We list only some of the reasons why every conscious tourist is simply obligated to visit Kenya at least once in his life..Firstly, this is the land "where the human civilization came from": the first, then terribly terrible and not at all perfected by the intellect, homo sapiens was born on its colorful expanse .Secondly, Kenya can be rightly called the navel of the land - the equator line runs through the country .Thirdly, in the vastness of Kenyan national parks, the notorious "big African five" is found and readily shown to tourists: an elephant, a lion, a leopard, a buffalo and a rhinoceros (not to mention all the numerous nimble little things, such as meerkats).Fourth, to immerse themselves in the coral reefs of the local Watamu marine reserve, which is teeming with the exotic fauna of the Indian Ocean, the most advanced divers consider it as an honor,.In general, the slogan "magical Kenya" is not an advertising exaggeration: magic is really everywhere!

The capital is Nairobi. Large cities and resorts - Nakuru, Kisumu, Eldoret, Tika, Nanyuki.

To the resorts in the traditional sense of the word (the seaside with hotels, discos, restaurants and other entertainment typical of beach rest) in Kenya are Mombasa, Malindi, Watamu and Lamu. The main reason tourists go to Kenya are national parks: Amboseli, Watamu, Masai Mara, etc.

Contents 1 How to get to Kenya? 1.1 Search air tickets in Kenya 2 Visa to Kenya 3 Customs 4 Kenya Telephone Numbers 5 Transport 6 Car Rental in Kenya 7 Interesting facts about Kenya. 8 Safety of tourists 9 The climate of Kenya is 10 Beaches 11 Kenya hotels 11.1 Book a hotel in Kenya at the best price 12 Money 13 Shopping and shopping in Kenya 14 Kenya's cuisine and restaurants 15 Entertainment, Excursions and Attractions of Kenya 16 Safari in Kenya 16.1 We also recommend

How to get to Kenya?

Direct flights Moscow-Nairobi or Moscow-Mombasa are not present yet, it remains to be content with numerous variants of flight with docking in other countries .Qatar Airways operates Moscow-Nairobi flights through Doha three times a week, Emirates every day on the same route fly through Dubai, EgyptAir through Cairo, Turkish Airlines through Istanbul .Time in flight taking into account docking - from 11 hours .In addition, transit flights with docking in different cities of Europe are possible: through Zurich (Swiss Air), London (British Airways), Amsterdam (KLM), Paris (Air France).On Air Berlin flights you can get from Moscow to Mombasa .Airlines Lufthansa and Condor carry out joint flights on the route Moscow - Mombasa with docking either in Frankfurt or Munich .

Flight from Kazakhstan: Emirates Airlines operates flights twice a week from Almaty to Nairobi (via Dubai).

From Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belarus there are several transit flights with docking in European cities.

Visa to Kenya

To enter the country you will need a visa. It can be obtained both on arrival at the airport and at the embassy of Kenya in Moscow.

Customs

Permission is granted duty-free import of 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco, a liter of alcoholic beverages, 250 ml of perfume .It is forbidden to import fruits, seedlings and seeds, drugs, explosives, firearms and even imitating toys..It is forbidden to export gold and diamonds, ivory and animal skins without a special license from the customs authorities..Import of foreign currency is not limited, but the declaration is obligatory .Export of national currency is prohibited .Export of foreign currency in amounts not exceeding the amount declared at the entrance will not cause problems .

Kenya Telephone Numbers

Embassy of Kenya in Moscow: Lopukhinsky Lane, 5 pp. 1; tel .: (495) 637-21-86, 637-25-35, 637-42-57; fax: (495) 637-54-63; website

Embassy of Russia in Nairobi: P.O. Box 30049, Lenana Road; tel .: (20) 272-87-00; website

Twenty-four-hour reference for the Federation of Tourism of Kenya: (20) 604-730 or 505-614.

Transport

Nairobi, Malindi, Mombasa, Lamu and Kisumu are connected by Air Kenya flights and the "low-cost" Fly 540.

The trains of the route Kenya-Uganda ("Lunar Express") are very slow and often get out of the schedule, so you can ride them only for the sake of exotic sensations. The network of railways also links Mombasa, Nairobi, Kisumu, Nanyuki, Malindi, Lama, Taveta, Amboseli, Masai Mara and Samburu national parks. Usually, trains leave in the evening and arrive at their destination the next morning, often breaking out of the schedule.

Safari can be chartered in the following directions: Nairobi-Masai-Mara (anywhere in the reserve, frequency-depending on the number of passengers), Nairobi-Naniuki-Samburu (daily flights to the northern part of the Kenyan National Park), Nairobi-Lamu and Kivayu (daily), Nairobi - Eldoret and Kisumu (1-2 times a week).

