Thanks to its safaris, beautiful natural scenery, parks, and private conservation areas, Kenya has long been a popular destination for East African tourists. Your African fantasies come true as you travel across vast landscapes bathed in the soft morning light. Kenya also has beautiful beaches that contain blue waters most beach-loving tourists seek. I’ll be sharing a travel guide to Kenya.
If you’re considering a trip to this beautiful country, this guide will help you plan a trip to Kenya and make informed decisions.
Kenya is, without a doubt, a top choice for an adventure-filled vacation in Africa.
You are reading a travel guide to Kenya.
What You’ll Need
Entry into Kenya with a Nigerian Passport shouldn’t be too difficult, especially since I’ll share some valuable tips as you read.
To gain entry into Kenya as a tourist, you’ll need:
- Visa & Passport: Visas to Kenya are only issued electronically, and passengers must obtain their e-visas before departure. With passports, your passport must be valid for at least six months from arrival and contain at least two blank pages upon arrival.
- Vaccinations: You’ll need to show proof of COVID-19 and Yellow Fever vaccinations before you’re allowed entry into Kenya. Unvaccinated travellers, as well as those who have been in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Lesotho, Malawi, Botswana, or Zimbabwe within 14 days, must undergo a rapid antigen test at the airport. I recommend you do your due diligence with your Yellow Fever certificates. You will be required to take the vaccine at the airport if your certificate is deemed unauthentic, which will undoubtedly take a significant amount of your time. Travellers aged under 5 are, however, exempt from these requirements.
Things to Note Before Traveling To Kenya
- Language: Kenya is home to approximately 40 different cultures, so its residents are as diverse as the languages spoken in the country. English and Swahili are widely spoken in Kenya and are the country’s official languages. Communication with the locals isn’t tricky as they are indeed accommodating.
- Food: Maize appears to be a staple in Kenyan local cuisine, with dishes such as Ugali (mashed maize usually served with rice), Mahindi Choma (roasted maize), and Githeri, among others, remaining popular options. However, in most restaurants, the food menu is carefully crafted to cater to people from various cultural backgrounds. You can also find international cuisine in Kenya, primarily Italian, continental, and Indian.
- Weather: If you plan to travel in February as I did, I’d advise that you check the weather in the specific state you plan to stay in, as weather conditions vary across the country. Like most African cities, Malindi has a warmer climate, whereas Nairobi, like most European cities, has a cold climate. If you’re going to be moving within states as I did, ensure you have appropriate clothing for each state.
- Money: Kenya’s official currency is the Kenyan Shilling (KES). The United States dollar is also widely accepted, and should you have any other currency than the two mentioned above, you will almost certainly need to exchange it. ATMs should be easy to find in Kenya, as there are many of them. I recommend you travel with a Visa/MasterCard if you’re visiting Kenya, as they both work on POS terminals and ATMs.
- Digital Payments and online shopping: While visiting Kenya, I did not have much luck with paying for tickets online. I purchased my inter-city plane tickets at the Nairobi international airport after arriving in Kenya and paid with my domiciliary bank account card on a POS. MPesa is the most popular method of making payments in Kenya. You can sign up for MPesa by getting a Safaricom sim card and registering at an agent location. You would need to pay cash to these agents and they’ll make a transfer to your wallet.
- Travelling between cities: Kenya has trains which can be used for inter-city travelling. However, because I wanted a convenient stress free trip, I opted for plane rides where possible.
Where To Stay
Nairobi
Four Points by Sheraton is an excellent choice if convenience and comfort are your main concerns. I recommend it as your first and last place to stay upon arrival and when preparing for departure. It is centrally located and is just 5 minutes away from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. They also offer complimentary airport pickup and drop-off (be sure to mention this when making reservations). In addition to their clean and peaceful ambience, the hotel boasts a soundproof system, a pool, free high-speed wifi, in-house restaurants with food menu carefully crafted to cater to people from varying cultural backgrounds, a fitness centre with gym and locker rooms, a bar/lounge, laundry services, a rooftop terrace, waxing and spa services, makeup services, a breakfast buffet, and many more amenities to ensure your safety and convenience. The staff is also very welcoming and professional.
This 5-star hotel is located in the heart of Nairobi’s Central Business District. I recommend it to people who want to travel to Kenya for business because of its well-equipped conference room and proximity to major business centres and commercial banks. I appreciate their staff’s attentiveness and competence. They have a pool, a fitness centre with a gym, a bar/lounge, airport transportation, babysitting, a fireplace, free internet, a safe, air conditioning, and room service, among other amenities to ensure a safe, enjoyable, and convenient stay.
