KENYA
Welcome
Motto: "Harambee" (Swahili) "Let us all pull together"
Anthem: "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu" "O God of all creation"
Kenya is a superb destination, whether for safari, diving or to enjoy the sun all year round.
Capital: Nairobi.
Population: 53.77 millions.
Gross Domestic Product - GDP (PPP): $99.25 billions.
Official languages: Swahili & English.
Area: 580,367 km2.
Water (%): 2,3.
Currency: Kenyan shilling (KES).
Safety rating: Ranked 119 on the Global Peace Index with a score of 2.30.
Food
If you find little restaurants and cheap restaurants everywhere, the menu is not very varied. The Kenyans want above all sturdy dishes, which hold in the belly for a reasonable price: you will often find yourself facing a stew of beans (stew) in which bathe a few pieces of meat. In lodges - and camps - it is buffet, for a quality oscillating between mediocre and excellent - most being in the correct but rather agreed.
Meats
Symbol of ease in a country where many people do not really eat their fill, even in small proportions, is as much as possible in the composition of meals. At the top of consumption are sheep and goats, followed by chicken and beef. Nyama choma (“grilled meat”) is in a way the Kenyan national dish. We pay for the meat by weight and wait (count 30 minutes) for it to be well (over) cooked. It is better not to expect too much from a feast: it is often hard, when it is not hygiene that leaves something to be desired. In restaurants, watch out for meat that looks like it was more fried than cooked, this can hide its spoiled character! Other dishes often on the menu include karanga (stew, stew) and mishakiki (skewers, skewers). The ostrich, the crocodile and the camel can be legally consumed, unlike the gazelle, the antelope, the zebra or the giraffe, which have been banned for some time.
The Ugali
Another Kenyan (and Tanzanian) classic, on the side of accompaniments this time, ugali is the food of choice for the whole country. It is a kind of cracked corn porridge, very firm and tasteless. Kenyans grab a piece of it with their hand, mix it with the vegetable they serve and dip it in the sauce of the dish.
On the go
Along the sidewalks, and in the markets, vendors sell mandaazi, rather good donuts when they are fresh (in the morning), grilled corn on the cob or fried yam. Many snacks offer sambusa (samosas). In town, there are more and more fast foods.
Vegetarian cuisine
If you are vegetarian, you will have to be creative. That said, to forget the bland ugali, there are some dishes like irio kikuyu and mukimo, matoke (corn and plantains) or githeri ( corn and beans). If you come across it, don't hesitate to ask for sukuma, delicious Kenyan spinach. In the lodges, the buffets allow you to eat vegetarian without too many problems. Otherwise, you can always shop in the supermarket or at the market.
Indian cuisine
The large Indian community in Kenya is the head of many hotels and restaurants. You will find all the classics such as the thali (assortment of small dishes), the curries, the tandoori chicken, the rice dishes such as pilau and biryani, the uttapam, etc. Since the community has been established in the region, the recipes have often changed a little. Remember that Indian cuisine is both very spicy and largely vegetarian, with many dishes based on starchy and pulses (potatoes, lentils, beans, chickpeas, etc.).
The specialties
We can mention irio kikuyu, a very popular dish made from peas, potatoes, corn, and sometimes with green bananas. When these foods are mashed, this dish is usually called mukimo. It's invigorating and really healthy. But in reality it is on the coast of the Indian Ocean that we find the real Kenyan specialties. The heritage of the various colonizations - Arab in particular - but also the influences brought by the sailors meet there in a typical cuisine where an abundant use of spices predominates. Kuku wakupaka, Lamu-style chicken - with coconut milk - is a very good example. It is also on the coast that you should look for fish and crustaceans (shark, swordfish and grilled barracuda, lobster and crab).
The fruits
The most common fruits are papaya, mango (reds are better but seasonal), pineapple, bananas, avocado. There are also Passion fruits, watermelons, melons (expensive), pears and strawberries (risk of amoeba, better to avoid them).
Water
That of the tap is a priori drinkable in Nairobi and Mombasa, but do not trust it. The locals boil it. Bottled water is everywhere (not too expensive).
Fruit juice and coconut milk
Pressed orange is mainly found in medium and high-end restaurants; otherwise, there are mango, pineapple or passion fruit juices in season. On the coast, refrigerated coconut milk (maduf) is very pleasant. In all cases, make sure that tap water has not been added.
Tea and coffee
Kenya is one of the main exporters. Although the country grows quality tea, you will often be served imported tea bags. The local tea, very full-bodied, is always served with boiled milk and already sweetened. If you want it plain, ask for a kavu chai. Coffee, also produced locally, undergoes the same treatment. However, in the cities, it is possible to drink a very decent espresso, and sometimes a better cappuccino than in France, especially in Malindi where the Italian community is strongly established.
