresses, telephone numbers, and web sites for all of your lodging. You additionally want to supply a journey itinerary, proof of a return air ticket, and a current shade {photograph}. Kenya’s visa is legitimate for 3 months from the date of problem.

Examine your passport to make certain it’s legitimate for no less than 6 months after your journey. Kenya requires no less than one clear web page in your passport.

I additionally registered with the U.S. State Division journey website. Whereas in Kenya, I acquired a notification of a deliberate demonstration the following day. We selected to keep away from that space.

2. Kenya Has A Ban On Single-Use Plastics

Kenya has been a frontrunner on the environmental problem of banning single-use plastics. Prohibited objects embrace plastic baggage, water bottles, and straws. Arriving on the Jomo Kenyatta Worldwide Airport, your baggage is x-rayed and probably hand-searched. You might be fined when you have any single-use plastics. I like to recommend you buy handy reusable mesh baggage for packing.

2. Rigorously Examine Your Safari Itinerary

Our 6-day safari included 4 parks: Amboseli, Aberdare, Lake Nakuru, and Masai Mara. That’s far an excessive amount of driving — there have been a number of days once we had been within the automobile for six to eight hours simply to achieve one of many parks. I like to recommend on a 6-day safari to go to two parks and keep at every for two to three days. Of the 4 that we visited, I like to recommend two. These are the locations we noticed probably the most animals. My first suggestion is Sarova Mara Game Camp at Masai Mara Sport Reserve. The positioning has 73 tents, a restaurant, a spacious bar and lounge, a swimming pool, and an excellent reward store. The meals is fabulous! My second suggestion is The Ark at Aberdare National Park, which overlooks a waterhole and salt lick. This location, after all, attracts a lot wildlife to the realm. The Ark has 4 viewing areas and a number of other lounges for supreme viewing alternatives. If you want, the evening guard will announce sightings of bizarre animals. 

Professional Tip: Elements of the street from Lake Nakuru to Masai Mara Nationwide Reserve are brutal! I’d by no means journey that street once more. In locations, the street was non-existent, accessible solely by four-wheel drive. We had been stopped 3 times by a makeshift roadblock and paid a payment to proceed. In different elements, the roadway was beneath development, and we traveled on filth roads alongside. Though the temperature was sweltering within the automobile, we couldn’t open any home windows due to the mud. It was not a pleasing journey! I like to recommend flying from Nairobi to Masai Mara. 

4. Plan For Your Vaccinations And Anti-Malaria Tablets

8 weeks upfront of your departure, verify along with your well being care supplier for suggestions for vaccines. My supplier really useful six vaccinations primarily based on my age and vacation spot. Three vaccinations had been particular to Kenya: typhoid fever, yellow fever, and meningitis.

I used to be additionally given a prescription for anti-malaria drugs to start taking a day earlier than getting into the nation and proceed for two weeks after leaving.

5. Greatest Instances To Go to Kenya On Safari

Kenya has such a variety of crops and wildlife partly attributable to the truth that there are two wet seasons yearly. Though safaris are provided year-round, recreation viewing is greatest within the dry winter months from June by way of August and within the heat months of September by way of mid-November. “Brief rains” start on the finish of November. Through the “Lengthy Rains” of March to Could, some roads could also be impassable.

6. Plan For Safety In opposition to Bugs

It could be greatest if you happen to deliberate to cope with bugs and bugs. Convey insect repellant and use it usually. At evening, all the time use the netting round your mattress. A number of of my associates additionally bought mosquito jackets.  

It is usually really useful that you simply put on lengthy sleeves and lengthy pants for defense in opposition to mosquitoes.

7. Security Tip On Safari

One necessary tip is rarely to depart the safari automobile except you could have armed guards. In case your hat flies away within the open automobile, kiss the hat goodbye. For that purpose, make sure that your sunhat has an adjustable drawstring to maintain it in your head.

8. The place Not To Take Pictures

Do not take any images of presidency or navy buildings. As a minimum, you could have your digital camera confiscated, and you can be detained and questioned.

9. You Would possibly Want Transportable Energy Supply For Medical Tools

One of many safari camps we stayed at shut off all energy for 4-6 hours each evening. Every tent had a transportable flashlight, however energy might be crucial for medical tools similar to a CPAP machine. You may take into account bringing a transportable battery.

10. Pack Gentle & Plan Your Clothes

The safari automobiles have little or no house for baggage, and there’ll most likely be six to eight different passengers within the automobile. Convey a weekend bag or carry-on for the safari. In case you are extending your journey, verify with the safari firm to safe your bigger baggage for you.

It’s best to decide on clothes constituted of pure fibers similar to cotton or linen. Keep away from clothes constituted of artificial material as they don’t “breathe,” and you may be uncomfortably sizzling and sticky. It is usually prompt that you simply put on muted colours or khaki colours as they’re much less disturbing to the animals. Convey a collapsable massive brim hat, sunscreen, and collapsable water bottles. Plan for day-time clothes and night-time clothes. After a protracted day on safari, as soon as you come back to the lodge or camp, it’s refreshing to have recent clothes to alter into. Early morning safaris might be chilly, so it’s best to decorate in layers.

11. Convey Face Masks For Mud

Convey a provide of face masks. The dusty roads and trails will make a face masks a necessity at occasions. The mud may be tough for contact lens wearers, so take into account bringing alongside glasses.

Listed below are 5 extra recommendations for “good issues to know” earlier than your first journey to Kenya.

12. Convey A Good Pair Of Binoculars

Some safari corporations present just a few binoculars for folk to share. There have been none on my safari. I additionally choose to have my very own tools.

13. Convey An Animal Guidebook For Reference

I like to recommend Wildlife Of East Africa by M.B. Withers and D. Hosking. It was nice enjoyable every night to trace all of the animals and birds that we had seen.

14. Arriving By Air

I flew by way of London and spent 3 days there to interrupt up the lengthy flight. I selected to fly the nationwide provider Kenya Airways. Though the worldwide airport, Jomo Kenyatta Worldwide, is a mere 9 miles from Nairobi, site visitors within the metropolis might be backed up for miles. You’ll want to depart loads of time to achieve your vacation spot.

Additionally, observe that there is no such thing as a ready contained in the airport in your arrival. All “paths” result in one route, which places you instantly exterior. Quite than inconvenience my hosts with my early 5 a.m. arrival, I had deliberate to go to a restaurant for breakfast. I ended up ready exterior for two hours. Fortunately, it was not raining!

15. Forex

The forex in Kenya is the Kenyan shilling. One shilling equals 100 Kenyan cents. Banks and bureaux de change are plentiful and simple to find. Your lodge, lodge, or camp could change cash; nevertheless, the speed might not be the most effective. 

16. Journey Insurance coverage

I all the time have insurance coverage at any time when I journey. I buy a yearly plan which is cheaper than separate insurance policies for every journey. I search for a coverage that covers well being necessities and, in case of emergency, medical transportation again dwelling. 

The medical system in Kenya is excellent! I needed to see a health care provider in Nairobi and was stunned to be taught that each pharmacy has a health care provider on employees. The price of my physician session and two prescriptions was 650 shillings (roughly $7)!

A wildlife safari in Kenya is an unbelievable expertise. We did see the “Massive 5” in addition to baboons, monkeys, cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, ostriches, hippos, blue monkeys, hyenas, and gazelles. It was a implausible expertise! I hope these recommendations will assist to make your expertise a beautiful reminiscence.