Africa Point: Kenya Travel Information

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Kenya:

Nature

On Africa's east Coast, Kenya straddles the equator and shares a border with Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania. Its coast is lapped by the Indian Ocean and it shares the vast waters of Lake Victoria with its western neighbours. The Rift Valley and central highlands area form the backbone of the country, and this is where Kenya's scenery is at its most spectacular. The humid coastal belt includes the Tana River estuary and a string of good beaches. Western Kenya takes in the fertile fringes of Lake Victoria and some prime game parks. The vast, arid north-eastern region is where Kenya is at its wildest and most untouched by the modern world.

Kenya's flora and fauna defies easy description. The vast plains of the south are dotted with flat-topped acacia trees, thorn bushes and the distinctive bottle-shaped baobab tree. On the rarified slopes of Mt Elgon and Mt Kenya, bamboo forests sprout and even higher up is the bizarre groundsel tree, with its huge cabbage-like flowers, and giant lobelias with long spikes. If you're more into fur and feathers, then head for the teeming game parks. Lions, buffalos, elephants, leopards and rhinos all cavort openly in at least two of the major parks. Endangered animals such as the black rhino are slowly making a comeback and sanctuaries for these creatures can be visited in Tsavo and Lake Nakuru national parks.

Kenya's climate varies enormously from place to place. The Rift Valley offers the most agreeable weather, while the arid bushlands and semi-desert regions can range from daytime highs of up to 40 degrees Celsius to lows of about 20 degrees Celsius at night. Western Kenya and the eastern coastal fringe are generally hot and humid year round.

Attractions

Nairobi

Kenya's capital is cosmopolitan, lively, interesting, pleasantly landscaped and a good place to get essential business matters sewn up. You can walk from one end of the central business district to the other in 20 minutes and it's a great place to tune into modern urban African life. Unfortunately, it's also a great place to get mugged. Security, especially at night, is a definite concern and many travellers hate the place because of it. It's not known as 'Nairobbery' by residents for nothing.

Nairobi sprang up with the building of the Mombasa to Uganda railway. Originally little more than a swampy watering hole for Maasai tribes, it had became a substantial town by 1900. Five years later it succeeded Mombasa as the capital of the British protectorate. While today it's the largest city between Cairo and Johannesburg, its population of 1.5 million is skimpy by world standards.

Like most cities, Nairobi has its crowded market and trading areas, its middle class office workers' suburbs and its spacious mansions and flower-decked gardens for the rich and powerful.

The first is an area full of energy, aspirations and opportunism where manual workers, exhausted matatu (minibus) drivers, the unemployed, the devious, the down-and out and the disoriented mingle with budget travellers, whores, shopkeepers, high-school students, food vendors, drowsy security guards and those with life's little goodies for sale. Centrally located, it's called River Rd and even if you're not staying in the area it's worth a look. Most travellers favour central Nairobi as a place to stay and dine, but finding a good hotel on a quiet street can be tricky. For sightseeing, the National Museum/, Snake Museum and National Archives are all interesting and easy to get to. The latter contains far more than the usual dry documents, including painting and handcrafts exhibitions. Just outside the metropolis is the country's most accessible natural wonder, Nairobi National Park/. If you have kids with you, the neighbouring Ostrich Park makes an entertaining day trip.

Mombasa

The largest port on the coast of East Africa, Mombasa is hot, steamy and historical. This town of about half a million people dates back to the 12th century. A Muslim haven for centuries, it was attacked by the Portuguese in 1505 and burnt to the ground. It was quickly rebuilt only to be reduced to rubble again by an embattled Mombasan ruler during the long fight against the Portuguese. Mombasa's Old Town is testament to this tumultuous era. Filled with ornate wooden shopfronts and balconies, it's a constant source of delight for the observant wanderer. The old quarter's most prominent attraction is Fort Jesus, which dominates the harbour entrance. Begun in 1593 by the Portuguese, it changed hands nine times between 1631 and 1875. Now a museum, the fort is a fascinating mixture of Italian, Portuguese and Arabic design.