Beer
It is very popular in Kenya. Often considered the best, the Tusker is famous for the elephant that adorns the label of its bottle. There is also the Pilsner (ice or lager) and the White Cap (including a light version). All are light blondes.
Wine
Mnazi is palm wine, obtained by the natural fermentation of palm sap. Mainly on the coast. Kenya is a small (very small, even!) producer of wine. The rare vineyards in the country are found in the Lake Naivasha region. Leleshwa, run by a South African cellar master, offers a highly drinkable sauvignon blanc and a shiraz (production of some 150,000,000 bottles per year). The papaya wine, meanwhile, is to be avoided. Imported wines are mainly sold in restaurants, mainly South African, or even European or South American, but expensive for quality.
Transportation
The train
Until recently, only one line worked, the old Uganda Railway or Lunatic Line, built between 1896 and 1901 by the British at the cost of the lives of hundreds of Indian workers. Deteriorating over the years, it crossed at a speed of senator (30 to 45 km / h) the country, between Nairobi and Mombasa. But this train is now a thing of the past: thanks to a massive investment from China, a new line (called SGR, sot Standard Gaug Train), also connecting Nairobi to Mombasa, came into service in 2017, reducing travel time between the two cities only 4-5 hours, compared to almost 18 hours previously. This express train (called the Madakara Express) leaves daily from each station (Nairobi and Mombasa). Please note that this new train, with a capacity of 1,260 passengers, departs from 2 stations located some distance from Nairobi and Mombasa itself (7 and 11 km respectively). Allow a little more time to reach the city center of each city (bus shuttles, in principle from the old station in each city). A 2nd daily train, a little slower since, stops in 7 stations, namely, in the Nairobi-Mombasa direction: Athi River, Emali, Kibwezi, Mtito Andei, Voi, Miaseny and Mariakani. Ultimately, the "Chinese" line should be extended to Kisumu (work is underway from Naivasha), then to Uganda and Rwanda.
The plane
First, good advice: print your boarding pass online in advance to avoid overbooking. And watch out for domestic flights canceled at the last minute. Finally, allow for a comfortable margin between arrival in Nairobi and any internal correspondence; the formalities are long if you take your visa on arrival, and the road can be congested if you change airports. Domestic flights are expensive. To limit costs, compare prices between different companies, knowing that Jambojet, the low-cost of Kenya Airways, often offers the most advantageous prices.
The bus
In Kenya, a large bus is called a coach and a medium-sized bus is a minibus. The "minibus" corresponds to the vehicle locally called matatu, which serves as an urban and interurban collective taxi.
Intercity buses are convenient, inexpensive and frequent. There are very comfortable luxury coaches at reasonable prices. Example: Nairobi-Mombasa, 1,000-2,500 Ksh for around 500 km and 9 hours of travel.
You should favor large companies with a storefront (with air conditioning, VIP seats, etc.); the others are unreliable, in terms of punctuality, comfort and security.
The matatu
The matatu is quite usable, practical and therefore not expensive, but we cannot say that the security is extraordinary. Theoretically, the number of passengers is limited to 14 and each should have a seat belt... but we are often far from it! Embedded for several hours between bags and provisions, one knee stuck in the back, the air missing, I quickly prayed to arrive as quickly as possible, and unharmed. Because the worst is mainly the driving of the drivers, fundamentally reckless, and with thundering music that could leave you deaf (take earplugs). We therefore advise you to reserve the use of matatus for peri-urban journeys or between 2 nearby cities.
For long journeys, I prefer buses. The destinations served by a matatu are written on the side yellow strip of the vehicle, and shouted on the fly by the receiver.
The taxi
If you take a taxi, make sure the driver has a permit and a license, in short, that it is a real taxi (in the evening, especially), and agree on the price in advance: the meter is a scarcity. You will find taxis mainly in front of large hotels, restaurants or shopping centers.
The driving
They drive on the left, the distances are given in kilometers, and the petrol is sold by the liter (not very expensive; around 110-120 Ksh / l).
On the main axes, buses and trucks constitute a permanent danger and Kenya is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for road safety. More than 3,000 deaths per year, 40% of them pedestrians.
Never ride at night: wild animals, bandits on big and small roads, invisible pedestrians and unpredictable carts, "lying gendarmes", potholes... In town, lock the doors, at the stop.
Location
Only those who are used to driving in developing countries in general - and in Africa in particular - will risk it. Not that it is impossible, but concerns can still arise on any street corner.
To rent a vehicle, you must be between 23 and 70 years old and have a valid national or international driver's license(preferably). Renting can be very expensive. Prices vary from simple to double between international companies and local companies. The difference is in the insurance coverage. This is why a cheap rental is not necessarily a good deal.
Essential questions to ask yourself before signing:
- What is the exact amount of the invoice?
- What happens in the event of a breakdown?
