How to plan a trip to Kenya?

Are you planning a trip to Kenya?  If so, then this post would cater to all your travel needs. A one-stop place to plan your first trip to Kenya at ease

Hello Peeps,

It’s been a long time. Yes, please forgive me. Life happened and I was caught in the emotions it brought with it. Many of you asked me about my absence here and some of you wanted me to post my African safari pictures. While I wanted to respect all your opinions and post them no sooner or later, I had to take a short break from my usual life to re-energize and regain my lost soul. Yes, soul healing is a necessity in this world of chaos.

And with all your love, I am here now!

I wanted to publish a post about my Kenya vacation as it was the most requested by my readers and followers.

Africa is a land of surprises and offers various elements to anyone who visits this land. Africa is a long journey and offers abundant wildlife safaris, pristine clear beaches, deserts, cities, and mountaineering. One would be spoiled with options while planning a trip to Africa. But then, if you want to explore wildlife in Africa within a budget, then I would vouch for Kenya.

Kenya – one of the most important destinations in Africa and is known to be the origin of safaris. I wanted to explore photography and try different aspects of it. While I was doing birding in the US, I always wanted to try wildlife. On exploring options, all roads led to Kenya. And that’s how this dream vacation happened.

Though there are various articles available for planning your trip to Kenya, I had to refer multiple sites for my vacation. Hence, I created this beginner’s guide – a one-stop post for all your needs to plan a trip to Kenya.

Decide where you want to go and what you want to

Kenya is a land of safaris. Mostly people visit Kenya for their rich abundant wildlife and is a photographer’s dream destination for the ample amount of opportunities it provides for capturing wildlife. Nairobi also attracts a lot of tourists and for its National Park. Hence, it is very important to plan where you want to go and also your length of stay.

Nairobi – Urban capital of Kenya and has its own safari within the city in Nairobi National Park

Masai Mara Game Reserve – A Photographer’s paradise to capture wildlife in its habitat

Lake Nakuru National Park – Birder’s paradise

Amboseli National Park – Wildlife with breathtaking views of Mt. Kilimanjaro

And there are many other national parks in Kenya with ample amount of opportunities. Since I wanted to witness The Great Migration, I decided to visit Masai Mara Game reserve. Masai is a magical land and is blessed abundantly by Mother Nature. Masai will never disappoint you. I am so glad that I picked up Masai for my first Wildlife photography trip.

If you would love to see wildlife in its habitat as a tourist, then I highly suggest you plan a day safari in all the parks or in a couple of parks and spend a day in Nairobi to experience city life.

If you want to learn and practice wildlife photography, then I highly recommend to spend at least a week in Masai Mara Game Reserve

Plan your budget

A vacation to Kenya can be expensive or a cheaper one based on the choices you make. Safaris are available in all the game reserves and in National Parks. There are many safari operators who provide Morning, Evening and Night safaris. Please do analyze the needs and plan a safari accordingly.

If you are a photographer, I would recommend planning game drives organized by wildlife photographers as they have wide knowledge about the reserve and hire experienced guides to spot wildlife. Moreover, you will get expert guidance.  Usually, they prefer to stay in bush camps within the parks to save time and distance. The cost of bush camps is usually high in the migration season. A photography trip to Kenya is a costly affair. But, if that’s your dream, then I would say you will never be disappointed

If you are a tourist, then I would recommend you to pick up a package provided by the tour operators according to the season and your duration

Get your Visa

Your trip to Kenya requires a passport valid for the next 6 months from your date of entry, at least one blank page in it and your return ticket.

Foreign individuals require Evisa to enter Kenya, except citizens from the countries that are exempt.

Obtaining Kenya visa is a simple process and one can obtain the same online or on arrival. The cost of the visa is $50 for Indian citizens. Fill out the form in their Evisa site for Single Entry Visa and submit a valid photo of yours. Tada, you will get a Kenya visa in your mail within 48 hours.