Malindi
Billionaire Resort and Retreat
Surrounded by tranquil waters, the Billionaire Resort & Retreat exudes simple luxury, seclusion, and privacy. Do you want to unwind? The Billionaire Retreat pampers you and leaves you with long-lasting memories by combining excitement, relaxation, and modernity with traditional Kenyan culture.
The Billionaire Retreat houses Naomi Campbell’s Luxury Villa, an architectural delight. With its vaulted cathedral ceiling, Makuti thatched roof, sculptures, and carvings collected from around Africa to pay homage to African culture, which I find very interesting. This place is so calming and peaceful with its earthy-toned interior that gracefully complements its natural feel. Because of its beautiful ambience and wide array of natural light, I recommend it if you want to film a lot of content or take nice pictures.
The Billionaire Retreat has an award-winning spa, five salt-water swimming pools, and pristine white beaches in Malindi Marine National Park. The in-house Billionaire Grill & Bar is ideal if you prefer a more lively atmosphere.
Only a few apartments are available for rent, and getting one is unlikely. However, I recommend booking ahead to increase your chances of securing an apartment because you can make reservations from anywhere in the world at reasonable rates.
You’re reading a travel guide to Kenya.
Places To Visit And Things To Do
Kenya boasts safaris, the second tallest mountain in Africa – Mount Kenya, and many beaches, so you get to try real-time hunting and mountain climbing if you feel brave. During my short stay in Kenya, I visited the following places:
Billionaire Grill & Bar
This is a fantastic chill-out spot facing the beach at the Billionaire Resort. They offer a wide range of drinks specially curated by their super friendly bartender. The cuisine is majorly Italian with a blend of dishes from around the world.
Billionaire Beach
The Billionaire Resort & Retreat is located on a private beach, which complements the natural-looking, tropical ambience with white-powdery sands. Activities to try at the beach are Scuba diving, snorkelling, and surfing.
Dhow Cruise
Going on a Dhow excursion is one of the most popular things to do in Malindi, Kenya, because it is a great way to see the Malindi Marine National Park & Reserve and enjoy some great snorkelling and sunbathing. You get to sail on the Indian Ocean, taking in the scenery, beautiful sunsets, and dolphins. Swimming and snorkelling are also enjoyable activities.
Lovers Island
Several small islands surround Watamu Beach. The Lovers’ Island is the most intriguing because, in addition to its white sandy beach and clear waters, it is also mysteriously heart-shaped. It is a popular activity to fish for starfish, hermit crabs, and other sea creatures. There is a registration fee, which includes payment for a travel guide in English. Depending on the tide on the island, this tour is usually done in the morning or at noon.
Visit & Shop From Local Stores
“Always leave room in your suitcase for new items.” is an underrated piece of advice. Kenya is a treasure trove of African crafts and is a great place to find handcrafted sculptures, beads, antiques, and art. You should visit the following shopping centres during your visit: Utamaduni, African Heritage House, Kazuri Beads Factory, The Maasai Market, and Galleria Shopping Mall.
Lunch/Dinner at Carnivore Restaurant
This restaurant provides a fantastic experience and should be on the bucket list of any meat lover. It’s a sit-down buffet with an unlimited supply of various types of meat and desserts, with a wide range of homemade sauces. The ambience, staff professionalism, and great food make this place worth the hype. I’d recommend visiting in the afternoon to minimize insect bites or going with a mosquito repellent if you must visit at night.
Maasai Mara National Reserve
The Maasai Mara National Reserve in southwest Kenya is a vast and beautiful landscape of gently rolling African savannah. Its animals include lions, cheetahs, elephants, zebras, and hippos, and wildebeests migrate through its plains every year. The Mara and Talek rivers cut through the grasslands and rolling hills of the terrain. Maasai Mara on twice-daily game drives; taking to the skies in a hot air balloon, taking to the saddle on a horseback safari, and celebrating the sunset with Maasai warriors are all popular tourist activities in the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Conclusion
Did you enjoy this travel guide to Kenya? Kenya is an excellent destination if you enjoy and appreciate nature, wildlife, and adventure. The country comes with peace and relaxation; there’s so much to see and do there. I hope this guide helps you travel confidently to Kenya.
Some things are better experienced visually, so you can watch my vlog from my stay in Kenya and get more tips on things to do as I couldn’t cover all I got up to in this travel guide to Kenya.
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