Top Tips for Kenya please.

[palomapear]

We have been lucky enough to book a safari to Kenya for July. First trip to Africa
Please can I have tips and advice from anyone who has been there.

I'm starting with the NHS website for travel jabs.
Thanks

Those four are just perfect! Great choices.

Hey OP,

I’m a Brit who’s been living in Kenya for the past 5 years. It’s a wonderful country and Laikipia and Samburu are my two favourite regions.
Practical things I would agree with above to enquire about vaccinations ASAP. Also a note about malaria tablets they can give people upset tummies so pack some Imodium particularly for the drives as service stations aren’t a thing here.
Clothing I regularly wear white but above poster is right in that is does get really dusty on safari. Light loose layers are key particularly as July is arguably the coldest month. Also a jumper or fleece for morning and evenings.
Kenya is a very casual country particularly in safari lodges so unless their websites state otherwise I wouldn’t worry about looking fancy or bringing expensive clothes.
Try and spend a night in Nairobi if possible it’s a vibrant city with plenty to see and some excellent restaurants.
Money: in Nairobi most places will take card and I imagine most lodges will to however cash is always very useful particularly for small transactions as card machines can be very slow outside of the city. Most people use a phone based system called mpesa but for a two week stay it’d be a faff to try and set up. Tipping is common it would be standard to tip your driver at the end of your stay and the hotel maids etc. I’ve never found it expected though and any tip has always been greatfully recieved. However please don’t give money to begging children this is a particular problem at the coast if you’re going there but giving cash to begging children simply encourages them to skip school to beg (a lot more complex than that obviously but that’s the
Jist)
Also on the note of money if at a market or people selling carvings bear parks etc do haggle, Kenyans know full well tourists will pay over the odds are happy to take advantage of this. If you can learn even a small amount of Swahili before you go you’ll find the prices of Jewlery, material, carvings etc suddenly drops
It’s a lovely country with fabulous people, scenery and wildlife.

Thanks @Yourinacultcallyourdad Very helpful
We have had some vaccines on the NHS but have been advised to get Yellow Fever privately and also cholera prevention tablets. There's a question mark if we need rabies jabs too.

I'm going to have to get some new clothes as I have been told black and blue attract the tetse fly and bright colours scare animals away.

We have bought a Swahili phrase book. DS 18 loves languages and he's super friendly.

We are having a full day in Nairobi before we set off. We have planned to go to Karen Blixens house and see the elephant orphanage.

I'm just going to see if I can buy Out Of Africa on DVD!

Happy for any more top tips or just to read about other people's experiences

Really appreciate all the input from everyone so far.

Thank you for all the tips. We’re going in July as well. We’ve started on the vaccinations and bought the malaria tablets. The total cost is quite astronomical. We decided to take up the rabies vaccination as well.

@LadyWithLapdog whereabouts and when are you going? Please post any tips you have picked up on here too!

We’re going to the Sheldrick elephant centre (the book by the woman who set it up is very good), flying out to Masai Mara for four days, then beach for a week.

If you are going to a controlled national park or private concession, you don’t need to worry about rabies jabs. We have never had them. However there are stray dogs around in towns and beach resorts so this might pose a problem if you wander around a lot. It’s a fairly unlikely scenario though. Sadly the NHS charges for jabs and tablets and it really mounts up for a family.

Although posters disagreed with me on another thread it is best to wear neutral colours in the safari vehicles. Aside from the dust, khaki variants work better in terms of blending in and are easy to buy.

Thanks Bubbles I wasn't 100% convinced about rabies. Although apparently it's a life long protection. Im undecided.

I'm eyeing up some khaki joggers at Next as they have cuffs at the ankle. What I lose in style I gain in less creepy crawlies going up my leg.

The rabies jabs are expensive but I understand they buy you a bit of time till you can get help so we decided to have them done. I don’t think they should be free on the NHS for what is a non-essential leisure activity abroad.

I can't even find somewhere near me to get the yellow fever jabs!
I have 2 pharmacies calling me back.
But I agree, no one is forcing me to Kenya so I need to absorb the extra costs in the same way as sun cream and insect repellent

I do know jabs are expensive and the BHS used to do them. They put people back together who fall off horses for free!

However, look at private clinics for travel jabs. Or does your GP provide them at a charge? Ours does but the wait time is around 8 weeks and you need them a certain time before you go.

