Would you take your dc's to Kenya?

[Realitea]

Dh suddenly "has" to go there and is quite annoyed that I don't want to go (I'm a worrier) I've read that it's not safe but I don't know.. would love some knowledge of the place.
We have two dc's one who is quite young.

I wish my dh had that sense too.
I'm thinking he could go with a friend if it's that important but...we're not that well off and all that hard saved money would be gone. So there would be no way of making it up to me and the dc's. Even if we did have a cheap holiday aswell I'd be thinking we could've had an even better holiday if he hadn't gone to Kenya!

Yes I guess it is expensive even for one person to go. Can you play for time and say maybe another year if things settle down in the world?!

What about Botswana? I'm incredibly paranoid about foreign travel but even I would give Botswana a go.

Is Botswana safe? Do you need malaria jabs though?

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/botswana

If the first thing they warn you about is livestock on the road then it's pretty safe.
By contrast this is Kenya
www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/kenya
Not sure about malaria tablets - depends on area and time of year.

Botswana is very pricey - easily the most expensive African country for safaris. You would need malaria tablets (it's not a jab) for parts of the country. Have a look at South Africa or Namibia, perhaps, which are cheaper (though still it exactly cheap) and have malaria-free areas.

Go to Tanzania maybe instead ? Stunning place.

I was thinking Tanzania I have a friend who lived there and it sounds nice. Would still rather go to Spain for two weeks instead though.

Hi op
Been to Kenya Nairobi & Mombasa on holiday a safari near Tanzania a few years back now, beautiful beautiful country but not a trip for the faint hearted or kids Id say.

We chose 5 star hotel thinking it would be better for our dc's and family especially as my dc is disabled & has health issues and diabeties.

It was about 5 days in & I begged the tour operator to get me flight as this beautiful hotel had food that you wouldn't want to feed your dog, the rooms were infested with flea's & bugs and running water was often off or black.
If it was just us no kids Id say YEH we'd have felt different got around it as it was certainly an eye opener and educationally it was amazing to see but sadly it's just far too dangerous I feel, the day after we returned home war broke out & what we saw on tv was no surprise but so so scarey. The Red Cross funnily enough were there in there droves and I stupidly didn't think nothing of it.

We had family members poorly and needed to go to Mombasa to collect meds, we were taken with armed guards. The driver drove up to the door of each place so when the door opened only my hubbi could enter shop the door was blocked by van for his safety.
A group of really little children came running to the window and started singing dancing and my heart melted so like a fool I wanted to get out and give them some sweets & money but the driver flipped no no no!
Because they would have only gone to sniff glue with it or they try to steal as there so addicted. Op they were 4-5years old up ever alley way the driver pointed them out.
I couldnot believe it.

Even visiting the shop there were gangs in jeeps flashing big big guns like its the norm not police just lads in there 20's.
It's sad it really is as the people are so kind, Safari was beautiful but not enough for the rest of the trip.
You can't go on the beach for the beggers and I found saying no to them horrible as you want to help but it's not that easy!

P.s that's just my experience, you may find it different, but Id really say think carefully, try Thailand it's amazing my kids love it, depends if your hubbi just thinking safari though!
Good luck

Zorra - We did Tsavo East, Tsavo West and Amboselli. This was back in 1998 though (honeymoon) so not in the 10 years that you've been going.

I forgot to mention that on the taxi ride from the airstrip to the resort where we spent a few days before starting the safari, we encountered an armed police (maybe military?) roadblock. We couldn't understand what was being said to our driver, but we could see the official repeatedly pointing at us, and the taxi driver vigorously shaking his head in response.

Eventually we were allowed to pass and dh asked him what that'd been about. Apparently they were checking the vehicles for teachers! If we'd been teachers, we'd have been arrested, because some of them had gone on strike and that was illegal. We asked the driver why they were on strike... He said that the government hadn't been paying them for the previous 6 months, I think it was? Definitely many months, anyway. So they were expected to work without pay and if they stopped teaching, they'd be arrested!

However, while that was what the driver definitely told us, I'm obviously more naturally skeptical now, so I googled it :

"In October 1998, the teachers were on the streets again, protesting government refusal to implement pay raises awarded by a presidential committee the previous year."

Not quite the same thing as not being paid at all...

