Karibu Kenya

The Republic of Kenya is a sovereign state in the African Great

Lakes region of East Africa.

Welcome to the Cradle of Mankind

The country, fondly known as the land of splendor, lies

on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to the south-east,

Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, South Sudan to

the north-west, Ethiopia to the north and Somalia to the north-

east and occupies an area of sq km 582,646.

Known as the Cradle of

Mankind, it is believed that

Kenya has been inhabited for

as long as human history has

existed. The landscape is a

beautiful mix of mountains,

plains and deserts, fringed by

the warm waters of the Indian

Ocean.

Kenya has a population of

about 44 million, with over 42

ethnic communities and is widely known

for its wildlife, world class beaches and

athletes.

KENYA TOURISM BOARD

P.O Box 30630-00100,

Nairobi, Kenya

Tel:+254 020 2711262

Fax: 254 020 2719925

Email: info@ktb.go.ke

www.magicalkenya.com/tembea

Magicalkenya

@Magicalkenya

Kenya is known for its wonderful array of exotic and international

cuisines, with inluences from many diferent cultures.

What to eat

Try keeping to established

hotels and restaurants for

meals. Bottled mineral water

is available in every hotel and

supermarket and hotels and

lodges provide safe water in

a thermos lask in guest rooms.

What to try; Ugali, a Kenyan

maize-meal staple, which

is often served with a side

sukuma wiki (fried kale) and

beef stew.

Halal food widely available

Traditional cuisinesFor a taste of traditional foods

from diferent communities, try Githeri (a stew of maize

and beans) from the Agikuyu,

Omena (little fried ish) from the Luo, Ingokho (chicken)

from the Luhya, Wali wa nazi

(coconut rice) from the Swahili

and Chapati (pan fried lat bread) from the Indian community and

Mursik (fermented milk) from the

Kalenjin.

DO smile and say hello, even to total

strangers. Kenyans are warm people

who will say hello to anyone.

They will often respond to a greeting

by saying ‘ine’. Some will ask about your family and personal life, kindly

take this as a show of concern.

DON’T take it as them prying into your personal life.

1. Kenya is roughly the same size as France at 582,646 sq km.

2. After cofee, Kenya’s biggest income generator is tourism; for Kenyans however, cofee is considered an export product and not as popular as tea and uji.

Cultural DOS and DON’TS

Fun Facts about Kenya

Restaurants with Wi-FiKenya has growing mobile and internet accessibility particularly in

major cities, but it sometimes be challenging to ind in the

3. Some of the oldest known

paleontological records of

man have been found

in Kenya.

4. Kenya’s Great Rift Valley was formed around 20

million years ago when the

earth’s crust was split.

5. The 20km radius around the

town of Iten has the largest

concentration of Olympic

gold medalists.

6. Matatus, 14-seater buses

are common in all cities,

but only recommended for

the seasoned traveler!

7. Safari is a Swahili word

meaning ‘to journey’, but is now used all over the world

to mean holiday.

8. Before marriage, Kenyans

still pay dowry to the bride’s family, an amount that often

starts at 10 cows.

9. Kenyan men are allowed to

have more than one wife, as

long as the irst wife agrees.

10. Kenyan environmentalist

professor Wangari Maathai

was the irst African woman to win the Nobel peace

prize in 2004.

Wildlife

Kenya’s tourism attractions

Kenya’s wilderness parks are famous worldwide for protecting and showcasing a broad range of habitats and species. Some of the

many animals you can see include the fabled “Big Five”: elephant,

lion, bufalo, leopard and rhino, as well as other animals such as zebra, wildebeest, cheetah, girafe, hippo, crocodile, monkey, gazelle, impala and birdlife. Take a beach safari on the coral-reef

protected coast to view tropical ish, dolphins, sea turtles and more.

Wildlife in Kenya is

legendary, ranging from the

Big Five, to 1132 species

of birds and millions of sea

creatures, including rare

species that you only get in

the 9 marine parks in Kenya.

CultureKenyan culture is a melting pot of

diferent beliefs, habits and rituals stemming from the 42 diferent tribes.

World-class beaches and islands Kenya’s beaches have often been named amongst the top in

the world and make up 480km

of sandy white beaches which

border the warm waters of the

Indian Ocean, and are dotted by

award winning boutique hotels.

Adventure Mountain climbing, rock climbing, hiking and white water rafting

are some of the many adventures you can get a thrill from in

Kenya, as well as skydiving, hot air ballooning and a variety of

adrenaline fuelled watersports.

Try a diferent kind of safariYou don’t have to be extreme to enjoy your adventure safari.