Single Entry Visa is valid for 3 months before your travel; hence I request you to apply for the same two months before your travel

EVisa – http://evisa.go.ke/single-entry-visa.html

Book your International Flights

Once you have planned your vacation, ensure to block flight tickets without any further delay. Early booking helps you to get cheaper rates and prevents the disappointment of unavailability for your intended travel duration

Book your Safari tours

Kenya is a land of safaris and has many tour operators to provide safaris, but then they do get filled immediately. Hence, please do spend time in analyzing the safaris and book safaris based on your needs.

If you are planning for a photography tour, I would suggest booking your safaris with renowned photographers rather than through tour operating agencies. Please check with them personally about the tours; most of them would post on their social media pages. If you are booking through photographers, they will take care of your stay in the camps and food.

If you are booking through operators, enquire about your stay and food. While many of the operators are run by bush camps, there are some agencies that provide only safaris. Please enquire accordingly and plan your stay as well. Usually, stay in any one of the bush camps inside the reserves will be costly and saves your travel time.

Get vaccinated

Any travel to Africa requires you to be vaccinated against Yellow Fever. Yellow Fever vaccine is mandatory for any travelers entering Kenya and the proof has to be shown to the officials in the immigration counters.

Please do check with your doctor about the same and get vaccinated. Ensure to carry a vaccination certificate along with your passport.

If you are in the US, please check with the Passport Health Center. They provide a checklist of vaccinations for Africa and one can get vaccinated within an hour in their center. The Yellow fever vaccination is valid for 10 years.

They also, recommend the Hepatitis vaccine and anti-malarial vaccine if you are planning to go on safaris. It’s good to chat with your health care provider and vaccinate yourself to prevent any further health issues.

Get Travel & Health Insurance

I insist on taking travel insurance to prevent any unexpected occurrences during your vacation. There are many products available in the market and pick anyone who suits your needs. I highly recommend World Nomads.

Also, ensure to carry all your medicines, antibiotics, insect repellants, and other sanitary items. However, I will publish a separate post about the packing list to Kenya.

Cash and cards

The local currency is the Kenyan shilling and trades around KSh 85 to one US dollar. US dollars are accepted everywhere and ensure to carry a considerable amount of cash at your hand in dollars.

Safari operators prefer money at hand rather than online transfer. And they prefer US dollars to their local currency. In almost all restaurants, international credit cards are accepted; whereas smaller shops prefer cash.

Ensure to inform your bank about your travel plans to prevent any blockage of a card when you are in Kenya.

It’s always preferred to carry less amount of cash at hand and carry cards safely as the outskirts of the city are known for pickpocketing and robbery; especially Nairobi.

Shop your travel needs

Once your booking has been sorted out, then shop for your travel needs. Yes, this the most important and most needed step for any vacation and for an African vacation is a must.

Kenya has a tropical climate – hotter days and cold nights. Ensure to shop cotton pants and blouses for your travel.

Kenya has a threat to Malaria. Even though you are vaccinated, it is good to prevent any mosquito bites whilst your travel. Hence, pack long sleeve shirts and full-length pants.

Also, don’t forget to carry hats, sunscreen lotion for day and moisturizer for nights. If you are planning for safaris, then ensure to carry your hiking boots. Sneakers will not be comfortable in a safari vehicle if you are on a photography trip.

Ensure to carry a camera and all its needs. It’s very difficult to figure out doctors or pharmacies inside the game reserves. Hence, please do carry all your medical supplies, antibiotics, and other sanitary essentials.

The most important thing for an African vacation is a set of good binoculars. I will write a detailed post about the packing list to Kenya.

Once everything is done, go and get a relaxing massage as Kenya’s trip will be an equally exciting and tiring one.

Have you been to Kenya? If not, then, what are you waiting for? I bet that you will thank me later.

If you like my travelogue and wish to follow my travel stories further, then do like and follow my profile here – Facebook, Google, Instagram

Thanks, Karthi