CLOSED: [2024-03-06 Wed 00:33]
:PROPERTIES:
:ID:       kenya-guide
:CREATED:  [2024-03-16 Sat]
:END:
:LOGBOOK:
- State "DONE"       from "REVIEW"     [2024-03-16 Sat 13:38]
- State "REVIEW"     from              [2024-03-06 Wed 00:33]
:END:
Now that I am in Kenya the second time,
it is time to recap what I have learned so far.
First of all, like with all explorative journeys,
I recommend to use https://wikivoyage.org ,
the collaborative encyclopedia (like Wikipedia) for travel guidance
which has detailed articles on many topics touched in this article,
some of which with contributions by me.
Also, learn some basic Swahili words
to amuse the locals and make a less touristic
and more genuinely explorative impression :)

** Money
Prices in this article are from 2024,
sometimes with a rough conversation to Euros
from the exchange rate of 1 Euro to 160 KSh.
Apparently you get a decent exchange rate at the airport,
Euro bills are hardly accepted anywhere in Kenya.

Most supermarkets and restaurants especially in cities do accept credit cards
and the exchange rate is usually good with them (at least for me at DKB),
but especially for rural travel
you should familiarize yourself with MPESA ("Mobile Money") via a Safaricom SIM card,
which works similar to PayPal but is truly universally accepted as cash alternative.
You can convert Kenyan Shillings between MPESA and cash in some store of almost every village.
You can refill your balance which is linked to your Kenyan phone number
directly from your bank account regardless of the origin currency with a transfer service like https://wise.com
(use my recommendation code https://wise.com/invite/dic/janef553 for a decent bonus),
which takes a few seconds to days depending on the method.

** Food to Taste
- half chicken with side dish north of Thika Road Mall (TRM) for ~500 KSh (3€)
- fried Tilapia (fish from Lake Victoria) with Kachumbari (onion-tomato-salad) and Ugali (mashed corn) for ~700 KSh (4€)
- asking for recommendations in rural restaurants/cafes -
  often they have simple local dishes, usually with fresh pure tomate sauce from local harvest rather than the ketchup we westerners are used to

** Locations
- No bathing in lakes - pollution, hippos, crocodiles!
  Checkout hotel swimming pools for a quick refreshment (~1-2€), the east coast (Mombasa) and fresh water aroud Mount Kenya.
- Marine national park boat trip in Mombasa or better Kisite (north) or Watamu (south) -
  if you arrange transport and accomodation yourself
  you can get much better fares from the locals (~20€),
  for the exact same tours offered online for 80€ and more,
  have time to mingle with the locals,
  and can also get an affordable private mangroves boat tour
- Personally not a big fan of Nairobi - other cities also have nice parks and markets,
  and Nairobi is pricier and also more prone to pickpocketing and obtrusive beggars.
  Recently took a walk outside of CBD though, which was pretty nice because surprisingly non-crowded
- Lake Victoria around Kisumu - also do not bathe in here, there is high risk of livelong infection with a widespread parasite

** National Parks
- Entry to minor National Parks is about 30€,
  bigger ones with big cats like Tsavo and Masai Mara 80€+ per day.
- An affordable and great one is Hell's Gate,
  has interesting animals,
  a nice market and breathtaking views.
  It is worth getting a guide if you take some time in there
  and visit the hot sulfur swimming pools in the north of the park before they close at 6pm
- If you really want to take time to see the Big Five,
  consider crossing over to Tanzania and visit their bigger counterpart to Masai Mara, the Serengeti,
  which is also more affordable -
  apparently the best time is the migration in early fall,