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GENERAL INFORMATION KENYA

Welcome to exotic Kenya, the land of discovery whose unsurpassed attractions have Royalty, Presidents, Celebrities and millions other holiday makers. With its superb network of well managed National Park, Game Reserves, Marine Park, Biosphere Reserves, Archaeological sites, awe striking scenic beauty, pearly white sandy beaches along coral reef sheltered waters, green palms swaying with the breeze, sparkling cocktails and sumptuous international cuisine, Kenya is, indeed, the ultimate dream destination.

Kenya offers some of the finest natural attraction in the world, which combined with a network of the outstanding hotels and game lodges give visitor’s great value for money. In terms of the sights, sounds and smells of ageless Africa, Kenya can only be described in the superlative. Kenya caters for all tastes.

You do not have to be an ornithologist to be fascinated and stunned by Kenya’s one thousand odd species of birdlife; you do not have to be a palaeonthologist to go down memory lane and appreciate Kenya’s archaelogical past; you donut have to be a professional diver to appreciate the dazzling wealth of marine life scurrying around the coral reef, neither do you have to be an entomologist to be enthralled by the huge colonies of colourful and rare butterflies that can be seen in the gardens, forests and even in the country’s semi-arid and arid deserts to the North.

Kenya’s prolific and well conserved wildlife is unparallalled anywhere else in the world. This is a land where the world’s remaining populations of big cats, big mammals and plains game still roam free in their natural habitats. Your Kenya safari will be full of cameos that you will treasure for the rest of your life. You will not be the only one because many a visitor who set out to tour other destinations in African as well, begin their safari of discovery in Kenya and end it in Kenya. After all, safari was born in Kenya

Climate
The variation in altitude and terrain creates contracts in climate. The coast is hot and often humid. Mornings in the central Highlands can be cool while in the North and North East, the days are dry and very hot. In the areas most frequented by visitors on safari, the weather is ideal as it is neither too hot nor too cool. Due to Kenya’s location on the equator, there are almost equal nights and days all year around. The sun rises between 5.45-6.15 a.m and sets at 6.30-7.00 p.m.

From November till April the sun can be very hot especially in Mombasa where the temperature can reach as much as 35 degree. Stay out of the sun at noon hours to avoid serious sunburns!Drink as much as you can but you should at least take a min of 2 liters of water, juices, tea, etc.

There are two rainy seasons which interrupts Kenya’s otherwise unbroken sunny weather. The short rains occur from late October through November and the long rains from late March through to early June. Rain usually falls in the late afternoon. Dry periods occur during the rainy seasons and sunny spells are often experienced even on rainy days.

July and August are the coolest months and the days are often overcasts especially in the mornings. The rains do not interfere with safaris since very few tourist roads become impassible. The Parks are fresh and green with fewer people and vehicles.

The low seasons are April May and November.

Visa
Most tourists can obtain a visa at arrival. You pay 50 usd for three months. You can check on the website of www.kenya-airways.com if you need a visa upon arrival or before entering the country.

Money
The currency in Kenya is Kenya shilling. But you can pay also in $ or € . Small amounts you can pay in Kenya Shilling. At the ATM's at the Barclays Bank it is possible to collect money with your maestro cards and visa cards. Hotels and lodges also accept payments with credit card.

Vaccins
It is wise to ask your doctor for advice. Recommended are vaccins against Hepatitis, Typhoid,Diphtheria
Tetanus,Polio,Measles,Mumps,Rubella, and tablets for Malaria. It is highly recommended to protect yourself from mosquito bites by using mosquito repellent cream.

Hospitals
In Mombasa and Nairobi there are some good hospitals like Aga Khan, Nairobi Hospital, Kenyatta National Hospital, in Mombasa Aga Khan, Pandya Hospital and Coast General Hospital. Once you are in need to visit a doctor check if your health insurance covers the expenses.
In Nyali there is a good clinic as well open for 24 hours the AAR.

Flying Docs
You can pay for one month membership which will give you the service of air service when you need to be transfered to a nearby hospital in case of any emergency. A membership only cost 25 usd per month

Restaurants and food.
There are many good recommended restaurants in Kenya. Here we mention the ones in the tourist area: Nyali Misono Japanese restaurant, Tamarind in Nyali, La Marina in Mtwapa, Moorings in Mtwapa. Carnivore in Nairobi.The hotels and lodges serve good food mostly buffet. It is not recommended to eat in the kiosk in the streets

Train from Nairobi to Mombasa.
On Mon-wed-fridays the train is leaving Nairobi at 19.00 to arrive in Mombasa at 08.30 am scheduled time.On tues-thurs-saturday the train leaves Mombasa at 19.00 to arrive in Nairobi at 08.30 am scheduled time. Train often delays and sometimes even hours. Keep that in mind and bring enough drinks with you.