Am thinking about Kenya for next September...anyone can tell me;

- what currency you need/how much? I've read about Kenyan shillings/pounds but can't say I really understand.

- vaccinations, the likes of malaria and all that? I'm guessing that's a "go to your doctor" question but I'll ask away anyway.

- plug sockets and whatnot...I'm thinking of how to charge my camera 😉

- what clothes...I was thinking it'll be hot but then, should one wear sleeveless tops or not, incase of mozzies?

And just any tips/hints/advice anybody has would be really appreciated 🙂

I did this tour in Oct 2010, fantastic to see the animals I love elephants...I hope you give JY a go. You will be one of the younger travellers but please do not let that put you off. everybody mixes in so well. I also did the add on so if you can and like lazying in the sun then please consider this option if they still do it.

Yes your right the Kenyan schilling is the local money, there is NOT an awful lot to buy so you do not need vast amount of spending money to be honest. In some of the places we went they are very happy to take sterling I think they can get a good rate of exchang on it.

Vaccinations YES quite a few and maleria tabs as well. Yes as you say contact the doctor or practice nurse,you will need yellow fever which you have to pay for and also pay for the maleria tabs you get private prescrtion from docs I got mine of internet much cheaper for the same thing. you need to take I think for 3 days b4 you go and all the time your away and I think for a week when you get back.

I think I just took international electric adapter and it was fine.

I must say I got bitten alive by the darling mozzies others did not.. I took mozzy sprays and creams and plug ins but still got bitten alive...When I went it was scorching so very little lothes vest tops overshirts and 3/4 troussers short etc.....and I took a few long maxi dresses for the evenings...

Even with being bitten alive this is a fantastic holiday I wish you well. If I can help with anything else just let me know..

Cindy

Having come back from this trip in October I hope I can answer your questions.

OK, money, local currency is Kenyan Shillings, so you will need some to take with you, in all I took round about £1000 in 3 currencies, Kenyan Shillings, Pounds & Dollars, never touched the dollars, used the pounds to pay for the trips when we got back to Mombassa and and just used my shillings, if you don't want to take a lot of money with you, there is a Barcleys bank with a cash point just down the road from the Hotel in Mombassa. It woill all depend on how much you intend buying on how much money you need, things are cheaper than you will realise

Vaccinations, I would recommend you make an appointment to see the nurse at your GPs, I went about 8 weeks before departure, she advised which jabs I needed and had them there and then, you can have Yellow Fever, but will have to pay for it, the others are free on the NHS, you will need Maleria tablets, again she will advise you, but everyone seems to take malarone, you will have to pay for a private prescription for this.

Plug sockets, don't worry, kenya has the same voltage and sockets as we have here, so your normal plugs are fine.

Clothing, yes it will be hot and humid, so thin tops, shorts etc, you don't need long sleeves as long as you have an anti mozzie cream or spray, I took all sorts of anti mozzie stuff but just used a spray I bought off ebay, didn't get one bite, oh and at the hotel in Mombassa they like you to dress for dinner, no shorts, swimsuits etc so take a summer dress/light trousers with you.

Hope you have a good camera as you will take some excellent photograps, if you have binoculars take them or borrow some

And last of all have a great trip, check out all other forum posts about Kenya the will give you more advice.

If I can help anymore just ask.

regards,

Martin

I am just looking into booking of the remaining spaces for MArch. Got all detail on jabs, there's a lot unfortunately. Can you advise whether the £30 topup for all-inclusive at the Mombasa hotel is worthwhile please? I would assume so if it includes drinks?

Also, I have seen some 100% deet sprays but surely that is too strong for you to use regularly, is 40-50 sufficient?

Advice gratefully received 🙂

Unless you have the yellow fever jab then its only 2 injections, I wasn't aware there was a top up for all inclusive with Just You so I can't comment on whether its worth it or not, I found it cheap enough anyway, as to the deet I used a spray which I bought off ebay called Careplus it had 50% deet and I found it very effective, not a bite to be had.

Laura,

Unless you want to relax by the pool (you can't relax on the beach too many beach traders to bother you) and just do the trips at your own leisure then yes do the add on, there are 2 trips which run on the same day, so you can't do them both without doing the add on, I did the dolphin dhow, which was great, saw dolphins and swam with sea turtles, the other trip is also on a boat, but can't remember what they did, think they went to a marine reserve and some ruins.

The Food is good, at the lodge and at the hotel in mombassa it is mainly european and some kenyan added in, you get a packed lunch when you go on the full day safari, which wasn't brilliant, so take some fruit and chocolate when you go out.

There is a small shop at the lodge where you can buy postcards and there is also a shop in the hotel.

Need to know anything else, please just ask, always happy to help.

