What do I need for Kenya travel? (camping, best, hotel)

[kamilina]

I'll be traveling to Kenya on Safari. What do I need to have prior to travel? any tips and information that can help make my Kenya stay fun will be helpful. I'll be there for 2 weeks.

[allforcats]

There are many Kenya tourism websites which provide that information for you, as well as TripAdvisor. In the meantime, here is something you might need to know before you go:
Joanne Offer: Kenya: One Year After Elections Unleashed Brutal Violence, How Is The Country Coping? (Slideshow)

[sweetpotater58]

Don't go, try another nation in Africa or go to Austrailia. Kenya is descending into sectarian violence despite what you might hear.

[wastina]

If you're going on safari, you are likely to be with a tour group which will take care of you. Ignore the previous post, go and have fun.

I've not been on safari to Kenya, but I usually take the following"

1. Immodium AD, for the inevitable traveller's stomach
2. anti-mosquito patches (like quit-smoking patches). You can get them on the internet
3. Sunscreen and a hat
4. A does of cipro, in case you pick up a bug.
5. Swiss Army knife/leatherman
6. Small flashlight (maglight has best beam)
7. Rechargeable batteries, and appropriate charger (or converter) for the power source
8. Local SIM card for your mobile phone (if you have a GSM phone. If you don't have a GSM phone, you can buy a cheap one locally, and a prepaid card. Store emergency contact numbers, including US Embassy, in it before you go into the bush).
9. Extra memory cards for camera (assuming digital)
10. Sturdy, comfortable, broken in, waterproof hiking shoes
11. A waterproof case for your passport (and extra copies of your passport, left in lots of location, or also perhaps scanned and left with someone who can e-mail the scans back to you in case you lose your passport and need a replacement).
12. Gorp or other nibblies, in plastic bag.
13. Backpack.

The rest will really depend on the quality of the tour and the details (camping or hotel, etc). Sleeping bag, mosquito nets, etc may/not be needed.

Check also the immunization recommendations for Kenya. Hep vaccine, perhaps yellow fever, and (likely optional) malaria, cholera prevention may be recommended.

Don't forget to register your trip with the US EMbassy (U.S. Department of State - Home Page look for travel registry link).

And Have Fun! I've always wanted to go on safari!

[jessiegirl_98]

I haven't been to Kenya on safari, but I went to its neighbor Tanzania on safari.
First, make sure you get all your vaccines. I got mine at my local health dept rather than a major hospital and saved myself about $300.
I also got extra health insurance that allowed for a medivac if needed (unlikely, but it was cheap and the group I was with required it).
Otherwise, I would take pants to wear of a thin material (like linen) and several loose fitting t-shirts. Also, bring a TON of sunscreen (and wear it even if you don't think you need it), a hat, and mosquito repellant (I actually got something that had both in it). Bring basic meds (stomach, headache, etc), handiwipes/purell and charmin to go (this is CRITICAL!! ha). You'll also need to take anti-malari medicine starting a week or two in advance. I brought an antibiotic with me in case I got sick (I'm very prone to getting sick, but I was fine) and one of my travel-mates actually brought their own syringes just in case (again, we didn't need them), but I would bring a small first aid kit. Binocolars, a camera with a good zoom, an electrical adapter for electronics, batteries, etc....

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by jessiegirl_98

First, make sure you get all your vaccines. I got mine at my local health dept rather than a major hospital and saved myself about $300.

I had to go through the typhoid\hepatitis etc. immunizations for a business trip. I received them through my personal physician and will say that jessiegirl is right, Try the health department. Those shots are expensive AND are generally not covered by your medical insurance.

[nineball]

Originally Posted by sweetpotater58

Don't go, try another nation in Africa or go to Austrailia. Kenya is descending into sectarian violence despite what you might hear.

I think you might be hearing from the wrong people. Here is a video than gives a more accurate about Nairobi Kenya.


YouTube - "In The Know" Tips for Traveling to Nairobi

[nineball]

More video of Kenya from October 2008. I was in Kenya from Dec 28th to January 14 during the election violence and did not cut short my visit. The violence was very localized and unless you were caught up in the poor areas you were relatively safe. The funny thing is that most of the middle class and rich Kenyans that I met did not seem to realize that the situation was getting out of hand.


YouTube - Middle class sprawls in Nairobi, Kenya

[HaThoR]

There are some anti-malary medicines but they have side effects, the best one is "malarone". It's expensive but safe. No side effects.

When you go to get vaccinated, at least here, in spain, they offer u free anti-malary, but the side effects are usually hallucinations and other weird stuff.. so u might not wanna be in the middle of kenya having hallucinations, irritations, etc..