Travelling to Kenya

Kenya is an amazing country to experience wildlife and to take in a gorgeous and diverse landscape. You can find everything from equatorial glaciers to tall mountains to extensive plains.

Many who visit Kenya opt to go on a safari, where they catch glimpses of animals like rhinos, elephants and lions. Hikers will find adventure with Mount Kenya, an impressive peak which offers both day hikes and more ambitious excursions.

Kenya has beautiful beaches that are welcoming to travellers looking for relaxation or to participate in water sports, including diving and snorkelling.

Culturally, Kenya also boasts impressive diversity, with more than 40 different ethnic groups with their own unique traditions.

Antimalarials

You will need to take prescription medicine before, during, and after your trip to prevent malaria. Your doctor can help you decide which medicine is right for you, and also talk to you about other steps you can take to prevent malaria.

Hepatitis A vaccine

This vaccine is recommended because you can get hepatitis A through contaminated food or water , regardless of where you are eating or staying.

Yellow fever vaccination

Yellow fever vaccination is required for arriving travelers from all countries if traveler is ≥1 year of age.

Tetanus vaccine

Make sure you are up-to-date on routine vaccines before every trip. These vaccines include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot.

Typhoid

You can get typhoid through contaminated food or water . This vaccine is recommended for most travellers, especially if you are staying with friends or relatives, visiting smaller cities or rural areas, or if you are an adventurous eater.

Meningitis

This vaccine is recommended if you plan to visit parts of  East African Counties  located in the meningitis belt during the dry season (December–June), when the disease is most common.

Routine Vaccines

Make sure you are up-to-date on routine vaccines before every trip. These vaccines include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot.

Stay Healthy and Safe

Eat and drink safely

A country where Indian and Middle Eastern food is available in most areas, and there is a wide range of international restaurants in Nairobi and Mombasa. Tourist hotels provide buffet meals and hotels in smaller towns offer a dish of the day, such as chicken and chips or stew and rice. Sumptuous tropical fruits, ranging from pineapples to mangoes, can be bought seasonally at local markets.

Eat

  • Food of your choice either raw or cooked
  • Fruits and vegetables, you have washed in clean water or peeled yourself
  • Pasteurized dairy products

Don't Eat

  • Food which is not well prepared
  • Eat food without washing hands
  • Unwashed or unpeeled fruits or vegetables

Drink

  • Bottled water that is sealed
  • Water that has been disinfected
  • Ice made with bottled or disinfected water
  • Carbonated drinks
  • Hot coffee or tea
  • Pasteurized milk

Don’t Drink

  • Water which has not been boiled or disinfected
  • Unpasteurized milk

Take Medicine

Talk with your doctor about taking prescription or over-the-counter drugs with you on your trip in case you get sick.

Avoid sharing body fluids

  • Diseases can be spread through body fluids, such as saliva, blood, vomit, and semen.
  • Protect yourself.
  • Use latex condoms correctly.
  • Do not inject drugs.
  • Limit alcohol consumption. People take more risks when intoxicated.
  • Do not share needles or any devices that can break the skin. That includes needles for tattoos, piercings, and acupuncture.
  • If you receive medical or dental care, make sure the equipment is disinfected or sanitized.

Know how to get medical care while travelling

Plan for how you will get health care during your trip, should the need arise;

  • Carry a list of local doctors and hospitals at your destination.
  • Review your health insurance plan to determine what medical services it would cover during your trip. Consider purchasing travel health and medical evacuation insurance.
  • Carry a card that identifies, in the local language, your blood type, chronic conditions or serious allergies, and the generic names of any medications you take.
  • Some prescription drugs may be illegal in other countries. Call Kenya embassy to verify that all of your prescription(s) are legal to bring with you.
  • Bring all the medicines (including over-the-counter medicines) you think you might need during your trip, including extra in case of travel delays. Ask your doctor to help you get prescriptions filled early if you need to.

Many foreign hospitals and clinics are accredited by the Joint Commission International. A list of accredited facilities is available on their website (www.jointcommissioninternational.org).

Malaria is a risk in Kenya. Fill your malaria prescription before you leave and take enough with you for the entire length of your trip. Follow your doctor’s instructions for taking the pills; some need to be started before you leave.

The country is situated on the equator in east-central Africa bordering the Indian Ocean in the south-east. Lake Turkana (Lake Rudolf) to the north, Lake Victoria in the west. With an area of 580,000 km², the country is bordered by Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Spoken languages are Swahili and English (both official), and numerous indigenous languages mainly Kikuyu and Luhya.

Joined EAC: July 2000 (Founding Member)

Kenya hosts the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) and the Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation (LVFO), both institutions of the EAC mandated with coordinating sustainable development in the Lake Victoria Basin and its environs.