My $600 round trip ticket was to Kenya, so it was only natural to explore a little here first. The visa for Kenya is $50 if you’re staying more than 3 days, but a transit visa is $20 if you’re staying 3 days or less. Being that I was only staying 3 days, I went with the transit visa. Make sure you don’t overstay your visa (like I accidentally did). Your arrival, no matter what time, counts as a day. I was shook that I overstayed a day. I thought I was going to be taken into custody and left there for dead. But instead, the immigration officer slammed my passport on table and let me go after I explained I didn’t know and that his coworker should’ve asked more questions and checked the dates instead of taking the money and stamping my passport. I saved $30 and a trip to jail 😉
After doing my research, there wasn’t a lot to do in Nairobi and I only gave myself 3 days to see what there was to do. I stayed at the Villa Rosa Kempinski in Nairobi which is about $150 a night. They have 4 restaurants, a pool, a spa with a jacuzzi, a sauna, a steam room, and a rooftop which is more like an extended balcony. The hotel is approximately 20 minutes no traffic from the main airport Jomo Kenyayatta International Airport. Traffic in Nairobi isn’t terrible, but it can get hectic being that there are about 3-4 traffic lights throughout the entire city. During my time there, not one accident happened. Security is also a big thing in Kenya. I was concerned being that a month before I was planning to leave, the terrorist attack at Riverside Park happened. There is a lot of security everywhere you go. It’s reassuring, but no one has guns so if something were to happen, all of that security is somewhat useless. Everywhere you go, you and your belongings are searched. The airport is even worse. Before driving onto airport property, you must get out the car, walk to a security checkpoint, the driver drives to have the car checked, and then you go through regular TSA-like security, but 4 more times. I can’t complain, but after the third time being searched, I was so over it.
There isn’t much to do in Nairobi. If you’re looking to spend your entire trip in Kenya, a few days in Nairobi is fine. If you’re looking for a place to relax and enjoy the beach head to Mombasa. There is a train that goes to Mombasa from Kenya. The ride is about 4 hours and the ticket is $30 for a first class ticket.
While searching to see what I could do in Kenya, I found Giraffe Manor, which is a hotel that has a herd of Giraffes on the premises. If you stay at the hotel, you’re able to have breakfast with the giraffes and get up close and personal since they’re on the property. Giraffe Manor is expensive and most of their rooms are sold out months in advance, so if you’re looking to go, book way ahead of time. If you don’t have a room, you can still pay a visit to their Giraffe Center. There you can feed and pet the giraffes over a balcony or a small brick wall. There is a tour that is offered, but do not waste your money on a tour. I decided to take an Uber, which was $10, pay the entrance fee which was another $10, and feed and pet the giraffes. The tours are running for $40-$50 (waste of money) as opposed to $20 to do it on your own.
Originally I wasn’t going to do a safari. It’s soooooo expensive for a day safari and I didn’t want to pay the money to do it. On the way to Giraffe Manor, I drove past what I didn’t know was the National Park, and I asked my Uber driver if that’s what it was and if that’s where I can go to do a safari and he replied yes. Then he said “If you want, I can do the safari for you” I was shocked, but this was my opportunity to create my own price. I asked him how much and he replied “$40” Without hesitation, I said of course you can take me on a safari! I added that to my itinerary for the rest of the day.
After Giraffe Manor, we head to the National Park to go on this never-heard-of-$40-safari. When you get to the gate, there of course, are park fees. For the driver, myself, and the car you drive, was $60. So in total, I spent $80 for a safari which is no where near the price if I were to go through a tour company. I spent about 4 hours in the park, and I saw more animals that I expected to see. One mistake I made was going midday instead of early in the morning. By midday, the sun is fully out and it’s hot. The animals at that time, are somewhere in the shade relaxing. If you’re looking to do a safari, your best bet is to get up early and be at the park by 6am/7am.
If you’re looking for food, there’s a mix of everything in Kenya. I was looking to eat a traditional Kenyan meal, but I couldn’t find a restaurant that had that on the menu. For cheap eats, there’s a place called Java House which is like the Starbucks of Kenya, but their food menu is extensive. Similar IHOP . The food is really good, good portion sizes and c-h-e-a-p. I paid about $20 for breakfast & lunch with beverages for both meals.
To sum up my trip, would I go again? Yes. I would take time explore Mombasa and stay 2 days in Nairobi. But, for now I’m reminiscing.