Mombasa proper sprawls over Mombasa Island which is connected to the mainland both north and south of the city. The railway station is in the middle of the island, close to plenty of good hotels, restaurants and entertainment spots. A string of great beaches dominates the coast just south of the town. There are heaps of daily flights, trains and buses between Mombasa and Nairobi. There are also regular buses and ferries running between Mombasa and Tanzania.

It's worth keeping an eye on the security situation in Mombasa and the surrounding area: there was some serious political violence in August 1997. Although tourists were largely unaffected, things are not expected to improve until after elections, tipped for February 1998.

Marsabit National Park & Reserve

This northern park is home to Kenya's larger mammals including lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, rhinos, buffalos, wart hogs, zebras, giraffes, hyenas, and gazelles. Because the area is thickly forested, you won't see much unless you spend quite some time here - preferably camping at Lake Paradise/. Since this crater lake is aptly named, this shouldn't be a problem. It's an enchanting place to rough it and few camp sites in Kenya can rival it for scenery and tranquility. Buses operate between the park's nearest town (Marsabit) and the central Kenyan town of Isiolo, near Mt Kenya.

Lamu

Lamu is a place of fantasy and other-worldliness wrapped in a cloak of medieval romance. With an almost exclusively Muslim population, Kenya's oldest living town has changed little in appearance or character over the centuries. Remote and self-contained, this once thriving port town is now a gloriously relaxed and relaxing destination. No other Swahili town, other than Zanzibar, can offer you such a cultural feast and uncorrupted traditional style of architecture - if you can ignore the TV aerials. A couple of hours spent in the waterfront Lamu Museum is an excellent introduction to the town's culture and history. And if the museum stokes your interest in Swahili culture then you should also check out the beautifully restored building nearby housing the Swahili House Museum/. One of Lamu's quirkier attractions is the Donkey Sanctuary- no doubt a haven for all those donkeys seeking political asylum. Taking a trip by dhow is almost obligatory.

Nestled away on Lamu Island on Kenya's upper east coast, Lamu itself is reached by diesel-powered launch from Mokowe on the mainland, or there's an airport on nearby Manda island.

Masai Mara National Reserve

The Mara (as the old hands like to call it) is the most popular game park in Kenya. Abounding with wildlife and taking in a vast slab of the Serengeti, this 320-sq-km reserve is anything but plain. Few visitors miss roaming at least part of its vast open grasslands - or leaping out of the way of the yearly wildebeest stampede. The western border of the park is the spectacular Esoit Olooloo (Siria) Escarpment and it's at the edge of the park that the concentrations of game are the highest.

Lions are found in large prides everywhere and it's not unusual to see them hunting. Elephants, buffalos, zebras and hippos also exist in large numbers. A reserve rather than a national park (the Maasai people are allowed to graze and hunt animals here), the Mara includes a Maasai Village that's open to tourists.

There are twice-daily flights between Nairobi and Masai Mara, and plenty of accommodation options once you get there. The small provincial town of Narok - a few hours drive west of Nairobi - is the park's main access point.

Kakamega Forest Reserve

Kakamega is a superb slab of virgin tropical rainforest in the heart of an intensively cultivated agricultural area of Western Kenya. It's home to a huge variety of birds and animals and is well worth the minimal effort required to get to it. The forest area of the reserve is where you'll find a number of primate species including the red-tailed monkey, black & white colobus monkey, and the blue monkey. The best way to appreciate the forest is to walk, and there are several trail systems radiating from forest stations. The Forest Department maintains a superb rest house here.

Hyrax Hill Prehistoric Site

Just outside Nakuru, about 200km north-west of Nairobi, this site first went under the archeological microscope in 1937 when Louis Leakey started poking about for signs of ancient life. The digs, which continued right up to the 1980s, indicate three settlements were made

here - the earliest possibly 3000 years ago and the most recent about 200 to 300 years ago. The large collection of items found in the burial pits on and around the hill include a real puzzle - six Indian coins, one of them 500 years old, two of them dating from 1918 and 1919! The site is on the Nairobi road.

