The land of the Lion King – Kenya is a country that offers breathtaking landscapes, verdant green jungles, and grasslands where you can find the mightiest terrestrials on Earth. This country in East Africa isn’t the most popular tourist destination among Indians but we think you must totally consider visiting it if you’re a fan of the wildlife, nature, and looking out for the next big adventure! Here is a handy Kenya Travel Guide for you!
Kenya Travel Guide: Visa, Flights, Currency, And More
Flights To Kenya
To enter Kenya by air, you must take a flight to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO). This airport is the largest airport in East Africa and serves as an important domestic and international hub connecting Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the West.
There are regular international flights hailing from cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, New Delhi, and Pune. Most of these flights halt for a layover at Dubai before heading to Nairobi. These flights usually start at INR 45,000 for economy class and can go higher depending on the flight operator, passenger class, and additional services.
Air carriers such as Emirates, Etihad Airways, IndiGo, and Air Arabia offer frequent and reasonably-priced flights for flyers with all kinds of budgets. If you wish to fly to Kenya, it is advisable to first sort out your visa.
Kenya Visa Guide
For Indians, Kenya offers an electronic travel authorization or eTA. It is mandatory for all travelers visiting Kenya, including infants, to have a valid eTA. You can apply for the same on the official eVisa website of the Government of Kenya.
As for the validity, the eTA is valid for up to 90 days from the date of issuance, which is enough duration for you as a traveler to explore the country’s rich natural heritage.
Documents required for Kenya eTA for Indians:
- Valid passport for at least six months after your planned date of arrival into Kenya, with at least one blank page.
- Selfie or passport-type photographs.
- Contact information, email address and phone number.
- Details of your arrival and departure itinerary.
- Accommodation booking confirmation(s).
- Credit card, debit card or other means of payment.
The cost of this eTA is about INR 3000 or 34 USD and it takes about 2 to 3 days for the (single-entry) visa to get processed.
All you need to apply for a Kenya eTA is to visit the official website, enter personal details, contact information, trip details, submit the required documents, pay the required fee – and voila! You’re one step closer to the ultimate Kenya trip of your dreams.
Health-Related Documentation
In addition to the above documents, travelers visiting Kenya must also carry valid Yellow Fever vaccine certification. It is a non-negotiable requirement to enter Kenya, so make sure you carry documented proof of this vaccine. Along with that, you can also keep other vaccination certificates like those of Malaria, Dengue, Cholera, Measles, Rabies, and HIV, just in case!
We recommend staying up-to-date with these vaccinations and health-related news updates before you enter Kenya. Carry both original certificates as well as their photocopies for further convenience.
Currency Of Kenya
The Kenyan Shilling is the official currency of Kenya, where 1 Indian Rupee equals to about 1.50 Kenyan Shilling. To save up on some bucks, it is advisable to visit the country in the low season – usually from April to June.
It is from June that the tourist season begins in Kenya and lasts till the end of October. This is when hotels, tourist attractions, wildlife tours, and many other facilities in the country become slightly more expensive. So, if you’re traveling on a budget, we recommend visiting the country somewhere between June and July.
Also, we recommend booking your trips via Kenya-based tour operators to save some extra money. Kenyan-based tour operators can offer packages, including safari tours that are even more economical than those offered by Indian ones, so we recommend checking them out. Plus, it is advisable to carry cash (Kenyan Shilling) on you once you’re in Kenya to avoid last minute cash-strapping or any other financial inconvenience.
Summing Up
We hope you found this compact Kenya travel guide that helps you cover the basics super useful! We’ve mentioned the flight details, eTA details, as well as the best time to visit the country. So, skip the European countries and tropical islands this tourist season and head straight to the savannah grasslands of Masai Mara! When are you planning to visit Kenya?
