Planning a trip to Kenya? Here’s everything you need to know to ensure a seamless and rewarding journey.
The birth of Nairobi as a city is the result of the railway construction by the British. Halfway on the route from the coast to Lake Victoria, the railway engineers found a swampy place, named by the Masai as ‘Enkare Neerobi’- place of cool waters.
The Chief Engineer of the Railways decided that this was a suitable place to build railway repair yards and workshops. Soon a tent city of traders, adventurers and settlers grew.
With the completion of the railway, the headquarters of the colonial administration was moved from Mombasa to the cooler, small settlement of Nairobi. Now, as the capital of the British Protectorate, the future of the city on the swamp was assured.
The Lamu Archipelago is located in the Indian Ocean close to the northern coast of Kenya, to which it belongs. Lamu is the perfect place for a beach safari with a difference, a truly unique destination. The island is a place of great natural beauty, with long deserted beaches framed by rolling sand dunes and the deep blue waters of the Indian Ocean. A popular Kenyan holiday & honeymoon destination. Lamu is a place like no other, a peaceful tropical island where life is lived at it’s own relaxed rhythm, but a place whose history is as mysterious and fascinating as the winding streets of it’s medieval stone town. Lamu Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is the perfect example of a tropical archipelago.
Amboseli National Park, at the foot of Africa’s highest mountain Kilimanjaro, lies some 240 km’s south-east of Nairobi. The snow-capped peak of Kilimanjaro rising above a saucer of clouds dominates every aspect of Amboseli and forms a backdrop to an impressive display of wildlife with its population of lion, elephant, leopard, cheetah, buffalo and other savannah game.
Samburu National Reserve is one of the lesser known national parks, but is nevertheless teeming with life. Situated alongside Ewaso Nyiro River, there is plenty to attract wildlife from the surrounding savannah plains. The reserve is rich in wildlife with an abundance of rare northern specialist species such as the Grevy’s zebra, Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe, gerenuk and the Beisa oryx. Large predators such as the lion, leopard, and cheetah are an important attraction (Kamunyak the miracle lioness that adopted the baby oryx is a resident in the reserve).
Small in size but rich in biodiversity, Lake Nakuru was gazetted as a national park in 1968. It is best known for its thousands, sometimes millions of flamingos nesting along the shores. The surface of the shallow lake is often hardly recognizable due to the continually shifting mass of pink. The best vantage point is from Baboon Cliff. Also of interest is an area of 188 km around the lake fenced off as a sanctuary to protect Rothschild giraffes, black rhinos, and white rhinos.
The best time to visit Tanzania and Zanzibar largely depends on what you are looking to do during your trip, but in general, the most favorable seasons. Tanzania and Zanzibar offer something unique and special throughout the year, making them great destinations to visit at any time.
If you are looking to witness the Great Wildlife Migration, where millions of wildebeest and zebras move across the Serengeti plains, then the green season is ideal. This is typically from March to May and November to December. During this time, the landscape is vibrant and lush, and wildlife sightings are abundant. However, it's important to note that even during the green season, Tanzania and Zanzibar have plenty to offer. The rain showers are usually short-lived, and the landscape becomes beautifully green. It's an opportunity to witness nature's transformation and enjoy the unique experiences it brings.
If you prefer dryer weather and want to enjoy the beaches of Zanzibar, the dry season from June to October is a popular choice. This period offers sunny days, warm temperatures, and calm seas, perfect for relaxing and indulging in water activities.
Ultimately, the best season to travel to Tanzania and Zanzibar depends on your interests and preferences. Whether you choose the dry season or the green season, you will be treated to incredible wildlife encounters, stunning landscapes, and warm hospitality that make Tanzania and Zanzibar a year-round destination worth exploring.
“Theatre of the Wild”. The sight of dust-red elephant wallowing, rolling and spraying each other with the midnight blue waters of palm-shaded Galana River is one of the most evocative images in Africa. This, along with the 300 kilomtere long Yatta Plateau, the longest lava flow in the world, make for an adventure unlike any other in the Tsavo East. The park forms the largest protected area in Kenya and is home to most of the larger mammals, vast herds of dust –red elephant, Rhino, buffalo, lion, leopard, pods of hippo, crocodile, waterbucks, lesser Kudu, gerenuk and the prolific bird life features 500 recorded species.
The Masai Mara is arguably Kenya’s most popular game reserve. The film “Out of Africa” was made to a great extent in this sanctuary. There is a profusion of all types of wildlife including the big five. A spectacle worth seeing is the annual migration of millions of wildebeests, zebras, and the gazelles from the Serengeti plains across the Tanzania border and the Mara river to reach Masai Mara grazing fields from late June. The game reserve abounds with birdlife since close to about four hundred and fifty-two odd species have been recorded.