Amboseli National Park

At 392 sq km, Amboseli is not a large park but it does offer you the best chance of seeing the endangered black rhino. It also has huge herds of elephants, and to see a herd of them making their way sedately across the grassy plains, with Tanzania's Mt Kilimanjaro in the background, may be a real African cliche but it's an experience which certainly leaves a lasting impression. Microlight flights are a popular way to take in the majesty of this spectacular southern region of Kenya. Most visitors approach Amboseli through Namanga, the main border post between Kenya and Tanzania. There are also daily flights from Nairobi.

Aberdare National Park

This park essentially encloses the moorland and high forest of the 60km-long Kinangop plateau. Only rarely does this place feature in the itineraries of safari companies and it's even less visited by individual travellers. But if you're willing to brave the inclement weather, this remote and formidably dense forest is well worth the effort. The park offers a variety of fauna, flora and scenery which you won't find elsewhere except, perhaps, on Mt Kenya. There are also the dramatic Gura Fallswhich drop a full 300m, along with alpine moorland, and the slim chance of seeing a black leopard, elephant, rhino or bongo (rare spiral-horned antelope). 

Travel Basics                                                                                     

Overview

The Swahili word safari (literally, journey) wouldn't mean much to most people if it wasn't for this East African adventure land. Revered by anthropologists as the 'cradle of humanity', Kenya is also the heart of African safari country, boasting the most diverse collection of wild animals on the continent. And no matter how many Tarzan movies you've seen, nothing will prepare you for the annual mass migration of wildebeests.

Unfortunately the wildlife isn't confined to the countryside: petty crime in Kenya's urban centres qualifies as one of the country's few growth industries. Since any encounter with the police is likely to end with money changing hands, you'd have less chance of being fleeced if you strapped a gazelle to your safari suit and went jogging among a pride of lions. Still, if you're a little bit brave - and a little bit sensible - Kenya promises the globe's most magnificent game parks, unsullied beaches, thriving coral reefs, memorable mountainscapes, and ancient Swahili cities. Just remember to leave your Rolex at home.

The main tourist season is in January and February, since the hot, dry weather at this time of year is generally considered to be the most pleasant. It's also when Kenya's birdlife flocks to the Rift Valley lakes in the greatest numbers. June to September could be called the 'shoulder season' as the weather is still dry. The rains hit from March to May (and to a lesser extent from October to December). During these months things are much quieter - places tend to have rooms available and prices drop. The rains generally don't affect travelers' ability to get around.

Essential Info

Visas: All visitors require a visa except citizens of some Commonwealth countries and citizens of selected countries such as Denmark, Germany, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden. Apply well in advance for your visa - especially if doing it by mail.

Health risks: Malaria (except in Nairobi and high-altitude areas), cholera, hepatitis, meningitis, mugging, typhoid and yellow fever.

Time: GMT/UTC plus three hours

Electricity: 240V

Weights and Measures: Metric

Tourism: About 700,000 visitors per year

Currency: Kenyan shilling (KSh), divided into 100 cents.

Relative costs:

Budget meal: US$5-10 Moderate restaurant meal: US$10-15 Top-end restaurant meal: US$25 and up

Budget room: US$15-25 Moderate hotel: US$30-40 Top-end hotel: US$60 and up

The cost of budget accommodation in Kenya is very reasonable as long as you're happy with communal showers and toilets. At the lower end of the Kenya experience, you could get by on about US$15-20 a day. Double this for comfortable travel and expect to pay anything from US$25 to US$60 or more a day for a safari. Every town has small cafes catering to local people where you can get a traditional meal for under US$5. For just a little bit more, Kenya's Indian restaurants are great value.

Money

With the deregulation of the money supply, foreign exchange bureaus are the best places to change money. Their rates are competitive and they don't charge commission. Banks will change money, but their commission can be steep. The place to carry your money is in a pouch against your skin. Anything more obvious will only make a thief's job easier.