Ferries regularly run between Mombasa, Malindi and Lamu, as well as the lakes .In addition, these ports can hire one of the traditional Kenyan sailing boats "dhow", plying in the coastal zone, without forgetting to stock up on food and drinking water before swimming..In Nairobi and Mombasa - sufficiently developed systems of domestic bus transport .Tickets are valid for one-way trip and are sold by conductors .For a short distance trip, you can use the "matatu" minibus for 12-25 seats .True, they, like all urban transport, are often overloaded and travel in a completely crazy rhythm, so they should use caution .

Taxis are both owned by large (Kenatco, Dial a Cab and Jatco), and small transport companies or private carriers. The fare should be agreed in advance, before boarding the car. Many drivers also expect a tip of 10%. It is not recommended to catch a taxi on the street, because the risk of fraud is great - it is better to order a car by phone from the hotel.

Car Rental in Kenya

It is better for foreigners to rent a car with a local chauffeur. It will be more expensive by about 50%, but it will remove a lot of problems. The international airports of the country have offices of major international car rental companies. They can rent a car on general terms: a credit card, an international driving license and an age of 21.

Interesting facts about Kenya.

"Jumbo" is the word Kenya begins with. No, no, it's not about the jumbo-jet "Boeing-747" and not about circus elephants, which are usually called in English-speaking countries. "Jambo" in Swahili means "hello", and "jambajutsya" here with taste: with wide white teeth smiles and genuine joy (even if they broke up 10 minutes ago).

Looking at the continuously amused Kenyan population, you clearly understand that Western civilization, while increasing comfort, but at the same time detaches from simple and eternal pleasures: live communication with a friend, enjoyment of the beauty of the surrounding world and the joy of being on this planet ±​​$ br >.In addition, Kenya bewitches dormant expanses of the national parks in the hot haze, beckons with the azure depths of the Indian Ocean and generously sprinkles the bizarre constellations of exotic impressions: from aboriginal dances at a ritual bonfire to a night roar of lions somewhere right behind the fence of the camp..

Safety of tourists

Do not drink tap water, drink ice, or buy food from street vendors..Fruits should be washed with boiled water .Before going to Kenya, vaccinations against hepatitis A, tetanus and poliomyelitis are recommended .To visit Kenya, a vaccination against yellow fever is not necessary, but the Russian Ministry of Health recommends still not to give it up - $ .Vaccination should be made no later than 10 days before entering the country..After vaccination an international certificate is issued, valid for 10 years, which is often checked by the sanitary services of Russian airports .As in many other African and Asian countries, Kenya needs to protect itself from malaria..There is no vaccination from her, so tourists are required to take special antimalarial tablets according to the following scheme: one tablet a week before the date of travel, one on the day of arrival in Kenya, then a tablet every week of stay in the country .After returning from Kenya it is recommended to take a pill every week for 3-4 weeks for prevention purposes. .It is also necessary to carefully monitor the condition of mosquito nets in all places of residence and, in case of finding the slightest gaps, require replacement of the number .

And in Kenya it is strictly forbidden to smoke in public places. You can beg the forbidden fruit only in specially designated places, or be prepared for the fact that you have to lay out an indecent amount of fine.

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The climate of Kenya is

Far from the coast, in the western regions, the temperature is always flat, around +23 ° C, with very slight fluctuations throughout the year and constant rain .On the coast, seasonality is more pronounced, and the temperature here is always higher, from +26 ° C .In April-May, downpours are falling on the coastal part of Kenya, this period is called the "long rains" season (it can rain for an hour or more), and October-December - a "short rainy season" (during the day it rains for about 20-30 minutes) .In the north of the country it is always hot and dry, the climate is close to the semidesert .In the central part of the country the nights are cold enough, and the days are hot and dry..

See also the weather forecast for the main resorts and cities in Kenya.

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Beaches

Beaches of the Kenyan coast are covered with soft white sand. The tides in the Indian Ocean are very palpable, so the water near the shore can sometimes be cloudy.

Kenya hotels

Hotels in the usual sense of this word are in the cities, primarily in Nairobi (here are the city hotels) and Mombasa (beach hotels) .But during a safari for overnight stays stop at the so-called lodges (Lodge) or Camps (Camp) .These hotels are located either in the National Parks or next to the National Parks .Their distinctive feature is that outwardly they resemble the traditional dwellings of local residents, fit organically into the surrounding landscape, are built of eco-friendly materials and at the same time meet all the rules of comfort and safety..

Loggias, as a rule, are separate bungalows (stone or wooden houses with a thatched roof). They are located in the reception, rooms, restaurants, etc. Tented Camps are when rooms are located in stationary tents, where, like in lodges, there is everything that is in the room of an ordinary hotel - one double or two twin beds, bathroom with toilet, sink and shower with hot and cold water and all toiletries.

There are even just camps .These are tents that they carry with them during the so-called camping safari and are broken down for the night in specially designated places for this..In this case, convenience, as they say, is in the courtyard .Camping safari is the most affordable, but also the least comfortable type of safari, designed for a certain category of tourists .But, as a rule, this category of tourists does not resort to the services of travel agencies and organizes such trips independently .Therefore, travel agencies rarely have to deal with a camping safari .

