Are you traveling to Kenya for the first time? Then maybe some information and practical tips will help you, which we will gladly pass on to you.
One of them is to pack a few small useful gifts for the children of the rural population such as some crayons, pens, candies or the like. It puts a wonderful smile on their face and makes your heart soar.
Of course, this information does not claim to be complete, and we only share our own experiences.
Info you were looking for is not there or you want to know more? Then feel free to contact us.
Best time to visit Indian Ocean Coast
Kenya is a relatively dry country with long periods of good weather. These are interrupted by a major rainy season from April to June and a minor rainy season from October to November, but these two monsoons are comparatively weak.
Thus, the year can be roughly divided into 4 weather phases:
- From December to March it is very warm, sunny and dry – best time to travel.
- From April to mid-June it rains more often, and because of high temperatures it is humid.
- From mid-June to mid-October is the driest and coolest season. With pleasant bathing temperatures, it hardly rains.
- From mid-October to December, the daily values rise again, it is sunny, but in between short precipitations fall.
Temperatures vary, however, depending on the region, with February generally being the warmest month.
While in the north and east the values rise up to 40 degrees, in the western and central part they are around 25 degrees, on the coast around 30 degrees.
Somewhat more pleasant are the summer months from June to August, when it is 25 degrees on the coast and the thermometer in the highlands drops below 10 degrees at night. The water temperature is suitable for swimming all year round at 25 to 28 degrees.
During the summer months of June – August, temperatures on the coast are a pleasant 25 degrees, while at the same time in the highlands temperatures drop below 10 degrees at night.
Climate table
Source: https://de.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Diani_Beach
During the Kenyan summer from December – March tourism flourishes. If you like it a bit quieter, you can come to the coast of Kenya outside the above mentioned time, which from my point of view can be visited at almost any time of the year. The water temperature of the Indian Ocean is constantly warm throughout the year.
Travel documents
You need a valid passport (at least 6 months) and you should get an international driver’s license if you plan to drive yourself in Kenya.
A visa is required for Kenya. We attach you a link through which we always get our visas very fast and cheap without any problems (within 24 hours)
https://evisa.go.ke/evisa.html
You must register before traveling to receive your QR code needed for entry:
If you are coming from Germany, please refer to the current regulations on the website of the German Foreign Office for everything else:
https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/aussenpolitik/laender/kenia-node/keniasicherheit/208058#content_4
Before returning to Germany, you must register on the website of the German authorities. When entering the country, this is checked by customs.
https://www.einreiseanmeldung.de/#/
For travelers from other countries, please refer to the respective regulations of your own country.
Things to know about Diani Beach, Kenya
Colobus Conservation is a non-profit conservation organization working to conserve and protect primates such as the endangered Angolan Colobus Monkey (Colobus angolensis palliatus) and its habitat in the coastal forest of southeastern Kenya. The organization was founded in 1997 in response to outcry from residents about the high number of colobus monkey deaths on the road to Diani Beach.
You’ll find green monkey ladders attached to the trees from one side of the road to the other all along Diani Beach Road, which the monkeys have taken to very well, resulting in far fewer animals being run over.
All other tips and information are listed alphabetically for easy search.
Monkeys
In all accommodations on Diani Beach you will find monkeys of various species. They are cute to look at, and perfectly harmless if you behave appropriately, but you should know that they are still wild animals. Therefore, do not try to pet or feed them. The monkeys could then bite or scratch you and also transmit diseases. Never leave food or drinks outside unattended, this will attract the monkeys and they may become aggressive if you try to deny them “their prey”.
Souvenir
Trade is flourishing in Kenya, as Kenyans, especially in Diani Beach, live from tourism. The only thing you have to pay attention to are the customs regulations of your country when exporting.
But it can also happen that you are offered, for example, claws of lions or large shells. Many of these large and colorful shells are caught and killed specifically for sale, which is why the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora makes perfect sense and it prohibits the export of such goods.
You can find woodwork everywhere – you can take it home without any problems, but you should pay attention to the weight to avoid exceeding the max. weight. not to exceed the permissible total weight for your luggage.
Alcohol
Imported alcoholic beverages are generally quite expensive in Kenya. If you choose local brands, among which there are good ones, you will get the alcoholic beverages much cheaper.
Baden
Depending on the tide and the phase of the moon, the Indian Ocean, which is otherwise rather calm in this country, can have high waves. Do not underestimate the currents and undercurrents here. Especially when the water is draining, you should not swim out too far.
Beachboys
There are always quite a few on the beaches of the big hotels in Kenya. They are very friendly but persistent, so you may eventually feel very harassed. A little outside the “hustle and bustle”, away from the big hotels, the beaches are just as beautiful, but much more relaxed as far as the beach boys are concerned. In our experience, the best thing to do is to ignore the beach boys or briefly raise your flat hand in refusal, thus wordlessly but firmly signaling “no thanks”. For us, this always works very well and we have our peace. However, should you engage in a conversation and show a willingness to buy, you should never buy at the suggested price. Action is important and common.
