cornish budda,

Local currency is the Kenya Schilling. You can change most currencies locally. Personally, I would take cash (either GBP or USD) and make use of the safe in your room. You can change travellers cheques and use credit / debit cards in hotels and some of the larger shops, but bear in mind where you are travelling to. Once you get out of Mombassa, it's pretty rural so local currency rules. I would never rely on credit / debit cards abroad. Hard cash isn't the only thing accepted, shoes, trainers, t-shirts and socks are also accepted (and I'm not joking!).

Darren

thanks darren for your reply made me laugh am staying at dianni sea resort
any more comments very welcome

You have some banks & ATM's available in Diani should you require them to exchange currency, if one particular banks ATM doesn't appear to be working try a different bank as it varies as to which particular bank cards work in.

all good thanks

Oh just remembered, if you intend to use your bank card remember to let the bank know in advance that you are going to Kenya

The Kenyan currency has behaved like a roller coaster in the past few months. This has affected not only prices but the currencies offered for services.

In the past, US dollars have been almost a second currency in the Mombasa coastal region, but nowadays Kenyan shillings seem to be preferred. I had intended to pay for an excursion upcountry in dollars, following the information given on the hotel's website, but with the current relationship between the US$ and the Kenyan shilling, the dollar rate quoted was now insufficient and would have required a supplementary dollar payment to equal the quoted Kenyan shilling rate.

By all means take US dollars as back up currency, but:-

1. Take small denominations - nothing larger than US$50
2. Make sure your dollars are dated 2006 or later - the date always appears on the note

Let your bank know you'll be away .... and you can buy KSh at London Heathrow airport at Thomas Cook or Travelex, either by prebooking on their websites or just by turning up.

Note that you may come across traders offering you UK coins or a Scottish note, or even a Euro coin, and asking you to give them shillings for this .... make sure you know the going rate and are sure that the 'foreign' currency is genuine before you start your own currency speculation transaction!!