The Republic of Kenya

The Republic of Kenya is a country in East Africa. It covers an area of 581.309 km2 and lies on the equator with the Indian Ocean to the south-east. Kenya’s highest peak is the volcanic Mount Kenya (5,199 m above sea level); the lowest point is the Indian Ocean (0 m above sea level). About 44 million people live in Kenya (as of July 2012). Kenya is a presidential republic. The country is divided into Forty seven (47) counties. The country's capital city is Nairobi. The independence and national day is the 12th December. (On December 12, 1963 Kenya gained its independence from Great Britain.

Entry: German nationals require visas. At least 6 months valid passport and a return or onward ticket is required. The visa (for a maximum stay of up to 3 months) may be issued upon arrival at the airport or at the Kenyan Embassy in Berlin. You will get the Visa forms to fill out on the plane. Visa fee per person is about 20 Euros.Note: The issuance of visas for entry is partially connected with long waiting times therefore strongly advised to apply for a visa prior to travel, as it can result in significant delays.

Languages: The official language in Kenya is English. Kiswahili is widely used as the national language spoken by almost every Kenyan. In addition to the 42 ethnic dialects, Sheng is a mixture of Swahili and English, with a bit of other indigenous languages, it is commonly spoken among the youths.

Currency: The local currency is the Kenya Shilling. A Kenya Shilling is 100 Kenya cents. The exchange rate against the euro in October 2013 is - 1 euro:116 Kenya shillings. Common exchange currencies are Euro and U.S. Dollar. By the way upon entry, the foreign exchange and local currency must be declared if the value exceeds 500,000 Kenya shillings. All major credit cards are accepted. You can easily get money with the EC-card. We recommend to exchange only a small amount of Kenya shillings in Germany, since the exchange rate of Euro in Kenyan Shilling is much better in Kenya. You can check the current exchange rate here. Banknotes are in denominations of 1.000, 500, 200, 100, 50 and 20 K.sh and coins in denominations of 40, 20, 10, 5 and 1 K.sh are in circulation.

Attractions: Visit one of the Kenyan National parks in Maasai Mara, Tsavo Ost / West, Simba-Hills and Nairobi National Park. Don’t lose the unforgettable chance to see the Big Five live. If you visit Kenya for the first time, Safari is a must. There are a couple of local safari agents within Diani Beach Shopping Center where you can book your safari as required. You have the option between Road and or Air Safari, which ever suites you best. There are small machines / Jets which start for safari’s everyday from the Diani Airstrip which is about 2km away.