Foreign exchange
The local currency is KES (Kenya Shilling). At the banks you can easily exchange EUR into KES, you will also get the better exchange rate than at the hotel or airport. ATMs accept credit cards, so you can get KES directly from the machine. Max. 40,000 KES per withdrawal/day is possible, depending on the machine. For some, the limit is also 20,000 KES (our experience). It is good to have a Visa and a Mastercard, because not all ATMs accept both credit cards.
In larger stores, restaurants and hotels you can almost always pay by credit card.
Diarrhea
Hardly anyone is spared diarrhea during a tropical trip. Rarely is it the foreign food, but you should be careful not to eat too fat, the climate here does not necessarily forgive heavy food. The most common reason for diarrhea is drinking drinks that are too cold or iced drinks where the ice was made with tap water. As a rule, European drugs are of little help here. In almost every pharmacy (of which there are several here on the coast) you can find medicines that have proven to be good locally for little money. These tablets help immediately and reliably.
Airport
Immediately after leaving the airport building in Mombasa, many eager young men will offer to carry your luggage to the waiting vehicle. We speak from experience. We were totally delighted during our first stay in Kenya how friendly and helpful the Kenyans are. Today we know why. Please do not accept these offers, because they expect to be well paid (up to 10 €, which is more than 1000 KES) for the service you did not ask them for. It’s better if you take a free luggage cart, because the distances are quite short anyway.
Internet and telephone
Our resort has stable wifi (fiber optics), which is not yet common in Diani Beach. In most hotels, camps and lodges there is also wifi, but often only at the reception.
When you are on the road it makes sense that you are independent of the WLan. Safaricom and Telcom, both near our resort, offer internet bundles and also sim cards for cell phones. A sim card currently costs about €1. For the registration you need your passport. If you surf a lot, Telcom also offers flat rate packages.
If you want to call home often, you should think about a sim card for the phone. This saves you high roaming charges, and with a Kenyan phone card, even a long call to Germany costs very little.
Clothing
On the coast of Kenya it pays to wear light and airy clothes. Better than jeans, which are much too warm, are cotton pants and tops in light colors, as dark colors attract mosquitoes.
However, if you are also planning a safari, then sturdy shoes, a jacket, headgear and, if necessary, a scarf are indispensable for the game drive. In the morning and evening it is rather cool, during the day often very hot and the sun shines quite intensively. Due to the airstream, you often don’t notice it right away. That is why a good sunscreen is also very important.
You have packed your swimsuit, you can also take it with you on safari, because some lodges offer a pool.
In general, it should be noted that during the day it is rather casual, in the evening for dinner in the hotels at least neat clothing is expected, shorts and sandals and peaked caps are not welcome for gentlemen.
In the hotel area or on the beach swimwear is of course okay, outside the hotels or for example in Mombasa you should keep in mind that the coastal region is largely Muslim and therefore too lightly dressed women are not welcome.
Medication / first aid kit
Medication that you need regularly should be brought from home, preferably in your hand luggage, in case your suitcase does not find its way to the airport with you in time. An insect stick, a gel against sunburn are obligatory, if necessary headache and stomach tablets are useful.
Should something unexpected happen, there are several pharmacies in Diani Beach, which are also well-stocked.
Taking the passport
It is advisable to photograph your passport immediately after entering the country, at least the first page and the visa in the passport, and send it to yourself by email, so that you can print the passport if necessary, in case it gets lost.
Photography
Kenya offers very diverse motifs to shoot wonderful pictures.
However, there are a few rules to keep in mind:
Ports, airports, government and administrative buildings and military objects are forbidden to photograph,
The Maasai usually like to be photographed, but expect some money for it. Please ask beforehand so that there are no unpleasant surprises.
On safari you get the best pictures in the morning and in the late afternoon, in the midday sun the photos look rather low in contrast.
Plastic bags
As of Aug. 28, 2017, the importation and use of plastic bags has been banned in Kenya for environmental reasons. If you don’t comply, there can be hefty fines. I therefore strongly recommend that you do not take any plastic bags with you in your luggage and that you also refrain from using them in Kenya. Cloth or paper bags, on the other hand, are fine.
Reusable small plastic bags for cosmetics in carry-on baggage are exempt.
Smoking
Smoking is prohibited in Kenya in hotels, restaurants and even outside in public. If you do not adhere to this, it can also be expensive here, depending on the city and region. However, in some places there are some designated smoking areas just like in hotels and restaurants where you are allowed to smoke even on the balcony of your room in principle. If you want to save money as a smoker, you can definitely resort to Kenyan cigarettes, as there are definitely good quality alternatives. When buying a lighter, also make sure not to buy the cheapest one, it might explode if left in the sun for too long.