No I wouldn't. We had a fabulous honeymoon in Tanzania (safari on the border with Kenya) but it just wasn't a kids thing to do at all. Even if you take out the possible terrorism etc the holiday itself is a long flight, followed by expensive internal flights (we flew over 2 plane wrecks during 3 internal flights) or treacherous road trips to get to your safari. I couldn't get my head around the time it took us to travel around - The first place we visited was 5 days drive to the nearest town. You have to take anti malarial tablets. You might spend hours trying to find wildlife (no way my kids would be patient enough, they're bad enough at a safari park😂) and if you are ill the healthcare is patchy to say the least!
It was an amazing experience as a couple but I would hate to take children. - I would be incredibly stressed in case something happened and I don't believe they would enjoy it enough to take those risks.

No I wouldn't.
I got married in Kenya in 1998. We had armed guards in the safari vehicles back then and were warned it to wear jewellery etc. There was a bombing in Nairobi whilst we were there. It is likely to be more dangerous nowadays.
We'd have loved to take Dd there, show her where we got married and honeymooned but I am not prepared to do it now. I'm not taking the risk. Dd is a teen now but till not happy to do it.

I lived in Kenya. I wouldnt take young children on safari there. It is really better to go over the age of 10: the driving is bumpy, long and arduous.
And the coast is too dangerous now. We went three years ago, and narrowly missed a bomb at a restaurant used mainly by the staff at the nearby hotels. It never even made the news in the UK. I felt like a real idiot for having risked it.

Go to Tanzania. Much safer. And you can get your beach fix in Zanzibar.

The youngest is 6

I travelled solo 3 months around Kenya before the shit hit the fan, thanks Somalia and was on a safari with a couple and their 6-year-old. He was amazing and absolutely loved it.

Dh wants to go to Mombasa but said Nairobi would be a 'compromise' hmm

We have strong family connections in Kenya on my husbands side and we visit often. We go to Mombassa where my FIL's shop is still run by his grandchildren. Two of my children were married there. We also have strong connections with mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. They also figure highly in our travels. I would not take young children to Mombassa for the simple fact there's nothing for them to do there, there's not really anything for adults either but we see family when there so we're kept busy. My lot are doing a big drive taking in Nairobi, Tanzania and Mombassa later this year and they've only scheduled 3 days in Mombassa.

Nairobi theres not much to do there either if you use it as a base for a fortnights holiday. Its really where you pass through on the way to a Safari.

Is it dangerous? Im going to Nairobi for the Derby in a few months and Im not scared, however the friend Im visiting is spending less and less time in Nairobi after living there for 40 years and now spends it here with us or in Europe.

Mombassa? I dont feel sacred there either but we are very much immersed in the local scene so perhaps it's different for us. I really dont know.

Tanzania is fine.

Do I think you'd have a great holiday? Im not so sure because even a Safari with children can be hard going as you're really just going out on drives early in the morning and just before dusk. The hours in between can be difficult to fill.

Zanzibar? Yes, without any hesitation. Its lovely and a family holiday is very much do-able but I get the feeling it wouldn't be the African Adventure you're husband has romanticised to himself.

Oh, sorry, if you do decide to go ahead with this be prepared to see European men and women in the hotel in Mombassa with young prostitutes. I found it really upsetting the first and only time we stayed in a hotel and I took it up with the manager who thought I was bonkers. I just couldn't understand why he could condone youngsters being abused by wealthy tourists. It was all done so openly and I don't blame the youngster at all because the poverty is awful. There were men and women in their 70's with young girls and boys of about 16 or so. I got into quite a few arguments.

In this respect the coast is like Thailand.

Well this has sealed my decision not to go. Dh seriously needs to research as it's not the dream he's imagining

That ferry is terrifying! I've read loads of people have died in the last few years on those

We have been to Kenya three times. But that was about 12 years ago and it was safer then. I would't take the DC (and we are adventurous with holidays - off to cambodia this year!)

We went to South Africa (Madikwe) last year. It was amazing - flight straight into Johannesburg and straight out again (you wouldn't want to hang around) on a private flight up to madikwe practically at the gates of the lodge. Madikwe safari lodge - I would highly recommend it. That area is non malarial so no jabs required whatsoever. South Africa is much better for safari than Kenya anyway particularly if youre looking at mombassa and so presumably just a short safari to Tsavo.

I'm surprised about the comments about safari with children. You "fill the time" in between eating, lazing around the pool etc in the same way you would any holiday.