- Who pays in the event of a claim?
Hitchhiking
I never thought that I would witness it in Kenya but it's very common. Foreigners from Europe or America, hitchhiking in Kenya to access safaris at low cost. It happened to me as I was with my driver about to access the entrance and we were asked by the workers if I would accept this guy in my car. He was a young man from Brazil, about 22, and he genuinely thought that he could walk through the park like he did in Ghana. Mind you, Kenya hosts some of the most dangerous wild animals in the world such as lions, hippos... there no way you can walk there and come out alive. I said yes and he paid me what he had. I'm not difficult and really didn't mind but most other cars told him no. He turned out to be a very sweet guy and we had a good time but I do not recommend this approach.
To access the parks without a tour operator or car, the choices are limited. You can eventually regroup in Nairobi with other travelers, but you must still meet them: the desertion of the country by backpackers and the disappearance of low-budget addresses intended for them makes it risky.
If you ever arrive at the park entrance, with a matatu for example, or even hitchhiking, you will not be able to enter it on foot and would have very little chance of finding a vehicle likely to take you somewhere. Visiting a park is like going into a game drive; without a vehicle, you are stuck. There then remains the option, sometimes offered, of day-charter vehicles from inexpensive accommodation bordering the park: it costs at least $ 100, more often $ 150, to share.
Last practical advice
If you ever decide to put your thumbs up with your arms outstretched, motorists will not necessarily understand your intention. To show your intention to get into a vehicle, make a big gesture from top to bottom with your arm towards your destination.
Best things to do
Go on a safari in the Okavango Delta, where wild nature and animals are in perfect harmony. Go in search of the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert. Walk among the ancient rocks of the hills of Tswapong or Lepokole. Stop at Serowe, the largest shopping crossroads village in Bostwana. Admire the cave paintings in Tsodilo, the "Louvre of the desert", classified by UNESCO. In the Tuli reserve, admire the Wall of Solomon, a natural wonder carved into the rock by prehistoric erosion. Feel at the end of the world and tiny in front of the spectacular Victoria Falls.
See the Okavango Delta.
The Okavango Delta is known as Africa’s last Eden. The UNESCO World Heritage site discharges a whooping 11,000,000,000,000 litres of water each year. The Okavango Delta hosts large concentration of animals such as elephants, crocodiles, hippos, buffalo, and so many more, and it is one of the best places to see animals in Africa thanks to careful wildlife management by the local authorities. Given its sheer size, a lightweight plane ride is the best way to see the delta.
Hang Out With The Elephants in Chobe National Park. The very first national park of Botswana is famed for its large herds of massive African elephants that are entirely grey, hairless, and have massive ears and majestic tusks. They also seem to have all of the animals from The Lion King at the national park.
Cruise along the Zambezi River and wait for the sunset. Hang Out With The Rhinos At The Khama Rhino Sanctuary. The sanctuary sets out to assist in saving the critically endangered rhinoceros. While attempting to restore the area to its previous natural state, it also helps provide economic benefits to the locals through sustainable tourism. This is a great place to spot black and white rhinos, as well as over 30 other animal species that hang around that area.
Best time to visit
The climate is equatorial however subject to significant regional variations.
There's two dry seasons from December to March, and July to October, alternate with two rainy seasons, April to June, and November to December.
But nuances are to be brought to this general picture: on the coast, a hot and humid tropical climate is moderated by the monsoon winds; in the northeast desert, dry heat reigns permanently, except in April & May when light rains occur.
The climate around Lake Victoria is still humid, with slightly less rain in January and February; on the highlands, the climate is drier, hot and sunny, with cold nights. To leave, choose the intermediate seasons (June, September, October) for the safaris, which will avoid the tourist rush.
Quick tips
Kenya is at GMT + 3, that is: - in summer, there is an hour difference (when it is 12:00 in France, it is 13:00 in Kenya); - in winter, there is a 2 hour time difference (when it is 12:00 noon in France, it is 2:00 pm in Kenya).
Money
The currency unit is the Kenyan Shilling (KES). It is not exportable. There are 1, 5, 10, and 20 KES coins and 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 KES notes. The US dollar is accepted everywhere. Provide cash (especially small denominations). Euros can be changed at the airport or in hotels, but it is still impossible to pay with. Travelers checks are more difficult to change than cash. Most hotels and shops change currency (at poor rates: I prefer exchange offices) and accept credit cards or travelers checks. Some hotels require notes to be paid in foreign currency, especially dollars. Banks open from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and are closed on Saturday and Sunday. There are few vending machines however cash withdrawals are difficult.
Electricity
The sockets have three plugs, two horizontal and one vertical (British system). We recommend that you bring an adapter. In lodges, electricity is generally supplied by a generator, which only works at certain times. Therefore, power outages are common.