Tipping

With such an active tourist industry, Kenya is a country where tipping is expected. In anything more than a basic eatery, 5-10% of the bill is the usual amount expected. On safari, drivers, guides and cooks often rely heavily on tips to get by. Around US$3 per day per employee is about the right amount.

Peoples

There are more than 70 tribal groups among the Africans in Kenya. Distinctions between many of them are blurred - western cultural values are becoming more ingrained and traditional values are disintegrating. Yet, even though the average African may have outwardly drifted away from tribal traditions, tribe is still the most important part of a person's identity.

English and Swahili are the languages taught throughout the country, but there are many other tribal languages. These include Kikuyu, Luhia, Luo and Kikamba as well as a plethora of minor tribal tongues. It's extremely useful for the traveller to have a working knowledge of Swahili, especially outside the urban areas and in remote parts of the country. Another language you'll come across is Sheng, spoken almost exclusively by the younger members of society. A fairly recent development, Sheng is a mixture of Swahili and English along with a fair sprinkling of Hindi, Gujarati and Kikuyu.

Most Kenyans outside the coastal and eastern provinces are Christians of one sort or another, while most of those on the coast and in the eastern part of the country are Muslim. Muslims make up some 30% of the population. In the more remote tribal areas you'll find a mixture of Muslims, Christians and those who follow their ancestral tribal beliefs.

Kenyans love to party, and the music style known as benga is the contemporary dance music that rules. It originated among the Luo people of western Kenya and became popular in the area in the 1950s. Some well-known exponents of benga include Shirati Jazz, Victoria Jazz and the Ambira Boys. If you're not a jive bunny, your most likely experience of Kenya is the 1985 movie Out of Africa, starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford.

Kenyan cuisine generally consists of stodge filler with beans or a meat sauce. It's really just survival fodder for the locals - maximum filling-up potential at minimum cost. If you had to name a national dish in Kenya, nyama choma(barbecued goat meat), would probably be it. Kenyan food is not exactly designed for gourmets - or vegetarians.

Beer drinkers, on the other hand, are well supplied. Kenyans love their beer almost as much as their dancing and there's a thriving local brewing industry.

History

The first of many footprints to be stamped on Kenyan soil were left way back in 2000 BC by nomadic tribes from Ethiopia. A second group followed around 1000 BC and occupied much of central Kenya. The rest of the ancestors of the country's medley of tribes arrived from all over the continent between 500 BC and 500 AD. The Bantu-speaking people (such as the Gusii, Kikuyu, Akamba and Meru) arrived from West Africa while the Nilotic speakers (Maasai, Luo, Samburu and Turkana) came from the Nile Valley in southern Sudan. As tribes migrated throughout the interior, Muslims from the Arabian Peninsula and Shirazis from Persia (now Iran) settled along the East African coast from the 8th century AD onwards.

Drawn by the whiff of spices and money, the Portuguese started sniffing around in the 15th century. After venturing further and further down the western coast of Africa, Vasco da Gama finally rounded the Cape of Good Hope and headed up the continent's eastern coast in 1498. Seven years later, the Portuguese onslaught on the region began. By the 16^th century, most of the indigenous Swahili trading towns, including Mombasa, had been either sacked or occupied by the Portuguese - marking the end of the Arab monopoly of Indian Ocean trade. The Portuguese

settled in for a long period of harsh colonial rule, playing one sultan off against another. But their grip on the coast was always tenuous because their outposts had to be supplied from Goa in India. Control of the coast was won back by the Arabs in 1720.

The remainder of the 18th century saw the Omani dynasties from the Persian Gulf dug in along the East African coast. The depredations of the Portuguese era and constant quarrels among the Arab governors caused a decline in trade and prosperity which meant that economic powerhouses such as Britain and Germany weren't interested in grabbing a slice of East Africa until about the mid-19th century.

With Europeans suddenly tramping all over Africa in search of fame and fortune, even Kenya's intimidating interior was forced to give up its secrets to outsiders. Until the 1880s, the Rift Valley and the Aberdare highlands remained the heartland of the proud warrior tribe, the Maasai.