And there are also so-called "hotels on the tree", the most famous of which is Treetops. The name comes from the real houses on the tree, which were arranged by European hunters to track down animals. Now this is a small, disguised on the outside tree trunks, a structure on piles at the site of watering wild animals. Inside there are several small rooms, a bathroom, a toilet, a washbasin and a shower - on the floor; a small restaurant, a bar and an observation deck for watching wild animals.

Kenyan accommodation facilities, be it hotels, lodges or camps, there is no official "starry": each hotelier determines the level of his institution independently .So the list of services in hotels of the same category can vary very much ."Stars", as indicated on the websites of tour operators - the results of personal impressions of employees after the inspection of lodges and hotels .Voltage in the mains 220/240 V, 50 Hz .Sockets of the English standard - three-contact flat or two-contact round, so to use electrical appliances you need adapter $ $ .

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Money

Change the currency is best at the airport and in banks, while it is worth taking a certificate - without it, the reverse exchange will not be possible. Banks are open from 9:00 to 15:00 from Monday to Friday and from 9:00 to 11:00 every first and last Saturday of the month. Banks at the airport are open around the clock. In the official currency exchange offices you need to present a passport.

In some large stores in Nairobi and Mombasa, major international credit cards are accepted for payment. Tourist checks can be cashed in bank branches. In the internal parts of the country, it is unrealistic to pay off anything other than cash.

Tipping is usually given in local currency: the porter - about 1 USD, the maid at the hotel - 1-1, 5 USD per day, to the huntsmen, drivers and other attendants on the safari - 3-5 USD. In a restaurant or bar, the tip will be traditional 10% of the bill amount.

Shopping and shopping in Kenya

Masks, figurines, figurines, batik, kalebasy (vessels from hollowed pumpkin), spears, drums, leather goods, braiding .In "duty free" always available local tea and coffee in a beautiful original package .Well, in the capital of Kenya, you can very profitable to buy precious stones, especially malachite, tanzanite, blue agate and blue diamonds .If, however, the notorious amphibian will oppose the acquisition of "brulikas", a so-called "soapstone" (kisii) ±​​$ can be simpler for a Kenyan souvenir..Handicrafts can be purchased at the Maasai Market in Nairobi .

Shops usually work from 8:30 to 12:30 and from 14:00 to 17:00 from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays - from 8:30 to 12:30. Many shops targeting foreign tourists work without lunch until 19: 00-20: 00.

Kenya's cuisine and restaurants

Kenyan cuisine - a kind of "mix" of African, Indian and European culinary achievements .In addition to beef and pork (which are traditionally expensive in Kenya), meat of wild animals and birds is widely used .Tourists are usually trying to surprise with a variety of exotic things - antelope fillets, stewed elephant, crocodile meat with banana salad, fried sideways boar, hot ostrich with fruit sauce, fried termites or locusts, buffalo steak and t .д .Kenyan chefs usually put burning spices very generously, so those who do not like (or can not afford their stomach) spicy food should be warned in advance about this waiter .The most popular local dish is "nyama choma", which literally means "fried meat" (usually on a spit or coals) .Chom garnished with fresh vegetables and "faded away", similar to potatoes from corn flour .Drink everything with juice, beer or wines - local and imported .

Entertainment, Excursions and Attractions of Kenya

Numerous national parks are the main reason for the popularity of Kenya in the tourist market. Their options are from a short excursion to a multi-day safari.

Nairobi, the modern capital of Kenya, is interesting in the Nairobi National Park, Karen Blixen Farms (Karen Blixen Museum and Giraffe Farm) and Bomas-of-Kenya (one of the farms where performances of national dance and music groups take place). The rest of the "must see" of the capital: the Clock Tower in the city center, the Parliament building with the mausoleum of Kenya's first president Jomo Kenyatta, the National Archives, the Indian Quarter with dozens of beautiful Hindu temples, many mosques and temples, the National Museum.

Near Nairobi is the Great Rift Valley (Great Rift Valley) or the Great African Rift, one of the most impressive places on Earth, formed as a result of the motion of the earth plates many millions of years ago. There are 30 active or semi-active volcanoes in it, and the total number of flamingos permanently inhabiting the alkaline lakes of the Rift Valley reaches four million.

Safari in Kenya

In Kenya, with all its objective tourist advantages, they go first of all for the bright sensations .Simple, even primitive, but strong and ancient - much more ancient than the human mind .Come here to wake up the slumbering hunter's instincts .It is he who inevitably wakes up in everyone who happened to be in one of Kenya's national parks .The look follows the swift running of the pack of antelopes, the rumor is disturbed by the roar of wild buffaloes, and the sharp smell of large predatory cats, beginning to hunt somewhere very near, penetrates into the nostrils..And even in the hands instead of a double-barrel elephant or a faithful silicon spear - only a digital "mirror" (the real hunt in Kenya is banned for more than a year), emotions still roll off .

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Photo of Kenya (130)