Practical information
Currency & payment
Kenyan shillings (KES) is the national currency and 1 USD is about 76 KES. The exchange rate may vary a bit so we suggest you use the currency converter on this page to get an estimate of the 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 much beauty in Kenya, bringing a camera along with you is a good idea. Photographing the wild animals is much fun and though it is sometimes possible to come very close to the animals, a camera with a tele lens or a telezoom will definitely be worth carrying. 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.
Indian girl at Diani beach
Photographing people in Kenya without them knowing it, can cause some stir as some don’t approve of being photographed. 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 large amounts of money to “compensate” the owner. Therefore it is advisable to ask someone before photographing them in Kenya. Still you might 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.
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 prize 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 was becoming a quite serious problem and the city slowly was 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. Still 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.
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. Also it is advisable to take a taxi at night – even for short distances. 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.
No tags for this post.
Partly sunny18°Creal feel: 23°Ccurrent pressure: 1023 mbhumidity: 77%wind speed: 1 m/s Nwind gusts: 1 m/ssunrise: 6:29sunset: 18:34
Practical information
Currency & payment
Kenyan shillings (KES) is the national currency and 1 USD is about 76 KES. The exchange rate may vary a bit so we suggest you use the currency converter on this page to get an estimate of the 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 much beauty in Kenya, bringing a camera along with you is a good idea. Photographing the wild animals is much fun and though it is sometimes possible to come very close to the animals, a camera with a tele lens or a telezoom will definitely be worth carrying. 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.
Indian girl at Diani beach
Photographing people in Kenya without them knowing it, can cause some stir as some don’t approve of being photographed. 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 large amounts of money to “compensate” the owner. Therefore it is advisable to ask someone before photographing them in Kenya. Still you might 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.
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 prize 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 was becoming a quite serious problem and the city slowly was 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. Still 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.
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. Also it is advisable to take a taxi at night – even for short distances. 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.