By the late 19th century, years of civil war between the Maasai's two opposing factions had weakened the tribe. Disease and famine had also taken their toll. This opened the way for the English to negotiate a treaty with the Maasai laibon(chief, or spiritual leader) and begin work on the Mombasa-Uganda railway - which cut straight through the Maasai grazing lands. The halfway point of this railway is roughly where Nairobi stands today.

It was downhill from here for the Maasai. As white settlers demanded more fertile land, the Maasai were herded into smaller reserves. The Kikuyu, a Bantu agricultural tribe from the highlands west of Mt Kenya, also had vast tracts of land ripped from under their feet.

White settlement in the early 20th century was initially disastrous, but - once they bothered to learn a little about the land - the British succeeded in making their colony viable. Other European settlers soon established coffee plantations and by the 1950s the white settler population had reached about 80,000. With little choice left but to hop on the economic hamster wheel created by the Europeans, tribes like the Kikuyu nonetheless maintained their rage. Harry Thuku, an early leader of the Kikuyu political association, was duly jailed by the British in 1922. His successor, Johnstone Kamau (later Jomo Kenyatta) was to become independent Kenya's first president.

As opposition to colonial rule grew, the Kenya African Union (KAU) emerged and became strident in its demands. Other such societies soon added their voices to the cry for freedom, including the Mau Mau, whose members (mainly Kikuyu) vowed to drive white settlers out of Kenya. The ensuing Mau Mau Rebellion ended in 1956 with the defeat of the Mau Mau. The death toll stood at over 13,500 Africans - Mau Mau guerrillas, civilians and troops - and just over 100 Europeans.

Kenyatta spent years in jail or under house arrest but was freed in 1961 and became leader of the reincarnated KAU, the Kenya African National Union (KANU). He ushered in independence on 12 December 1963, and under his presidency the country developed into one of Africa's most stable and prosperous nations. With Kenyatta's death in 1978 came Daniel Arap Moi, a member of the Tugen tribe.

Moi's rule was characterised by rifts and dissension. He took criticism badly and as a result oversaw the disbanding of tribal societies and the disruption of universities. A coup attempt by the Kenyan Air Force in 1982 was put down by forces loyal to Moi. The air force was disbanded and replaced by a new unit. With the winds of democratic pluralism sweeping Africa in the late 1980s and early 1990s, international aid for Moi's Kenya was suspended.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and major aid donors demanded that repression cease and Moi's political stranglehold ease. He conceded, but much to Moi's delight, the opposition in the 1993 election shot itself in the foot - The Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD) was unable to agree on a leader. By splitting into three parties, FORD's much-vaunted cause became hopeless. Moi, the beneficiary of his opposition's vanity, won with just one-third of the total vote.

In 1995, a new party was launched in an attempt to unite the splintered opposition. The party was Safina, founded by Richard Leakey, famed anthropologist, elephant saviour and political activist. Despite almost constant harassment by the government, Safina has made some headway. Elections were held in Kenya at the end of 1997. Despite widespread allegations of vote rigging and intimidation of opposition candidates, Moi once again scraped home with a little over 40% of the vote. Despite Moi's promises to rid the government of corruption there appears to be an air of resignation in the country, with nationals sitting tight till the next century when Moi will have no alternative but to retire gracefully. With one of the world's highest population growth rates (around 3%), and thousands of people of working age unemployed, today's Kenya is a recipe for increased social and political turmoil. 

Events

Kenya's most spectacular annual event is organised by an unlikely group - wildebeests. Literally millions of these ungainly antelopes move en masse in July and August from the Serengeti in search of lush grass. They head south again around October. The best place to see this phenomenon is at the Masai Mara National Reserve. Kenya's more orthodox annual events include public holidays such as Kenyatta Day (20 October) and Independence Day(12 December).

