Practical information
Currency & payment
Kenyan shillings (KES) is the national currency and since the exchange rate may vary a bit we suggest you use the currency converter on this page to the right, in order to get the exact exchange rate prior to departure. US Dollars are widely accepted though you should ensure that all US Dollar are newer than the year 2000. In the larger towns there are ATM machines to use anytime and in most bigger hotels and restaurants you can also use a Visa or Master card for payment. Tipping is voluntary, but a small tip (10%) is often very much appreciated. As in most countries around the world, exchanging currency on the black market can be risky. Travellers cheques are still a viable option, though cashing them in at a bank in Kenya can sometimes be a tedious affair.
Electricity
In most hotels and lodges there are 220 Volt outlets in the rooms or in the main buildings. Depending on which country you are from, a plug-in adaptor can come in handy, though if you are from Europe a simple screwdriver or small stick can do the “trick” converting the European two-legged plug to fit the Kenyan three legged power outlets. In some smaller lodges and in the countryside, gasoline powered generators are sometimes used to produce electricity and there may be some restrictions as to which time of the day (or night) electricity is available.
Photography
Since there is so many fantastic things to see and do in Kenya and so much beauty, bringing a camera along with you is something you will never regret. Actually I believe most people would regret NOT bringing a camera with them during their visit to pretty much anywhere in Africa, as people are fascinating, animals and birds too – and natural wonders are galore. Also the colors are so vivid and captivating – merely mirroring the many colorful cultures in Africa. Just think about the variety of people; bushmen, masai, turkana, mandingo, oromo, zulu, luo, kikuyu, kamba and many more and you will have a greater cultural variety than in most other places of the world.
Indian girl at Diani beach
Photographing people in Africa can be a bit tricky though and generally one shouldn’t photograph someone without having gotten the persons permission, which often demands a small fee. Even photographing someones personal belongings – his house or livestock can create an issue and especially in Northern Frontier District some tourists have been asked for quite large amounts of money to “compensate” the owner of eg. some camels. Therefore it is always advisable to ask someone before photographing them as it can be a sensitive matter. You might even be asked to compensate the person being photographed and many would ask somewhere between 20-200 KES to pose for your camera. When visiting some of the Masai communities, an agreement is often made with the villagers that every tourist pays between 20-30 USD and then they can take all the pictures they want without any problems. Photographing the wild animals in the national parks is much fun as well as a good challenge but costs a daily fee of 30-60 USD for admission to the parks. Though it is sometimes possible here to come very close to the animals, a camera with a tele lens or a telezoom will definitely be worth carrying along with you for maximum photo opportunities. In many hotels and lodges you will find film, CF-cards and some batteries readily available, but we strongly advice you to stack up on everything you need before departing your own country.
A man tries to negotiate the price at the entrance to the discoteque at Octopus Restaurant & Nightclub in Kisumu
Dangers and annoyances
Kenya is a safe and wonderful country to visit and you will be surprised over the hospitality and friendliness of the fellow kenyan. Like in any country there are crime and also one should keep in mind that Kenya is a developing country. At places where tourists visit, some locals can be quite persistent in offering their goods or services, and some might have some beautiful things for sale and a good deal to offer and you might make him or her able to feed their family for a week if you buy something. If you are not interested, a friendly but firm “no thank you” should be sufficient to let them know your intentions and since they are just trying to make a small profit, there is no need to get annoyed. Some bargaining is something you should allow yourself to get into, if not to make a purchase then for the fun of it because Kenyans love to bargain and they will definately try to make you smile while putting his sales arguments into the conversation. Obviously some might start out with a Mzungu price when they see some tourists and depending on the starting out price, the actual value of the item and your bargaining skills and style, you might end up paying maybe one tenth of the original price. In Nairobi some petty theft, street scams, muggings and even carjackings has been a quite serious problem and the city has by some been nicknamed “Nairobbery”. However, due to strict law enforcement and plain clothed police officers observing the streets especially the city centre of Nairobi has in recent years become quite safe. Yet some areas are not too safe so especially at night it is advisable to always ask for local advice on where it is safe to walk around and most often it is most advisable to just take a cab, even for a few hundred metres.
Towns like Nakuru, Kisumu and Mombasa sees less crime than the capital but a general rule when you travel is to always carefully look after your belongings especially when using public transportation. As an overall rule it is advisable to check up on the current travel information from the foreign ministry in your own country, prior to departure.
