Kenya eTA
Most visitors need an electronic travel authorisation before they fly. Apply on the official government site, not a lookalike. We will check that you have started it; we cannot collect it for you at the airport.
Passports
Six months of validity beyond your travel dates is the rule camps and airlines expect. Children need their own documents. Names must match the ticket.
Health
Talk to a travel clinic about malaria prophylaxis for safari areas. Yellow fever certificates are required if you are arriving from a country that Kenya lists, not automatically from Europe or North America. Bring personal medication in original packs. We are not your doctor.
Money
Cards work in Nairobi and in many lodges. Small notes help for tips and crafts. ATMs are not a strategy inside a park. Tell your bank you are travelling so the card is not the thing that fails at the fuel station.
Tipping
Not included, and not a moral test. A guide and driver on a private safari are often thanked at the end of the trip; camps sometimes have a staff box. We put a suggested range on your final notes so you are not guessing in the car park.
What the days feel like
Starts are early. Middays are for rest. Dress is practical, never camouflage. A warm layer matters on open vehicles from June to August. See the journal piece on packing if you want the longer version.
Connectivity
Many camps have Wi-Fi that is fine for a message and poor for a call. Say if you must be online for work; we will choose the lodge accordingly, or talk you out of the trip.
Safety
Kenya is a normal country with a capital city, not a film set. Use the same sense you would in any large city. On safari, stay in the vehicle when you are told to. The animals are not a petting zoo, including the ones that look bored.
Insurance
Buy a policy that covers medical evacuation and trip cancellation. Park fees and flights inside Kenya are often non-refundable inside the final weeks. We will ask if you have cover. We cannot be the cover.