Activities

The bleeding obvious Kenya activity is the safari, but there are many ways to safari. Camel safaris- in the Samburu and Turkana tribal areas between Isiolo and Lake Turkana - must rate as the most unforgettable. The country's most talked about game park is the quintessential Masai Mara National Reserve west of Nairobi. Other highly rated parks include the Amboseli for its black rhinos, the dense Kakamega with its 330-plus species of birds, and the equally fecund Lake Baringo.

For trekking, Mt Kenya tends to be the place but less trampled hiking vistas include Mt Elgon on the Ugandan border, and even the Ngong Hills near Nairobi. Kenya is famous for its game-fishing opportunities off the coast around Malindi, and white-water rafting on the blood-curdling Athi/Galana River is becoming increasingly popular. For a superb, silent aerial overview of the Serengeti, several lodges in the Masai Mara National Reserve offer ballooning/. Around coastal towns such as Malindi and the Lamu Archipelago, there's plenty of diving/, wind surfing and good old beach lazing to be had.

Travel

International Travel

Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta international airport is the hub of East African air transport, and it has connections to many European and US cities. It's from here that you're most likely to get a relatively cheap ticket, but it's worth checking out cheap charter flights to Mombasa from Europe too. Airport departure tax for international flights is US$20.

You can travel by bus between Kenya and Tanzania. The main routes are from Mombasa or Nairobi to Dar es Salaam and from Nairobi to Arusha and Moshi. There's also a once-weekly train connection between Voi in Kenya and Moshi in Tanzania. Ferries and, occasionally, dhows connect Mombasa with Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam.

The main border crossing into Uganda is at Malaba, though Busia is an alternative if you're coming from Kisumu. Nairobi and the Ugandan capital Kampala are connected by road and rail. There's a border crossing to Ethiopia frequently used by travellers and overland trucks at Moyale. There's no way you can enter or exit Kenya overland from Somalia or Sudan at present.

Local Travel

Kenya has about 250 airports (of vastly varying quality) and plenty of airlines connecting Nairobi with Mombasa, Kisumu, Nanyuki, Malindi, Lamu and the national parks/reserves of Amboseli, Masai Mara and Samburu. While many flights are heavily booked, flying around Kenya and its neighbouring countries is a relatively safe and relatively cheap way to cover a lot of ground. Kenyan trains are also a popular form of transport, despite the fact that the rolling stock, tracks

and other essential works have been allowed to deteriorate. The trains generally run on time and are considerably safer than travelling by bus or matatu. A passenger line runs inland from Mombasa to Nairobi and on to Malaba on the Kenya-Uganda border.

Kenya has a network of regular buses, matatus (usually minibuses), share-taxis and normal private taxis. Cycling is an urban pursuit only because of the distances between towns and the chaotic traffic on main roads.

If you're bringing your own vehicle to Kenya you should get a free three-month permit at the border on entry, as long as you have a valid carnet de passage for it. Keep in mind there are certain routes in north-east Kenya where you must obtain police permission before setting out. Hiring a vehicle in Kenya (or at least the national parks) is a relatively expensive way to see the country but it does give you freedom of movement and is sometimes the only way of getting to the more remote reaches. Generally, Kenyan roads are in good condition. For the more maritimely minded, sailing on a dhow along the East African coast is one of Kenya's most worthwhile and memorable travel experiences. Some of the most popular, and most expensive, dhow cruises leave from Nyali on the mainland opposite Mombasa Island. 

Reading

Petals of Blood by Ngugi wa Thiong'o is an uncompromisingly harrowing criticism of neocolonialist politics in Kenya. Other worthwhile titles by this author include A Grain of Wheat and Weep Not Child .

Meja Mwangi is a well-known Kenyan author whose books are a good introduction to East African literature. His most famous works include Going Down River Road, Kill Me Quick and Carcass for Hounds.

Shiva Naipaul's North of South: an African Journey is a humourously pessimistic account of a visit to Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.

Elspeth Huxley's Flame Trees of Thika tells the story of the white settler experience through the eyes of a young girl.

Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa covers similar turf from an adult Perspective.

 © 1998  Publications Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.

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