Mostly cloudy17°Creal feel: 19°Ccurrent pressure: 102 mbhumidity: 97%wind speed: 0 m/s Nwind gusts: 0 m/ssunrise: 6:28sunset: 18:31
Practical information
Currency & payment
Kenyan shillings (KES) is the national currency and since the exchange rate may vary a bit we suggest you use the currency converter on this page to the right, in order to get the exact exchange rate prior to departure. US Dollars are widely accepted though you should ensure that all US Dollar are newer than the year 2000. In the larger towns there are ATM machines to use anytime and in most bigger hotels and restaurants you can also use a Visa or Master card for payment. Tipping is voluntary, but a small tip (10%) is often very much appreciated. As in most countries around the world, exchanging currency on the black market can be risky. Travellers cheques are still a viable option, though cashing them in at a bank in Kenya can sometimes be a tedious affair.
Electricity
In most hotels and lodges there are 220 Volt outlets in the rooms or in the main buildings. Depending on which country you are from, a plug-in adaptor can come in handy, though if you are from Europe a simple screwdriver or small stick can do the “trick” converting the European two-legged plug to fit the Kenyan three legged power outlets. In some smaller lodges and in the countryside, gasoline powered generators are sometimes used to produce electricity and there may be some restrictions as to which time of the day (or night) electricity is available.
Photography
Since there is so many fantastic things to see and do in Kenya and so much beauty, bringing a camera along with you is something you will never regret. Actually I believe most people would regret NOT bringing a camera with them during their visit to pretty much anywhere in Africa, as people are fascinating, animals and birds too – and natural wonders are galore. Also the colors are so vivid and captivating – merely mirroring the many colorful cultures in Africa. Just think about the variety of people; bushmen, masai, turkana, mandingo, oromo, zulu, luo, kikuyu, kamba and many more and you will have a greater cultural variety than in most other places of the world.
Indian girl at Diani beach
Photographing people in Africa can be a bit tricky though and generally one shouldn’t photograph someone without having gotten the persons permission, which often demands a small fee. Even photographing someones personal belongings – his house or livestock can create an issue and especially in Northern Frontier District some tourists have been asked for quite large amounts of money to “compensate” the owner of eg. some camels. Therefore it is always advisable to ask someone before photographing them as it can be a sensitive matter. You might even be asked to compensate the person being photographed and many would ask somewhere between 20-200 KES to pose for your camera. When visiting some of the Masai communities, an agreement is often made with the villagers that every tourist pays between 20-30 USD and then they can take all the pictures they want without any problems. Photographing the wild animals in the national parks is much fun as well as a good challenge but costs a daily fee of 30-60 USD for admission to the parks. Though it is sometimes possible here to come very close to the animals, a camera with a tele lens or a telezoom will definitely be worth carrying along with you for maximum photo opportunities. In many hotels and lodges you will find film, CF-cards and some batteries readily available, but we strongly advice you to stack up on everything you need before departing your own country.
A man tries to negotiate the price at the entrance to the discoteque at Octopus Restaurant & Nightclub in Kisumu
Dangers and annoyances
Kenya is a safe and wonderful country to visit and you will be surprised over the hospitality and friendliness of the fellow kenyan. Like in any country there are crime and also one should keep in mind that Kenya is a developing country. At places where tourists visit, some locals can be quite persistent in offering their goods or services, and some might have some beautiful things for sale and a good deal to offer and you might make him or her able to feed their family for a week if you buy something. If you are not interested, a friendly but firm “no thank you” should be sufficient to let them know your intentions and since they are just trying to make a small profit, there is no need to get annoyed. Some bargaining is something you should allow yourself to get into, if not to make a purchase then for the fun of it because Kenyans love to bargain and they will definately try to make you smile while putting his sales arguments into the conversation. Obviously some might start out with a Mzungu price when they see some tourists and depending on the starting out price, the actual value of the item and your bargaining skills and style, you might end up paying maybe one tenth of the original price. In Nairobi some petty theft, street scams, muggings and even carjackings has been a quite serious problem and the city has by some been nicknamed “Nairobbery”. However, due to strict law enforcement and plain clothed police officers observing the streets especially the city centre of Nairobi has in recent years become quite safe. Yet some areas are not too safe so especially at night it is advisable to always ask for local advice on where it is safe to walk around and most often it is most advisable to just take a cab, even for a few hundred metres.
Towns like Nakuru, Kisumu and Mombasa sees less crime than the capital but a general rule when you travel is to always carefully look after your belongings especially when using public transportation. As an overall rule it is advisable to check up on the current travel information from the foreign ministry in your own country, prior to departure.