Joggers might be a bit hot. Try chinos and socks. You won’t get creepy crawlers. Shorts in the day but it can be cold in the mornings.

BHS??? NHS!

The elephant orphanage is wonderful one of my favourite places. If you’re particularly keen on animals you can adopt one then you get to go in the evening when they’re off to bed and theirs no crowds. Allows for a lot more interaction but obviously more expensive. Also in the same sort of area is the giraffe centre which is a must do, and if you’ve any time left the kazuri bead factory is lovely way to fill an hour. Joggers will probably be to hot even in July, chinos or even paler coloured jegging type trousers would be a better option. You’re right about the blue attracting tste flies I’ve many times regretted jeans those buggers hurt! I do often wear bright clothes though and have seen many animals. Also probably unlikely to get creepy crawlies up your legs.
Rabies vaccine is entirely down to choice, the chances are unless you’re going to stop and let stray dogs or attempt to tame a monkey you’ll be fine. Cholera I have never bothered with as it’s easily avoidable by having certain standards when it comes to choosing places to eat etc although theirs currently an outbreak in some parts of Nairobi so I may reconsider that. Yellow fever is available in large boots stores if you’re near one. That I would get as it can be a requirement if you want to go to certain countries and they see you’ve been in a yellow fever zone. Malaria tablets can also be bought from online pharmacies and depending on the type you’re taking can be picked up very easily here, not sure if that’d work as I forget how long before/after you’re supposed to take them.
Sun cream is a must even if it’s cloudy particularly in Laikipia which is right on the equator.
Happy to answer any more questions you may have.

Also for beach visiting, depending on which part of the coast you’re going to water shoes can be very useful. Not at all stylish but mean you can walk out to reefs and rock pools to admire the starfish without worrying about sea urchins

Please may I ask about road safety in Kenya. I will be staying with friends who live in Nanyuki, and they enjoy horrifying me with scare stories about the drive from Nairobi to Nanyuki.
Should I take a booster seat for my 7 year old. Can I trust that the taxi will be in reasonable repair, with a sober driver, and working seatbelts.
Are Kenyan roads really a deathtrap? Or are my friends teasing me?

I was reading that there’s an outbreak of cholera in Nairobi Hospital 😦

How reliable is wi-fi? We’re travelling with teenagers. Not too reliable, I hope :)

Which newspapers are worth scanning over? I’ve found a couple but they sound childish.

Roads- honestly the roads can be a little hairy particularly at night but they’re probably also teasing you also. I regularly do the Nairobi nanyuki drive and it is fine. I assume if you’re visiting friends they will arrange a taxi for you? For a long journey I’d never pick up a random taxi/Uber but instead use a driver I know or friends have recommended. Any reputable taxi will have working seatbelts the police are pretty hot on that. Booster seats wont be easily available though so if it’ll calm your nerves bring one. One thing about the roads is under no circumstance take a public mini bus (Matatu) they are very cheap but are actually death traps.

The outbreak at Nairobi hospital is correct and worrying as it is considered to be a reputable private hospital (I’ve used to outreach units myself for minor injuries and illness) but I wouldn’t worry about it with regards to a holiday as staying at lodges etc hygiene will be to UK standards. If you’re doing a bit of a diy trip then you can easily protect yourself with good hand washing, avoiding street food etc. The outbreak seems to have started in a slum area with poor sanitation you will likely not go anywhere near such areas unless you choose to go on a slum tour (I advise against this as even with an “ethical” company it’s still treating poor people like zoo animals but that’s a whole other thread”

WiFi depends entirely on where you’re staying, some lodges will have full WiFi, others only in certain areas and some won’t have any at all. Probably best to check hotel websites. If you’ve got an unlocked phone you can pick up a SIM card and buy data bundles easily if needed and signal can be found in most places although will be patchy in safari destinations but I’m guessing you’re wanting to avoid teens on Instagram instead of enjoying the experience.

For newspapers I’m afraid I’m not sure what to suggest, most news I get through WhatsApp messages were pretty good at passing things on quickly here, bbc Africa is useful for a reliable source and occasionally ill glance at a daily star in the back of a taxi although mainly for entertainment as some of the stories in the county new sections are outrageous.

Thank you for the awesome advice on here 💐