“Majestic Peaks, Moorlands and Intriguing Falls”. Picturesque, steep forested ravines and open moorland characterise the Aberdare National Park. The park provides a habitat for elephants, black rhinos, leopards, spotted hyenas, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, buffalos, warthogs and bushbucks among others. Rare sightings include those of the Giant Forest hog, bongo, golden cat, serval cat, African wild cat, African civet cat and the blue duiker. Visitors can indulge in picnics, trout fishing in the rivers and camping in the moorlands. Bird viewing is rewarding, with over 250 species of birds in the park, including the Jackson’s Francolin, Sparrow hawks, goshawks, eagles, sunbirds and plovers.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a 364sq km wildlife conservancy situated between the foothills of Mount Kenya and the Aberdares and its game-to-area ratio tops the Kenyan park and reserve league. The Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya has over 10000 large mammals and it is the only park where the big 5 and chimpanzees can be seen. It is also where the fastest growing population of rhino in Africa can be found. There are southern white rhino, about 80 endangered black rhino and in a special sanctuary there are two of the world’s last remaining northern white rhino. Safari by vehicle is not the only option at Ol Pejeta. Safari game walks, horse rides and even camel rides are available, as are safari night drives.
“Come touch the sky”. Climbing to 5,199 meters, Mount Kenya is the second tallest mountain in Africa. The scenery surrounding this designated World Heritage Site is breath-taking. It is pristine wilderness with lakes, tarns, glaciers, dense forest, mineral springs and a selection of rare and endangered species of animals, high altitude adapted plains game and unique montane and alpine vegetation. Visitors can enjoy mountain climbing, camping and caving with the mountain’s rugged glacier-clad peaks providing the perfect backdrop.
Kenya straddles the equator on the eastern coast of Africa; covering an area of about 586,600km sq. of which 10,700km sq. consists of water bodies. It lies on the Equator and is bisected lengthwise by the Great Rift Valley, which runs from Jordan in the north to Mozambique in the south.
Kenya is home to Mount Kenya (5,199) the second largest peak in the African continent, and it is traversed by a number of rivers, notably Tana and Athi rivers, and the Galana River and the notorious Mara River, which run through the Maasai Mara Reserve.
Kenya also houses some incredible lakes such as the wild Lake Turkana (home of the cradle of humankind), Lake Turkana (home of more than 1 million flamingoes) and the Lake Baringo/Naivasha (home to the notorious “happy valley set”) to mention only a few.
The main points of entry to East Africa are Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Entebbe and Kigali. There are daily flights into each of the main airports in these cities from London, Amsterdam, Zurich, Brussels, Dubai and Johannesburg.
| Country | Main International Airport | National Airline |
| Kenya | Jomo Kenyatta International Airport | Kenya Airways |
| Tanzania | Dar es Salaam International Airport or Kilimanjaro Airport | Air Tanzania / Precision Air |
| Uganda | Entebbe International Airport | Air Uganda |
| Rwanda | Kigali International Airport | RwandAir |
Most nationalities require visa to East African countries and most can be attained at your point of entry. There are always countries that are exempt from visas or that need special clearance so we recommend you to check on the going fee with your local embassy before travel.
All travelers to East Africa are required to have yellow fever inoculations. This needs to be done at least 10 days before you leave home. Malaria is prevalent in all East African countries. Please contact your doctor for advice before travel as most malaria tablets need to be taken up to a week before travel.
Baggage space on safari is restricted to one medium suitcase per person, plus hand baggage (private safaris where there are less than seven persons in the vehicle are not subject to this restriction). Small duffel bags are however comfortable to travel with. A baggage weight restriction of 15 kg per person applies on air safaris. Where very small aircraft are used this may be reduced to 10 kg.
While the East African countries all have their own currencies, most tourist attractions are priced in US Dollars. Our recommendation is to take US Dollars with you for spending money and visa costs and change small amounts into local currency if need be. The official currency is the Kenyan/Tanzania and Uganda is Shillings, Franc in Rwanda although United States Dollar is also accepted.
VISA and MASTERCARD are widely accepted for tourist services across East Africa. There’s usually a 5% mark-up on top of the price as establishments are charged a fixed percentage of their transactions.
Although hotels and lodges include a service charge, it is customary to tip porters, waiters, taxi drivers and safari drivers/guides.
Post – East African countries have a good postal service for both local and international post. Many shops in tourist lodges and hostels sell stamps.
Telecommunications/Cell Phones – We have mobile networks I most areas of East Africa. You can roam on the various networks and local line sim cards are easy to obtain in any country. Cost for telephone calls from hotels worldwide are generally high so please check the rate before making any calls from your hotels/lodges.