Martin

I have had a reply about the upgrade to all-inclusive as follows:

"If a client went for the All Inclusive package they would actually stay at the Travellers Club (which is adjacent and connected to the Travellers Beach which is the HB side of the hotel).

The All Inclusive includes all local drinks and all meals etc are included.

The clients can upgrade for all of their beach stay (and not just the add-on) – but they should be aware that their rooms would be in a different part to the rest of the group who would be on HB."

So basically it's all meals plus local drinks. Hopefully this will help you decide whether it's worth it or not.

Glad you were able to find out about the all inclusive bit, meal wise you are just talking about lunch as breakfast and dinner are already included.

If you look at yout itinerary you will see that you have an included lunch when you arrive in Mombassa (at Tamarind Restaurant - very, very nice), so it is just 3 days lunch you would get, if you do the evening meal and light show trip (monday night if I remember), you get your lunch that day as you pay for your evening meal as part of the trip, so that could take you down to 2 lunch's, if you do one of the trips on the Tuesday (either of the Dhow trips) you get lunch as past of the trip, so dependant on what trips you do, it could only be 1 lunch you are looking at, breakfast and dinner are buffet style so you can fill up as much as you like and just have a snack at lunchtime (from the pool bar), so you are just looking at drinks, wouldn't know how that will work if you get in with a group of say 6 people and you are sat in the bar at night watching the entertainment.

I think what you need is someone who has done the all inclusive to advise you more, maybe if you contact Olly the Editor he may know someone who could advise.

Obviously the decision is yours, but I found it cheap enough.

If I can help anymore please ask (this fantastic trip is still so fresh in my memory).

regards,

Martin

Thanks for that, makes sense. I have just called customer service and they said I can remove the upgrade, as bit worried when it said in different part of building too and none of the others have upgraded on my group. I posted one for Olly but couldn't have submitted properly so will might try again. I will have a think about it.

Can you remeber if there were hairdyers in both hotel rooms, I know it's not really a bloke thing but worth asking 🙂 it cuts down on taking bulky stuff, also I assume we need plug adapters?

I am really looking forward to it, although nervous! Not long with me going mid March 😃

Firstly, you don't need plug adaptors as Kenya is the same as us. so your 3 pin plugs are fine, as for hairdryers, not at the Lodge (but you can hire them from reception), but I think there was one in the room in Mombassa (yes there was have checked the hotel website).

Secondly, money, it depends on what you think you are going to spend, I took £300 in Kenyan Shillings, the rest I took in Pounds/Dollars (there is a barcleys bank with cash machine quite near to the hotel in mombassa). Not a lot to spend your money on at the Lodge apart from drinks and the odd souvenir, when we arrived at Mombassa Airport there was a small sweet shop where people bought chocolate and water for the journey up to the lodge (about 2 hours drive), you stop quite close to the Park at a gift shop (you stop there on the way back as well), on the day you leave the lodge there is an extra excursion to a Masai village and those that don't want to go meet the rest at the gift shop, people want you to buy whenever you stop, I bought a few trinkits at the Masai Village, but bought my wooden animals when we visited a Co-operative in mombassa (all wooden figures are made here for all all over kenya, they swop out everything at the end of the month, put new stock up for sale and the old stock is sold to the beach traders and others who hike up the price by at least 200%, any money you spend here goes 20% to the Co-operative/80% to the carver). In Mombassa you are looking at gifts/drinks/trips/odd lunch as meals are included. At the moment if you change £300 it will give you 40,000 kenyan shillings and I think a beer was around 300 shillings, so it is quite cheap.

A bit long winded I know, but I hope that helps.

regards,

Martin

@Lol: I took £300 worth of currency, used plastic to settle my bar bill and pay for excursions in Mombasa, and had to draw £20 out of a hole in the wall at the airport to buy a drink on the way home. I think most others spent about the same.

Gareth

I wore desert boots while on the drives, others would wear trainers and some would wear walking boots, you don't really do a lot of walking when on the drives, only on the full day drive when you have a toilet stop at one of the park gates and then at the lunch stop, there is one early start, I think we went out around 6am and were back at the lodge by about 9am, it was warm enough for short sleeves.

Hope that helps

Just want to add one thing while I remember, when you arrive in Mombassa, you will be met by the Somak Reps, they provide the vehicles and drivers/guides for the safari part of the trip, there will be 4 mini bus type vehicles (they seat 7, 8 with driver) to take you up to the Park and which ever one you travel in you will stick with for the whole time you are on safari.

Martin

You will LOVE this holiday - I did it in September last year and it was fantastic. I am 31 and there were people of varying ages but to be honest, we all mixed really well, you don't need to worry about being 20. We were so well looked after by everyone at the lodge/hotel. I am actually contemplating booking again for September!!