Hi,

Hope you have a good holiday, I am going out the first week in Feb. Doing a Safari and Stay so dont have to worry about park fees etc.

Remember you will need an entry visa for Kenya, these can either be purchased from the embassy in advance for about £35.00 or on arrival for $50.00. As far as I am aware you must have USD if buying the visa on arival. I will be taking a mixture of both KSH and GBP, but will be keeping an eye on any replys you get as it may influence my decision.

Have a good holiday.

Neil.

Most definitely US$, in the hotel and on safari..... the Kenyans get a better rate for the dollar for their KSH, so is more use to them!

I have to disagree with Paul (sorry mate); the staff in our hotel were alway asking us to change any "foreign" tips they got into shillings for them. Take US$ if you want, but we found the best rate was for Sterling cash (not t/c), and having shillings in your pocket is a definite plus when you're out & about - remember, most ordinary Kenyans don't have easy access to banks, so by tipping in $ or £ you're not really doing them any favours.

Doonhamer32,

No probs mate, this is what healthy discussion is for! I have to disagree with you slightly about the hotel staff 'asking us to change any "foreign" tips they got into shillings for them'. I think what you will find they were doing is changing COINS that they were given as tips into notes, as they (as we can't) change back loose change, therefore is worthless to them. Also, you're not supposed to take KSH out of the country.

Basically, do what you think is best as US$ and KSH are available to us and US$ is acceptable to them, above all, MAKE SURE YOU GIVE TIPS IN WHATEVER CURRENCY YOU HAVE........ it is all acceptable (and much needed) and as for them changing it back, where there is a will there is a way! (Sorry, tipping on holiday is something I feel very strongly about..... even on All Inclusive holidays I take around £250 Just for tips!!)

Thanks everyone, I always take plenty of cash to tip with but wasn't entirely sure what. does it really get cold while on safari early morning and night?

My husband and I are thinking of booking the Great Rift Valley Safari in the Cosmos/Archers Direct brochure. It's a 9 day safari with an extra 5 days at the end staying at the Voyager Beach Resort, Nyali Beach, Mombasa.

We would be grateful to know if anyone has been on this specific safari and/or has stayed at that hotel outside Mombasa. Any advice/tips?

This will be my first trip to Africa and I want it to be special!

Thanks

Eloise

Hi,

Voyager Beach Hotel is Fantastic!! Great food and located right on the beach!! I strongly recommend this hotel. As for the Safari's you will never go wrong in Kenya - there is always soo much to see and the tour guides are always informative and entertaining!! Don't forget your camera

Hope you have a brilliant time!
Dee98

By the way, I forgot to add - make sure you take plenty of suncreen and a hat and sunglasses. The weather in Kenya is very hot at the moment and you could risk getting sumburnt during the safaris and in Mombasa.

has anyone any advice on travelling to kenya my 22 year old daughter and friend are thinking of going in September and i cant find much information about safety or anything for that matter would be grateful for some information before they make their final choice

Are they going on a package or independantely?

they are hoping to go independently they have found reasonable priced flights to stay in hotels though not back packing i think they hope to meet up with friends that are travelling

Theres a great hotel in kilifi bay (kilifi bay beach resort) that can be booked online through mada hotels, http://www.madahotels.com ive stayed there, and many of my friends are repeat visitors. They can also arrange a transfer from the airport to pick them up. The hotel is great, and the staff wonderful! as long as your daughter has her wits about her she should be ok, i was there with my daughter - who had her 7th birthday there, and i travelled as a lone female. Common sense!! thats all i can recommend, and a polite no thank you if neccessary!

Caroline & Kirsten

Have booked a safari in Kenya plus Mombasa beach. Spending 1 night in Nairobi hotel then 8 nights safari (driving not flying), go straight from safari to Nairobi airport for Mombasa.

Can anyone advise me on luggage. Thought my main suitcases would stay in Nairobi and be collected after the safari by me prior to going to the airport. Not sure where I thought it would be stored, just assumed it would be taken care of somehow!

Kuoni have said that as I'm not starting and finishing my holiday in a Nairobi hotel then all my luggage will travel with me on the safari. Suits us to take our two cases with us, but I thought you had to minimise it a bit and take only soft 'hold alls'.

Would we be taking it all do you think, or am I likely to find out when I arrive in Nairobi that I've got to leave half of it behind and have no soft 'hold alls' with me to put the rest in!!**

Not going for a blooming lifetime so will have loads of other questions later but just curious about this question now.
Thanks

I'd say youre probabley best to contact the customer relations department of kuoni to clarify the exact situation with your luggage, as they will be able to tell you what to take, and how to take it. Anything said on here would be pruely specualtion as all holidays and safaris differ from company to company.

Hope this helps!

Caroline & Kirsten

Hi Jeannette,
I would ignore what they say!!! We went in February this year and altough we flew rather than drive all had suitcases. As long as you do not go crazy with the luggage then you should be OK. I would be very wary of leaving luggage in Kenya even in a hotel. When we went we had booked the safari ourselves when we were there, so it all the valuables were safely locked in a hotel safety deposit box. All we did was take a cabin bag size cuitacse which was adequate. Most of the logdes in the Masai Mari (?) Games reserve are 4/5* standard and have laundry facilities...and the dress code is reasonably casual in the evenings so you do not really need that many clothes. One tip though....it is really dusty so Khaki colours are best...not white as I wore!!!

As Kuoni have advised you that your luggage will be going with you then I guess its up to you. Do they say a suitcase each will be ok?

On the safari I went on (Somak not Kuoni) we were advised to take soft holdalls and the rest of our stuff was stored in our suitcases for transfer to our beach hotel. Some people on the holiday had obviously not received this advice (it was clearly stated on the itinerary) and had to swiftly repack on landing in Kenya. If you are travelling in the typical safari minibus (Nissan Urvan or similar) then there is not a great deal of room for suitcases if say there are six of you on it.

Thanks for responses. Have decided we'll probably pack 1 suitcase and 1 backpack for the full 2 weeks, that way I suppose we'll be covered if (as I suspect) I have been misinformed by Kuoni and we are indeed not supposed to cart all our luggage onto the safari minibus, can hardly put it on top of a 'pop up' roof. Then can at least leave the case (with only clothes in it) for transfer to Mombasa and take the backpack with us.

Don't you hate it when instructions are unclear. Don't want to be running about in Nairobi trying to buy a holdall just because tour operator didn't give me the proper information beforehand.

This site is excellent for tapping into people who have 'been there, done that'.
Thanks.

Remember to pack some binoculars on your back pack too, theres nothing worse than having to share on a safari!!

Caroline & Kirsten
Ps will keep my fingers crossed for you to see the BIG 5!!

Can anyone tell me what weather is expected end of August beginning of September i have read a couple of reports that differ quiet a bit. Also i have been told that at a certain time of year the beaches are totally covered in seaweed is that correct and if so when does that happen. Yuk i hate seaweed!