East Point Safari Bookers is one of the leading Safari Tour operator in Kenya, Safari Agent in Nairobi.
Travel for best safaris rides with Car hire in Nairobi. Visitors or tourists planning a trip to Kenya need to prepare themselves in some manner in order to enjoy their Kenyan safari to the fullest. As a new or experienced
travellers people need to be updated with the following details to enjoy a memorable
trip of Kenya. Some of the travel preparation includes:
Visas:
Visitors wishing to go to Kenya need to have valid passport along with visas. Visas
are mandatory for all those visitors who are not the commonwealth countries citizens.
Visitors from countries like Norway, San Marino, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Eritrea,
Spain, Finland, Ethiopia, Uruguay and Turkey do not require visas to visit Kenya.
However, visa requirements often changed with time to time so the visitors planning
a trip to Kenya must check with the current visa requirements in order to avoid
any problems at the later stage of the trip. Visitors can check for the current
visa requirements either through Kenya Tourist Offices, Kenya tour operators, Kenya
Embassies or High Commissions appointed in their country or through airlines. Visa
processing usually takes up six weeks and travel visa is valid for the period of
three months.
Visitors having proper documents along with onward and return tickets are privileged
with free visitors passes at Kenya entry point. During the three months travelling
visas the visitors are not allowed to indulge in any form of work or business in
Kenya without the authority of Principal Immigration officer. Visitors who do not
have proper document will have to pay a refundable deposit of Kshs. 5,000/ = in
order to avail the visitor passes.
Weather:
The climate of Kenya varies from tropical along the coast and temperate inland and
it is extremely dry in the north and northeast parts of the country. Good sunshine
is received by Kenya all through the year and summer clothes are worn throughout
the year. The night and early morning are usually cool in Kenya at higher elevations.
The long rainy season occurs from March to April and from May to June and the short
rainy season occurs from October to November or December. There is sometimes heavy
rainfall that often falls in the evenings and afternoons. In the months of tropical
rains the temperature is usually high and the hottest period in Kenya is February
and March and coldest is July and August.
The average annual temperature of the Mombasa coastal town is maximum 30.30 Celsius
and minimum is 22.40 Celsius, Nairobi has maximum of 25.20 Celsius and minimum of
9.50 Celsius and the temperature of drier north plain lands is maximum 34.80 Celsius
and minimum of 23.70 Celsius.
Baggage:
Visitor coming on East Point Safari Bookersis allowed to carry one medium suitcase
or holdall along with a hand bag. However, people opting for private safaris where
they have less than seven persons in the vehicle are not liable to these restrictions.
Treetops and the Ark visitors are allowed to carry only overnight bags and they
are advised to leave the suitcase at the base hotel. No extra cost is charged by
the hotels for keeping the baggage. Tourists opting for air safaris are allow to
carry 15 kg baggage and if the small aircrafts are used, the weight of the baggage
reduced to 10kg. Kenya next general election will be held on August 8 2017, these is not the same as usual , as many elections has been held in December and now for the first time we are going to have our election in August. We all as Kenyans are praying and hoping for the best and peaceful election during these period.
Currency:
Currency used in Kenya is the Kenyan shilling or KES that comprises of 100 cents.
Visitors can find the coins in the denominations of 5c, 10c, 50c and 1 and 5 shillings
and bank notes in the denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 shillings.
Visitors can bring currency with themselves and they don't have to declare it on
arrival. Visitors can exchange the hard currencies in cash either at Forex Bureaus
without any commission or at the banks or large hotels. From the year 2000, U.S
dollars, Euros and Sterling Pound are also commonly acceptable. Tourists are always
advised to ask about the deducted commission and charges before proceeding with
the transaction. Usually banks are open from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm on weekdays and
from 9.00 to 11.00 am on Saturdays.
Credit Cards:
For tourist services the most widely accepted credit cards are Visa, Mastercard
and American Express. Usually 5% mark-up on top of the price as establishments are
charged a fixed percentage of their credit card transactions.
Health:
Malaria is endemic in most part of the Kenya and therefore the intending visitors
must start with anti-malarial tablets before the start of their Kenya trip and should
continue taking them till they return from Kenya. Disease prevention rules change
from time to time, therefore tourists must check with Kenyan High Commission, Kenya
Tourist Office or with any airline services operating in Kenya. The visitors are
also recommended to carry insect repellents and must make its use especially after
dusk and must prefer wearing cover-up clothes in the evenings.
Flying Doctors Society:
Tourists visiting Kenya are strongly recommended to take the membership of the Flying
Doctors Society so that in case of sickness or accident during the Kenyan safari
the tourists get immediate medical attention. The society will take the patients
by air ambulance to Nairobi for providing treatment at hospitals. The cost of membership
of the Flying Doctors Society is currently US$ 40 per person.
Drinking Water:
Visitors need to be extremely cautious of water during their trip of Kenya as tap
water is quite risky and must be strictly avoided. However, hotels and lodges provide
safe and pure drinking water and visitors can even avail bottled mineral water in
supermarket and hotels.
Security:
Tourists are advised to take common precautions while visiting Kenya as they would
take in any other world-wide destinations. Cash and valuables should not be left
in the rooms of the hotels and all the valuables must be kept in safe deposit boxes.
Visitors should also avoid carrying large sum of money and women should be particulars
about their handbags in the busy streets as jewelery snatching is common in the
streets of Kenya. Like any other prime cities wandering in late nights alone or
with a small group of people can also prove devastating. Visitors must depend upon
the reliable taxi services offered by the major hotels of the Kenya. Taking photographs
at local and public places are strictly prohibited.
Voltage:
In hotels and lodges mains and generated electric supply is 240 volts AC 50 cycles.
Sockets at hotels and lodges usually have three and four pin sockets.
Tipping and Porterage:
Visitors must know that paying tips to porters, waiters, taxi drivers and safari
drivers and guides are customary.
Language:
Kenya is known as a multilingual country and the Bantu Swahili language and English
are the two official language and are widely spoken as lingua franca.
There are about 69 languages spoken in Kenya due to the fact that country has diverse
population that speaks their own language.
Post and Telephones:
Tourists can keep in touch with their friends and relatives by mail and telephones
as both are easily accessible. Overseas dialing is possible from both prime and
remote centers and can mail from Cyber café having Internet access.
Arrivals and Departures:
Kenya primarily has two major airports, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi,
which is 18 km from the city center and Moi International Airport in Mombasa, which
is 12 km from the town center. Mombasa is also the main port of entry by sea.
Most of the airports charges airport departure tax in the tickets that the tourists
need to clarify with their travel agent.
Airport Departure Tax:
Most of the airlines include the airport departure tax in the tickets. However,
you need to ascertain with your travel Agent.
Opening and Shopping Hours:
Kenya's major stores, museums, parks are open from 8.00 am to 5.00 PM in large towns
with usual lunch breaks. In rural areas the shops can be open almost any time and
tourists usually prefer souvenirs like wood and soap stone sculptures and carvings,
bead work and tribal regalia, masks, textiles and gemstones set in unique jewelery
pieces.
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