Country
Culture
Kenyans are very proud of their own heritage, however you can notice the influence of the west everywhere. Hundred years of colonization, colonial oppression and development aid left a evident trail. De locals that come in contact with tourism on a regular basis are mostly spontaneous, extrovert and friendly. However you need to keep in mind that westerners in the eyes of the African people are rich, and that especially the Maasai and the Samburu want to see money before they socialize with foreigners.Language
Most Kenyans speak two, sometimes even three languages including their "mother tongue". Approximately 65 percent of the population speaks a Bantu-language, about 30 percent speaks a Nilotic language and less then 5 percent speaks the original Cushitic language. All children learn Kiswahili at school, this is the national language that is spoken everywhere in Kenya and also the language one needs to read the paper. The "according to Kenyans" elite-language English is the official language and needs to be learned in case one want study at a university, work for the government or in tourism.Climate and best time to travel
The average maximum temperature in Mombasa is 29 degrees Celsius, at night it's around 23 degrees Celsius. In Nairobi it can be around 23 degrees Celsius during the day, but at night it cools of to approximately 12 degrees. In most of the National parks the temperature is similar to the one in Nairobi. However in areas above 2000 meters it's usually cold at night.At the end of the dry season you have the biggest change to see a lot of wildlife in the parks, the grass is still relatively short and dry, in this period the animals flock around the areas were there's still some water left. In the rain period traveling is not an easy task because of the bad state of the roads. During the rain period it's not pouring out of the sky all day, but it's cloudy more often and in the evenings heavy rainfall can occur.
Food and beverages
Food
Kenya has a simple national kitchen, which is often the case in countries with not a lot to spend. The national dish is ugali, some sort of corn dough which is not easy to digest. They also eat a lot of vegetables and meat.Beverages
In Kenya they drink a lot of beer, for example Tusker and White Cap, this beer is relatively inexpensive and very well drinkable. The country folk prefer to drink pompe, a light alcoholic brew. Those who prefer something stronger have to go for expensive bottles of imported liqueur or the locally distilled Kenya Cane.Restaurants
In the big cities, especially Nairobi and Mombassa you can find a huge variety of restaurants. The Indian Cuisine is represented everywhere. The luxury restaurants are not cheap so if you need to watch the budget it's better to opt for an African restaurant for a plate of beans, fries and sausage. In the bigger cities you can also find a lot of hamburger restaurants for a fast and cheap meal.Accommodations
Hotels
Kenya is home to a multitude of hotels, resorts and lodges. In the big cities along the coast you can find the five star luxury hotels comparable to European standards. Most of them with facilities like a pool, bar, restaurant, disco and shops. There is also a choice of good middle class hotels.In general the rooms are clean, however even in the most luxurious hotel you can run into cockroaches. Furthermore there can be outages concerning water and electricity services.Pensions
In the smaller places and villages mostly there's only a simple pension available.Transportation
Public Transport
Between Nairobi - Mombasa and Nairobi - Arusha daily shuttle busses are available, these can be booked at any local travel agency or your hotel. The interlocal bus routes are mostly in the hands of private companies with a small office at the bus station were the tickets can be bought. On the big signs it tells you which places they drive to and at what times. It al seems kind of chaotic, however it does work.A long distance - taxi is also a good alternative for the bus, especially the matatu. These taxi's transport up to nine people and leave from a fixed stop which is often near a bus station. The prices are fixed and just a little more then the price of a regular bus ticket.
Transportation by train is cheap and relatively comfortable, especially when you travels 1st or 2nd class. 3rd class is not recommended as they are overcrowded with local people that carry around half their home and livestock. The main railway runs from Mombasa via Nairobi to Kisumu at Lake Victoria, the travel time from Mombasa to Nairobi takes approximately 12 hours.
Ferry services
There are irregular boat services per dhow, a traditional wooden ship, with a sail an often also an engine. You can inform with the harbor master if and when these sail out, if you choose to sail the high seas with a dhow, beware that there will be no life jackets and such on board.Local Flights
In Kenya it's fairly easy and cheap to take a local flight. Kenya Airways has daily flight between Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and Malindi, however in the high season these flights are often fully booked. Tickets can be booked before you leave your home country with the Airline that flies you to East-Africa.Practical issues
Health
Tab water is drinkable in Nairobi, however you have to be careful, especially outside Nairobi. Mineral water is preferred, you can buy this anywhere in big bottles. Coffee and Tea are no problem as this is made with boiled water. Also try to be careful with food and avoid lukewarm dishes. For salads and ice cubes un save tab water can be used. It's perfectly normal that travelers in Kenya have diarrhea for a couple of days because of the climate changes and innocent bacteria in the food. It's not necessary to take medication right away, just give your stomach some time to adjust to these changes.Malaria is very common in Kenya. Taking malaria tablets gives a good protection to this illness which is past on by mosquito bites.
)
)
)
)
)