Kenya On The Go
Flying to Kenya
Kenya runs its own national airline, Kenya Airways, and many international airlines currently provide regular air services to and from the country. In addition, there are many charter flights, particularly from Europe. Kenya has two main points of entry: Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi, and Moi International Airport in Mombasa.
Overland to Kenya
Access by road from the north is difficult because of problems of uncertain transit through northeast Africa, but it is not impossible. A handful of companies in London organise group overland safaris to Kenya, though such trips are designed for the adventurous.
Overland entry into Kenya from Tanzania and Uganda is less problematic. Buses run from Dar es Salaam to Mombasa, or you can take a train to Tanga and a bus over the border. A well-used and popular route is from Arusha or Moshi to Nairobi, which takes about five hours by bus or minibus, with a straightforward border crossing. There are regular bus services between Nairobi and Kampala in Uganda.
Flying within Kenya
Kenya Airways runs scheduled services from Nairobi to Mombasa, Malindi and Kisumu. In addition, private air charter companies based at Wilson Airport, just outside the capital, operate regular, scheduled services in small light aircraft to destinations such as Lamu and the Maasai Mara.
Trains in Kenya
Train travel is exceptionally good value, and comfortable in both first and second class. The delightful overnight trip between Mombasa and Nairobi takes about 12 hours, with two- or four-bunk sleeping compartments and a fully serviced bar and restaurant car. The service extends up-country from Nairobi to Kisumu and Lake Victoria, where Kenya Railways run a lake steamer service to Mwanza and other Tanzanian ports.
Kenya by bus
Buses are the cheapest form of travel in Kenya, with a nationwide network wherever there are reasonable roads. The long-haul buses out of Nairobi and Mombasa are by no means excluded to visitors, but they are definitely rough and ready. Drivers are erratic, and accidents are commonplace. It may be difficult for visitors to find their way about the urban routes on the local buses, and be warned that urban buses also tend to be jam-packed during the rush hours: 7-9am and 4.30-6.30pm.
Taxis in Kenya
The only properly organised taxi service is a fleet of Mercedes, operated by the state Kenatco Transport Company from the international airports and main urban hotels. You can take the driver's word (usually) for the set per-kilometre rate.
Other than this, taxis are something of a free-for-all in Kenya. All are marked with yellow stripes but otherwise they are a decidedly motley collection of vehicles, in various stages of dilapidation, and none have meters. The fares are always negotiable, so ask advice on what a reasonable fare would be at one of the airport hotel or tour operator booths and, in town, from your hotel porter or the Tourist Information Bureau.
Other vehicles
Matatus are private vehicles that offer a cheap service around the urban centres and between towns. They are crowded, sometimes dangerous, and generally not recommended to visitors.
A long-distance Peugeot taxi service is a better prospect to take you out of Nairobi to towns in the Rift Valley and elsewhere. A number of luxury coaches, also privately operated, run between Nairobi and Mombasa.
Driving in Kenya
It is perfectly possible for first-time visitors, who do not want to be packaged by a tour firm, to hire a car and set off for a safari or to the coast. There is nothing particularly hazardous about driving around Kenya. Even so, try not to be too ambitious about the distances you want to travel in a day and do not travel after dark; pre-book your accommodation; and make sure you have sufficient maps, tools, food and water (for yourself and the car). Be sure also to fill your tank with petrol whenever you have the opportunity, since petrol stations are few and far between in some areas.
This isn't standard advice, however. Most locals will probably warn newcomers instead about the poor state of Kenya's bush roads, the kamikaze drivers, the chances of getting lost or robbed. Nevertheless, sensible drivers should be able to find their way around the country's main tourist circuits without too many problems. If you plan to do the 483-km drive from Nairobi to Mombasa, note that the road is in a bad state of repair. Allow plenty of time and be prepared to drive slowly.
Driving in the more remote areas, such as north to Turkana, is a different story. On these out-of-the-way safaris, you need a four-wheel drive vehicle and many more supplies, equipment and local experience, plus someone else driving in convoy.
Hertz, Avis and National operate in Nairobi and Mombasa, together with numerous other local entrepreneurs offering the choice between chauffeur-driven and self-drive options.
Local safaris in Kenya
There are scores of tour operators in Nairobi, and more in Mombasa, offering minibus safaris on various itineraries round the country lasting from two to 14 days.