Kenya Camping Tours
Visas
All visitors to Kenya
are required to have
valid passports. Visas
are also required for
visitors who are not
citizens of the
commonwealth countries
in order to enter Kenya.
At present visitors from
Germany, Denmark,
Norway, San Marino,
Sweden, Ethiopia,
Eritrea, Finland, Spain,
Turkey and Uruguay do
not require visas.
However, since visa
requirements may change,
it is advisable for the
visitors to check the
current visa
requirements through
airlines, tour operators
or Kenya Tourist
Offices, Kenya Embassies
or High Commissions in
their countries before
coming, to avoid
embarrassment. Visas
normally take up to six
weeks to process and are
valid for up to a three
month period. Those
visitors with proper
documents and who also
possess onward or return
tickets may be given
visitor's passes free of
charge on arrival at any
Kenyan point of entry.
During the three months
period, the visitors'
pass holders are not
allowed to engage
themselves in any form
of work or business in
the country without
authority from the
Principal Immigration
officer. Visitors
without proper documents
will be required to pay
a refundable deposit of
Kshs. 5,000/= before
they are issued with
visitor passes.
Weather
Kenya enjoys a tropical
climate. It is hot and
humid at the coast,
temperate inland and
very dry in the north
and northeast parts of
the country.
The average annual
temperature for the
coastal town of Mombasa
(altitude 17 metres) is
30.30 Celsius maximum
and 22.40 Celsius
minimum, the capital
city, Nairobi (altitude
1,661 metres) 25.20
Celsius maximum and
13.60 Celsius minimum,
Eldoret (altitude 3,085)
23.60 Celsius maximum
and 9.50 Celsius
minimum, Lodwar
(altitude) 506 metres)
and the drier north
plainlands 34.80 Celsius
maximum and 23.70
Celsius minimum.
There is plenty of
sunshine all the year
round and summer clothes
are worn throughout the
year. However, it is
usually cool at night
and early in the
morning.
The long rains occur
from April to June and
short rains from October
to December. The
rainfall is sometimes
heavy and when it does
come it often falls in
the afternoons and
evenings. The hottest
period is from February
to March and coldest in
July to August.
The annual migration of
wildlife between
Serengeti National Park
in Tanzania and Maasai
Mara National Park in
Kenya takes place
between June and
September. The migration
of almost two million
wildebeest, zebras and
other species is
nature's greatest
spectacle on earth. The
animal trek has been
captured by filmmakers
worldwide.
Useful Tips
Baggage
Baggage space on safari
is restricted to one
medium suitcase or
holdall per person, plus
hand baggage (private
safaris where there are
less than 7 persons in
the vehicle are not
subject to this
restriction). Visitors
to Treetops and the Ark
are asked to take
overnight bags only;
suitcases can be left at
the base hotel. Hotels
will normally store
baggage at no extra
cost. Baggage can also
be stored at Alefran
Tours & Safaris offices.
A baggage weight
restriction of 15 kg per
person applies on air
safaris. Where very
small aircraft are used
this maybe reduced to
10kg.
Currency
Hard currencies can be
exchanged in cash or
travellers cheques at
banks all over the
country, at forex
bureaus in Nairobi and
at most large hotels. US
Dollars and Sterling
Pounds are most
acceptable and will
cause the least delay.
As a norm, always ask
what commission and
charges will be deducted
first and prior to
transaction. Banks are
usually open from 9.00
am to 3.00 pm, Mondays
through Fridays and from
9.00 am and 11.00 am on
Saturdays.
Credit Cards
VISA, MASTERCARD and
AMERICAN EXPRESS are
widely accepted for
tourist services.
There's usually a 5%
mark-up on top of the
price as establishments
are charged a fixed
percentage of their
transactions.
Health
Since rules concerning
disease prevention
change from time to
time, a check should be
made with the nearest
Kenyan High Commission,
Kenya Tourist Office or
any airline flying
scheduled services into
Kenya. Malaria is
endemic to most parts of
Kenya and intending
visitors should start
taking anti-malarial
tablets before departure
and continue taking them
for the prescribed time
after their return.
Insect repellents should
be made use of after
dusk and suitable cover
up clothes should be
worn in the evenings.
Flying Doctors Society
Membership of the Flying
Doctors Society is
strongly recommended. In
event of accident or
sickness while on
safari, the society will
fly patients by air
ambulance to Nairobi for
admittance to hospital.
The current cost for
1-month membership is
US$ 25 per person.
Drinking Water
Drinking water from the
tap must be considered
risky. Hotels and lodges
usually furnish safe
water in a thermos flask
in guest rooms. Bottled
mineral water is
available in every hotel
and supermarket.
Security
Normal precautions as in
any other destination
world-wide should be
taken. Visitors are
advised not to leave
cash and valuables in
their hotel rooms but to
make use of safe deposit
boxes and safes. One
should never carry large
sums in cash and women
should keep a tight grip
on handbags in crowds or
busy streets. Jewellery
snatching is quite
common in city streets.
As in all major cities
walking alone or in
small groups at night
should be considered a
hazard and avoided.
Reliable taxis are
available at all the
principal hotels. Taking
photographs at airports,
near military
installations, of
policeman, the
president, the national
flag, the State House,
state lodges, soldiers,
prisons and prisoners
etc., is prohibited.
Before photographing
local people, permission
should be obtained and a
fixed price agreed. Seek
the assistance of your
driver/guide in this
matter.
Voltage
Both mains electricity
and generated supply in
lodges provide 240 volts
AC 50 cycles. Most large
hotels and some game
lodges provide shaving
points with 110v 50
cycles. Sockets are
normally three pin and
of the 'square' variety.
Tipping and Pooterage
Although hotels and
lodges include a service
charge, it is customary
to tip porters, waiters,
taxi drivers and safari
drivers/guides.
Language
Kiswahili is the lingua
franca while English is
the official language.
In addition, most tribes
have their own language.
Post and Telephones
Keeping in touch by mail
and telephone is
generally easy. Direct
overseas dialling is
possible from major
centers and increasingly
from remote places such
as game lodges. Call
home bureaus are in
plenty in Nairobi as are
the Cyber café for
e-mail and Internet
access.
Arrivals and Departures
Kenya has two main ports
of entry by air: Jomo
Kenyatta International
Airport, Nairobi.
Located 16 km from the
city center. Moi
International Airport,
Mombasa. Located 12 km
from the town center.
Mombasa is the main port
of entry by sea.
Airport Departure Tax
International Airport
departure tax equivalent
to US$ 40 per person is
payable on departure
from the International
airports. A local
airport service charge
is also payable on
departure for domestic
flights. As this varies
from country to country,
please check with us on
the prevailing amounts
payable prior to your
flight departure.
Opening and Shopping
Hours
Major stores, tourist
services, offices and
museums open from 8.00
am to 5.00 PM in large
towns though offices
often break for lunch.
In rural areas and out
in the bush small shops
can be open at almost
any hour. Souvenirs to
take back home can
include wood and soap
stone sculptures and
carvings, ciondos (sisal
baskets), beadwork and
tribal regalia, masks,
textiles and gemstones
set in unique jewellery
pieces.
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Camping Safari
Close
your eyes, and for a moment feel your body
lift up, with you having no control over it,
and there is a certain part of you, inside
you, saying to yourself, I am crazy for
taking this balloon safari. This is what
most people feel, when the excitement of a
Masai Mara balloon safari crosses one's
emotion of self-control and independence.
is Africa's highest
peak. It is the world's tallest walkable mountain,
and what a walk it is. You go through 5 different
climatic zones to reach the summit.