In our resort, of course, we also have a smoking ban in the rooms. Since you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors otherwise, there are of course opportunities to smoke outside at the resort.
Travel guide
We recommend the short travel guide from Marco Polo, because it is probably always kept very up to date, although there are of course many different travel guides to Kenya. It also depends on how intensively you want to learn about the country and its people. Therefore, your own research certainly makes sense here.
Starfish
Did you know that starfish die once you take them out of the water? During guided walks out to the reef, tourists are always shown starfish, which are taken out of the water for this purpose. I too have had the pleasure, but did not know at the time that starfish do not survive.
Security
(Is it dangerous to stay outside the hotels/resorts?).
We have not had any bad experiences so far, however, we do not recommend anyone to roam the bushes alone at night on their own. There are always at least two of us and you’d better leave your handbag at home. Opportunity makes thieves, but that is not only the case in Kenya. In this respect, at least around Diani Beach, it is not more dangerous than in other cities in Europe, where there are also dangerous and less dangerous regions. Basically, however, crime is higher in Nairobi than in Mombasa, for example.
Along the coastal road tuk tuks drive all day for little money. However, even there you should definitely negotiate the price beforehand, because I have already paid 150 KES for the same short distance, but should have paid 500 KES with another driver. But basically it is very convenient to go from A to B by tuk tuk, they stand everywhere, also ask you all the time if you want to go with them and so getting around is very easy even on longer distances.
Besides the tuk tuks, there are also boda bodas, which are the cab motorcycles that are still a bit cheaper than the tuk tuks. However, from my point of view, it is also more dangerous, and it depends on the driver. Helmets are not compulsory here, and of course protective clothing is not worn. It is not uncommon to see 3-4 people on a motorcycle or to use the motorcycle as a means of transporting goods.
Sunscreen and bug spray
Which mosquito spray is suitable for Kenya? Which sunscreen is the right one?
I advise to buy both in Germany, especially good sunscreen is very expensive in Kenya.
On the subject of sun protection, a high sun protection factor is recommended, depending on the skin type. My experience is that it takes about 1 week for the skin to acclimatize somewhat. Especially for the first week, a high level of sun protection is very important.
When it comes to mosquito spray, I can recommend Autan Tropical. Mosquito sprays that contain Deet are very effective, but they are also aggressive.
Beach shoes
At low tide, you can take wonderful hikes on the then exposed coral reef at Diani Beach.
Since the coral rock is quite sharp-edged, you should therefore be sure to wear shoes. However, beach shoes made of soft plastic are completely unsuitable here, because sea urchins also live on the coral reef, and their long and sharp spines easily penetrate the plastic soles.
It is best to take old sandals with thick and firm soles with you on vacation, you can use them for further vacations, not only in Kenya.
Power adapter
In Kenya, the English three-pin plugs are used. In supermarkets like Chandarana on Diani Beach Road you can buy the appropriate adapters for little money.
Tea
You like to drink tea? There are excellent qualities to buy in Kenya in almost all supermarkets. The tea cultivation introduced by the British brought mainly the Ceylon variety (Orange Pekoe) into the country, and hardly anyone in Europe knows that today most of the products of this tea variety sold in Europe come from Kenya and Uganda. The teas of the company Ketepa (Kenya Tea Packers) are particularly good.
Toiletries
If you forgot any toiletries at home it’s not a problem. The larger supermarkets on Diani Beach Road such as Chandarana or Naivas in Ukunda carry a wide range of European products.
Tip
How much tipping is appropriate on vacation in Kenya?. As a general rule, if the food was tasty and the service was good, you should tip about 10 percent of the bill.
On safari they say: if you are absolutely satisfied with the driver, the whole group in the vehicle together gives about 1000 KES per day, which is about 8-10 €.
In the camps and safari lodges you will find tip boxes for the staff at the reception.
Sales booths
Not only on the beach, but also along the road you will find stalls. From handicrafts to typical local clothing, basketry to drinks, you will be offered all kinds of things. Trading is perfectly normal here, it’s even expected, so dare to do it, it’s even fun and no one will end up selling you anything below price.
Water / Drinking water
You should not drink tap water anywhere in Kenya. Bottled drinking and mineral water, however, is available everywhere, not only in the hotels, but also outside, quite cheaply, for example, in supermarkets. When you are on the road it is advisable to always have a bottle of water with you, as it is usually quite hot and therefore drinking is of course very important. It’s best not to drink water that’s too cold, though, or you could get “diarrhea.” For the same reason, you should always ask if the ice cubes in your drink are made from drinking water. Please keep in mind that water is a precious commodity in Kenya, so you should use it carefully and for example not shower for hours.
In this way, you also determine how often your towel should be changed in the hotel/resort by either leaving it hanging or laying it on the floor to be changed.