Practical Information for visiting Kenya

The currency is the Kenyan shilling (KES). M-Pesa dominates everyday payment — mobile money sent by phone number, used for everything from a bunch of bananas to rent — and visitors can register with a local SIM and passport, which is genuinely worth doing for a longer trip.

Cards are accepted in hotels, lodges, supermarkets and city restaurants. Cash and M-Pesa are needed elsewhere, and many small businesses no longer keep change.

ATMs are widespread in the cities and towns and absent in the parks; draw before you go. US dollars are accepted for park fees and some lodge bills — bring recent, unmarked notes.

Tipping is expected on safari and is a significant part of guides’ income: budget around US$10-20 per day for a driver-guide and a communal tip for camp staff. In restaurants, ten per cent.

Coverage for mobile networks is good across the populated south and along the main roads, with 4G and some 5G in the cities, dominated by Safaricom. Northern Kenya and the interior of the larger parks have gaps, though most lodges now have some signal.

A local SIM is cheap and essential if you want M-Pesa; buy it at the airport with a passport. Data is inexpensive.

Wi-Fi is standard in hotels and in most safari camps, often satellite-based and slow, and some camps deliberately offer none in the guest areas.

Power cuts are common; camps run on generators or solar and may switch off overnight. Bring a power bank and charge when you can.

Kenya is visited by well over a million people a year without incident, but it requires more awareness than a European destination. Check current advice, which distinguishes sharply between regions.

• Nairobi has significant street crime. Do not walk at night, do not display phones or jewellery, use ride-hailing apps rather than hailing taxis, and avoid the central business district after dark. Carjacking occurs; if it happens, do not resist.
• Border regions. Most governments advise against travel near the Somali border, parts of the north-east, and areas of Lamu county inland, because of the risk of attacks by al-Shabaab. Lamu island itself is generally treated differently from the mainland.
• Road travel is the most likely thing to hurt you. Matatu and long-distance bus accidents are common, and night driving on rural roads is genuinely dangerous.
• Wildlife. Stay in the vehicle unless your guide says otherwise, do not walk between tents at night without an escort, and treat hippos and buffalo as more dangerous than the cats, because they are.
• Protests around elections and economic policy can turn violent; avoid them.

Nairobi has excellent private hospitals — among the best in the region — and is where serious cases from across East Africa are flown. Outside the cities, facilities are basic, so insurance covering air evacuation is essential. Many safari operators include AMREF Flying Doctors cover, which is worth confirming.

Yellow fever vaccination is required if arriving from a country with risk, and is often advised anyway. Routine cover plus hepatitis A and typhoid; rabies for longer or remote stays.

Malaria is present in most of the country below about 2,500 metres, including the Mara, the coast and Lake Victoria. Nairobi and the high central highlands are considered low risk. Take prophylaxis, use repellent and sleep under a net.

Do not drink tap water. Use bottled or filtered water, including for teeth.

Altitude matters on Mount Kenya — Point Lenana is nearly five thousand metres and acute mountain sickness is common on fast ascents.

Bring your own prescription medication, and a basic kit; pharmacies in the cities are well stocked, rural ones are not.

Greet before anything else. Kenyan interactions begin with a greeting and an enquiry after health and family, and going straight to business is read as rude. Handshakes are common and often prolonged.

Photography. Always ask before photographing people, and expect to be asked for payment in tourist areas — agree it first. Never photograph police, military, government buildings, airports or the State House.

Dress. Kenyans dress smartly, and scruffiness reads poorly. On the coast, and particularly in Lamu and Muslim areas, cover shoulders and knees away from the beach.

Right hand for giving, receiving and eating.

Plastic bags are banned outright, with serious penalties, and the ban is enforced at the airport. Do not bring any.

Homosexuality is criminalised and attitudes are hostile; discretion is necessary. Drug penalties are severe, and taking or exporting wildlife products, including ivory and shells, carries heavy sentences.

Emergency numbers: 999 or 112 for police, ambulance and fire, and 911 also works. Response times vary considerably; your lodge, hotel or operator is often faster.

Medical. In Nairobi, the Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi Hospital and MP Shah are of an international standard with English-speaking staff. Mombasa has the Aga Khan and Pandya. Payment or a guarantee from your insurer is required.

Air evacuation. AMREF Flying Doctors provides medical evacuation across East Africa, and short-term tourist membership is inexpensive. Many operators include it; confirm rather than assume.

On safari. Camps have radio or satellite contact and a plan for evacuation; follow the guide’s instructions on wildlife without negotiation.

Keep offline copies of your passport, insurance and yellow fever certificate, and note your embassy — most are in Gigiri and Westlands in Nairobi.