With 56 national parks filled with stunning natural beauty, Kenya is a wildlife paradise and a prime destination for African safaris.Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya, is a modern city with a wealth of culture, restaurants, museums, and more, while the Maasai Mara is one of the world’s great safari regions and is famous for its wildlife. Mount Kilimanjaro, located on the border of Kenya and Tanzania, is famous for being the highest mountain on the African continent. Kenya’s second largest city, Mombasa, is a coastal vacation destination with white sandy beaches, clear blue waters, snorkeling, and other water sports.
1. Kenya Quick Facts
Language English / Swahili
Religion Christianity
Currency Kenya Shilling(KES,KSh)
Visa Visa on arrival for most nationalities E-visa
Power Plugs 240 V 50 Hz (G Type)
Capital Nairobi
ATM There are ATMs in Nairobi that accept Visa and MasterCard 24 hours a day.
Use card High-end hotels, airlines, and travel agencies accept Visa and MasterCard, with Visa being the easier of the two to use.
APP
Google Maps
2. Packing for your trip
Air plain Ticket
Dollar Flight Club has made it easier and cheaper to buy flights to the Airport.
SIM card
Airalo is the world’s first eSIM store that solves the pain of high roaming bills by giving you access to 200+ eSIMs (digital SIM cards) globally at affordable prices.
New member one-time use 15% discount coupon
10% discount coupon for multiple use by all members.
Pacsafe Pro safe 800 Luggage Lock
Good protection against snatchers or impulse thieves.
Universal Power Adapter
One of the most essential but most forgotten items in your travel gear? A power adapter!
Travel insurance
Prepare for risky situations Travel insurance can be a big help in the event of an emergency
GoPro HERO11
If you want to capture your own memories of your travels, GoPro is the way to go. It’s small, has great image quality, and is easy to carry around
3. Transportation
Public transportation is poor. Buses are dangerous and we recommend taking a taxi or renting a car.
Buses
Local buses include the ‘matatu’, a type of bongo car.
Avoid using buses if at all possible. There is a high risk of road accidents due to reckless driving, and pickpockets are common on buses.
Taxi
Uber and TaxiFi are available in Nairobi and other cities.
For call taxis, JIM CAB and JATCO are safe companies.
Matatus (shared taxis) are relatively inexpensive, ranging from KES 20 ($0.18) to KES 150 ($1.40) depending on distance.
Haggle for a taxi fare and get moving (no meters)
4.Safety
Due to poor border security, there is a high influx of guns and a high incidence of robberies, thefts, and kidnappings.
To ensure your safety, we recommend traveling with a guide.
Taxis should be avoided after sunset due to poor security.
Useful phone numbers for tourists
Common emergency numbers: 999
5. Climate
The weather is mild, with no average annual temperature variation, with an average year-round high of 25°C(77°F) and low of 10°C(50°F).The weather is hot only during the day, like fall weather, with cooler mornings and evenings. The coastal areas have a tropical climate, the highland plains have a temperate climate, and the northern areas have a semi-desert climate. There are two rainy seasons, March through May and ,November through December, when nocturnal animals migrate in great numbers.
6. price
Street food, agricultural products, and transportation are fairly inexpensive, but manufactured goods, many of which are imported, are not and are priced exorbitantly for foreigners.
Gasoline (1 liter): 149 KES
McDonald’s Combo Meal: 700 KES
Water (1.5 liters): 86 KES
Milk (1 liter) 100 KES
7. Travel precautions
If you always smile and state your friendliness and needs when you encounter a problem, you may be surprised to get it resolved.
There are cases of extortion of foreigners due to police corruption.
If you resist or do anything when you are robbed, it can lead to a more serious situation.
Do not use your cell phone while walking around, as this can make you a target for muggers.
You may be asked for proof of yellow fever vaccination. Get vaccinated in advance and bring it with you when you enter the country.
8. Etiquette & Service Tip
Kenyans strongly dislike being angry out loud.
Kenyans consider the left hand to be for the toilet, so you should use your right hand when passing things to others or eating. It is also considered rude to point your finger at someone.
Tip
Tipping is usually not included in the price, so it is customary to tip staff or helpers between 50 and 100 shillings or 1 USD per person.
For a guide on a safari tour, you can tip around 10 USD.
10. Holidays
The following are the national public holidays for 2024:
1 Jan Mon New Year’s Day
29 Mar Fri Good Friday
1 Apr Mon Easter Monday
11 Apr Thu Idd ul Fitr
1 May Wed Labour Day
1 Jun Sat Madaraka Day
17 Jun Mon Idd ul Azha
10 Oct Thu Moi Day
20 Oct Sun Mashujaa Day
21 Oct Mon Mashujaa Day Holiday
31 Oct Thu Diwali *
12 Dec Thu Jamhuri Day
25 Dec Wed Christmas Day
26 Dec Thu Boxing Day
2025 National Public Holidays:
Wednesday, 1 January : New Year’s Day
Tuesday, 1 April : Idd ul Fitr
Friday, 18 April : Good Friday
Monday, 21 April : Easter Monday
Thursday, 1 May : Labour Day
Sunday, 1 June : Madaraka Day
Monday, 2 June : Madaraka Day Holiday
Saturday, 7 June : Idd ul Azha *
Friday, 10 October : Mazingira Day
Monday, 20 October : Diwali *
Monday, 20 October : Mashujaa Day
Friday, 12 December: Jamhuri Day
Thursday, 25 December: Christmas Day
Friday, 26 December: Boxing Day
* Idd ul Azha is a public holiday observed by Muslims only.
* Diwali is a public holiday observed by Hindus only.