Nairobi

Walk out of arrivals and call an Uber or Bolt: 12–20 minutes to the CBD on the Expressway, KES 800–1,500 off-peak, KES 2,500 and more at rush hour or late at night. The Expressway toll (JKIA–Museum Hill KES 410) is usually included in the fare.

If you land at night, pre-book a transfer with your hotel or safari company — the driver waits with a name board. Don't take unofficial taxis touting outside the terminal.

At the border show your ETA approval (printed or on your phone), return ticket and hotel address; fingerprints and a photo are taken. Kenya bans plastic bags — leave duty-free bags on the plane and don't pack any.

JKIA arrivals has a Safaricom desk: a tourist SIM costs about KES 1,000 (30 days, around 7 GB, some calls and SMS). Your original passport is required; registration takes 5–10 minutes with fingerprints. Same price as in town.

Tip: Safaricom has the widest coverage in the parks; Airtel is cheaper but drops out once you leave the city.

If your phone supports eSIM, install a Kenya plan from Airalo, Holafly etc. before the flight — no registration, but no M-Pesa either. Safari lodges usually have Wi-Fi only around reception.

Ride-hailing apps are the safest and cheapest way around the city. Check the plate and driver's name before getting in, keep windows up and your phone off your lap — snatching through windows in traffic happens. Morning and evening rush hours are gridlocked.

Painted matatus (minibuses) and boda-bodas (motorbike taxis) are cheap, but the UK FCDO warns of frequent accidents, theft and robbery. Not recommended for visitors.

For the Mara and Amboseli use a member of the Kenya Association of Tour Operators (KATO) — a pop-up-roof 4x4, an English-speaking guide, and park fees written into the contract. The Mara is a long drive, so light-aircraft flights from Wilson Airport are an option.

The currency is the Kenyan shilling (KES). Big shops, hotels and restaurants take Visa/Mastercard; markets, taxis and small cafés want cash or M-Pesa. Use bank ATMs (Equity, KCB, Stanbic) by day, inside malls. Safaris and park fees are often in US dollars — bring new-series, undamaged notes.

Kenyans pay for almost everything by phone with M-Pesa. When buying a Safaricom SIM, open M-Pesa with your passport and top up with cash at the desk. It is the easiest way to pay parks that take no cash at the gate, taxis and market traders.

If no service charge is included, leave a small tip in restaurants. Tipping safari guides, drivers and lodge staff a little each day is customary — usually at the end of the trip, in dollars or shillings.

Nyama choma — goat or beef grilled over charcoal (Mongolians will love it); ugali — stiff maize porridge; sukuma wiki — greens; chapati, mandazi (doughnuts); Indian-style samosas. Nairobi's 'Carnivore' restaurant is famous for meat roasted on giant skewers.

Tip: Drink Kenyan black tea and coffee — both world-famous exports.

A meal in a simple restaurant costs about KES 600 (KES 300–1,000); a three-course meal for two in a mid-range restaurant about KES 4,400. Mall food courts are clean and good with children.

Don't drink tap water — bottled or boiled only. Eat street food only hot and freshly cooked, and be careful with raw salads and ice. Food in safari lodges is generally safe.

Police and emergency 999, 112 or 911 — free. Private hospital ambulances come faster: save the numbers of Aga Khan University Hospital and The Nairobi Hospital in your phone. Call your insurer's assistance line first.

Theft, snatching and robbery are common in Nairobi. Don't walk after dark or alone, especially around the CBD, Eastleigh, Kibera and Mathare; keep phones and jewellery out of sight. The 2024–2025 'Gen-Z' youth protests against tax rises turned violent and many people were killed — when protests are on, stay away from the centre and follow the news.

The UK FCDO advises against travel to the Somali border areas such as Mandera, Wajir, Garissa and mainland Lamu — the safari parks are far from them. In the parks don't leave the vehicle (except at marked points), keep away from hippos and buffalo, and do what your guide says.

Greet people with 'Jambo' or 'Habari' and a handshake — launching straight into a question is rude. Don't photograph Maasai or anyone else without permission; Maasai villages charge for photos. Photographing police, soldiers, government buildings and airports is forbidden.

Dress is relaxed in Nairobi, but cover shoulders and knees in Mombasa and the Muslim coast. Kenya has fully banned single-use plastic bags, with heavy fines — carry a cloth bag. On safari avoid bright colours and white; browns and greens work best.

Bargaining at the Maasai Market and souvenir shops is normal — keep it friendly. Walking away after agreeing a price is bad form. Restaurants and supermarkets have fixed prices.

Uber and Bolt for every ride in the city. Google Maps shows traffic well; coverage drops in the parks, so download offline maps.

The M-PESA app — payments and transfers with a Safaricom SIM. eCitizen (KWS Pay) — prepay fees for Nairobi National Park, Nakuru, Amboseli and Hell's Gate and get a QR code; gates take no cash.

etakenya.go.ke — the ETA, needed again next time. Magical Kenya — the Kenya Tourism Board's official site: parks, seasons and events.

Cars and luggage are fully screened at the airport road entrance, so queues build up; plan to reach the airport 3 hours before an international flight. It is about 20 minutes from town on the Expressway, but rush-hour traffic is heavy.

If you continue from Kenya to Tanzania, Zanzibar or South Africa, a yellow fever certificate is mandatory — keep the yellow card in your hand luggage. Exporting ivory, animal skins, seashells and coral is forbidden; wood carvings, beadwork, coffee and tea are fine.