Try strolling through the

breathtaking scenery of the

Kenya highlands, camel

riding on the Kenyan deserts,

horseback riding, ishing in the lakes and hot air ballooning;

there are so many ways to have

diferent kinds of fun in Kenya.

What type of currency is used in Kenya?The oicial currency is the Kenyan shilling. Visitors can change foreign currencies at banks or authorized hotels and bureaus.

Most international currencies are easy to exchange in Kenya.

Travellers-cheques are widely accepted and many hotels,

travel agencies, safari companies and restaurants accept credit

cards.

Most banks in Kenya are equipped to advance cash on major

international credit cards. ATMs are found in major cities and

towns all over the country.

English is the language of communication in Kenya and is widely

spoken in hotels, restaurants and establishments.

Kiswahili is Kenya’s national language and a little Kiswahili can go a long way. It is worth learning a few words, as most Kenyans are

thrilled to hear visitors attempt to use any Kiswahili at all.

Guide to Kiswahili• Habari - How are you?

• Hakuna matata - No worries

• Jambo - Hello

• Karibu - Thank you

• Kwaheri - Goodbye

Additional translations can be found at the

Kenya Tourism Board Website

www.magicalkenya.com or in most travel guides.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites1. Lake Bogoria is a saline, alkaline lake

that lies in the volcanic region south of

Lake Baringo, which is famed for its hot

springs, geysers and over 1.5 million

lamingos during the peak season.

9. Lake Nakuru is one of the

rift valley soda lakes, at an

elevation of 1,754m above

sea level and is a haven for

lamingos.

2. Central Island also known as

Crocodile Island is a volcanic

island located in the middle of

Lake Turkana in Kenya.

3. Fort Jesus (Forte Jesus de

Mombasa) is a Portuguese

fort which was built in 1591 on

Mombasa Island to guard the

old port of Mombasa.

4. Mount Kenya is the highest in

Kenya and the second highest

in Africa, after Kilimanjaro.

5. Lake Turkana National Park

is a group of three national

parks located in Kenya.

7. Lamu is a small town on

Lamu Island, which is part

of the Lamu archipelago.

8. Mount Kenya National Park,

established in 1949, protects

the region surrounding Mount

Kenya.

10. Sibiloi national park lies

on the northeastern shore

of Lake Turkana in Northern

Kenya. It serves as the

protection of wildlife and

paleontological sites, and is

internationally known for its

fossils.

6. Kaya (plural makaya) is a

sacred forest of the Mijikenda

people in the former coast

province of Kenya.

Kenya is no diferent from any other destination in the world. It is recommended that you leave valuables and airline tickets in the

hotel safe, avoid displaying expensive possessions and walking

through unlit urban areas at night. Whilst in the bush, be sure

to follow the guide’s instructions. There are very good private hospitals in Kenya with facilities comparable to those in other

parts of the world.

The lying doctor service operates immediate help and evacuation services from the remotest parts of the country to the nearest

hospital, perhaps even faster than you might get through the traic to your local hospital at home. The facility is available for a small

membership fee and can be organized by your tour operator.

Fruit, Thrift and Maasai Markets Kenya is a tropical country with many

common and exotic fruits, which can be

bought at any fruit and vegetable market

around the country.

There are many open-air thrift markets

in Kenya, particularly in major cities

like Nairobi. You can always haggle,

sometimes down to half the original

price, but it’s prudent to take a local guide or friend with you and to dress

down and carry very little.

Maasai markets are a Kenyan

phenomenon selling arts and crafts,

beadwork, woodwork, eccentric

jewelry and cultural knick-knacks from

communities around the country. They

revolve at diferent malls around Nairobi, depending on the day, with some

permanent markets available for tourists.

Visitors require a passport to enter Kenya.

Entering Kenya

Passports must have a

suicient number of unused pages for endorsements

abroad and must be valid

for at least six months past

the projected stay in Kenya.

Visitors will also require a visa to enter Kenya.

Apply for your Visa online

With three simple steps, you

can now apply for your visa

and have it approved in real

time.

To apply for a visa, log on to:

http://evisa.go.ke/evisa.html

From February 2014 the region

launched the tripartite Visa that allows you to visit Kenya,

Rwanda and Uganda using a single visa. For details please

consult the Kenyan embassy or

consulate nearest to you.

To download a visa application

form, log on to:

http://www.kenya-airways.

com/defaulthome.asp

What languages are spoken in Kenya?

Personal Safety and Health

Experience the annual wildebeest migration at the Maasai Mara.

The 7th new wonder of the world

The Cradle of mankind