Geography
By African standards, Kenya is a medium-size country of some 560,000 square kilometres. It is situated on Africa's east coast and has borders with Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the east and Sudan to the northwest. Located on the equator, Kenya has an Indian Ocean coastline and also has approximately 160 kilometres (100 miles) of coastline on the eastern shores of the vast Lake Victoria. The biggest peak in Kenya is Mount Kenya at 5199 metres (17057ft.), which is centrally located within the country, to the northeast of the capital, Nairobi. Only one African peak is bigger than Mount Kenya and that, of course, is Kilimanjaro (5895m. – 19332ft.) which lies wholly within Tanzania, but just a few kilometres from the Kenyan border. Kenya’s other major geographical features are the impressive Rift Valley and the Central Highlands (of which Mount Kenya is a part). North of Mount Kenya, the terrain becomes increasingly arid and this part of the country is rarely visited.

Tourism has been important in Kenya for decades. At first, this tourism was built up around the demand for big game hunting and wildlife viewing (safaris) and this led to the establishment of a large number of impressive national parks and games reserves, which still exist and which still provide the opportunity to get close to the major African wildlife species. More recently, large beach complexes have spread along the Indian Ocean coastline to cater for sun-seekers, whilst in the mountain areas there has also been an increase in the numbers of foreign visitors. A number of trekking and climbing routes have been established and this is supported by the setting up of a network of huts, along with a growing infrastructure of experienced guides, cooks and porters. Once in the mountain areas, the scenery changes rapidly with increasing altitude, passing from the grassland of the plains, through tropical forest, to scrub and moorlands, and eventually to the high glaciers. Within a very short distance a complete ecological zone, can be replaced by a very different set of flora and fauna, which occupy the next altitude level. This means that any visit to East Africa, which incorporates the lowland plains as well as the high mountains, offers encounters with a fascinating variety of flora and fauna.

Time Zone
The time in Kenya is GMT + 3 hours.

Climate
The principal seasonal factors governing expeditions to Kenya and East Africa in general are the rains. There are two rainy seasons - the “Long Rains” from mid March to June, and the “Short Rains” from mid November to mid-December. Access to mountainous areas can become impossible at these times, as the dirt roads turn to mud. The maximum daytime temperatures in Nairobi average between 20 and 25 degrees centigrade (68º - 77º F) outside of the rainy seasons, dropping to 10 or 12 degrees centigrade (50º – 54º F) at night. At an altitude of 1798 metres (5899ft.), Nairobi is noted for its pleasant climate. With increasing altitude, of course, the ambient temperature decreases. At 3000 metres (10000ft.) on Mount Kenya, for example, the daytime temperature is unlikely to exceed 15 degrees centigrade (59º F) and at 4000 metres (13000ft.) the temperatures will be no more than 10 degrees centigrade (50º F) during the day, although in the heat of the sun it will feel warmer than this. At night-time, the temperatures at this elevation will fall well below freezing.

Rough guide to temperatures June to September

Currency
The unit of currency in Kenya is the Kenyan shilling. As of February 2006, the exchange rates are:

£ 1 = KS 126
$ 1 = KS 72
€ 1 = KS 86

Your travel money should be carried in the form of cash or travellers cheques (American Express). Sterling, euros and dollars are readily exchanged. Credit cards can be used to purchase goods and services and it is a good idea to carry one in case of emergency.

Visas
All nationalities need to obtain a visa for entry into Kenya. Rates vary depending on your nationality. Full details of current rates and the visa application process will be sent to you when we confirm your booking on a KE trip. Plenty of time should be allowed to obtain your Kenyan Visa if you are intending to apply for it by post. Applications usually take two to three weeks to process.

Vaccinations
You should attend your own GP and dentist for a check-up. A ROUGH GUIDE for an immunisation programme is as follows: (We must stress that this is only a basic guide - and you must abide by the advice of your local GP).

(a) Yellow Fever. Everyone must be vaccinated against Yellow Fever. This is a requirement for both Kenya and Tanzania. You must also make sure that you carry with you a certificate of vaccination against Yellow Fever, since you may be asked to produce this whilst in Kenya and when departing from Nairobi.
(b) Polio. Normally you will just need a booster.
(c) Tetanus.
(d) Typhoid. A full course requires 2 injections separated by an interval of 4-6 weeks.
(e) Hepatitis (A) and (B).
(f) Anti-malarial prophylaxis: Please refer to your GP (or to one of the agencies listed below) for the most up to date information about anti-malarial medication for the areas that you will be visiting.
(g) Rabies pre-exposure vaccination. Please refer to your GP (or to one of the agencies listed below) for advice on whether you need rabies pre-exposure vaccination. This vaccination does not eliminate the need for urgent evacuation to a suitable medical facility for additional treatment, in the unlikely case of your being bitten. However, it does simplify that additional treatment and also prolongs the period that you can safely delay before receiving post-exposure treatment.

Given enough notice, your GP will be able to administer all the above.

Additional Sources of Information

Books
Trekking Guide to East Africa - David Else 1993 Lonely Planet (Revised edition due 1998).
Guide to Mt Kenya & Kilimanjaro - Mountain Club of Kenya
Kenya - Travel Survival Kit - Geoff Crowther Lonely Planet 1991
The Mountains of Kenya - A Walkers Guide - Paul Clarke 1989
Mountain Walking in Kenya - David Else Robertson McCarta 1990
East Africa - Travel Survival Kit - Geoff Crowther Lonely Planet 1991
Backpackers Africa 4th Edition - Hilary Bradt 1993
East Africa Handbook - Michael Hodd - Footprint Handbooks 1996
Mt Kenya - Reader
Kilimanjaro - Reader
Mt Kenya - Willetts & Amin
Snowcaps on the Equator - Iain Allan & Clive Ward

Maps
Ordnance Survey (UK) Mount Kenya (1:125,000).

Andrew Wielochowski. Mount Kenya Map and Guide. Includes an excellent map at 1:50,000 scale. This is produced by West Col in the UK.

Our trip dossiers/itineraries give details of books and maps that are specific to a particular trip. Click here for details of book and map retailers.

Web
Lonely PLanet - www.lonelyplanet.com
Rough Guides - www.roughguides.com