General Tour Information
Note: The information presented here is an abbreviated version of our formal General Information for Tours to Kenya. Its purpose is solely to give readers a sense of what might be involved if they take this tour. Although we do our best to make sure what follows here is completely accurate, it should not be used as a replacement for the formal document which will be sent to all tour registrants, and whose contents supersedes any information contained here.
IMPORTANT NOTE: WINGS tours are normally confirmed and the tour cost is non-refundable at 70 days. Because of the difficulty of getting affordable flights to and from Nairobi, WINGS has implemented a revised cancellation and refund policy for this tour. The full tour cost is therefore due and non-refundable at 90 days. This will enable us to confirm the tour’s running at that time and will allow the participants to purchase airlines tickets earlier than usual with the confidence that the tour is confirmed.
ENTERING KENYA: A valid passport with a Kenya tourist visa is required for all U.S. citizen tourists visiting Kenya. There is a $50 fee for the visa, whether it is obtained in advance of at the airport. Evidence of yellow fever immunization may be requested. Travelers may obtain the latest information on visas, as well as any additional details regarding entry requirements, from the Embassy of Kenya. Persons outside the United States should contact the nearest Kenyan embassy or consulate. Rapid processing is possible, but you should allow at least one month for visa processing. Visa services such as CIBT can take care of your needs quickly and efficiently.
KENYA MAPS AND COUNTRY INFORMATION: You can view maps of Kenya in the University of Texas series here. You can review the U.S. Department of State background notes on Kenya here.
HEALTH: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention strongly recommend a malaria preventative; travelers to Kenya should take one of the following antimalarial drugs: mefloquine (Lariam®), doxycycline, or Malarone. You should contact your doctor as to which of these drugs would be best for you.
The CDC further recommends the following vaccines (see your doctor at least 4-6 weeks before your trip to allow time for shots to take effect): Hepatitis A or immune globulin (IG); typhoid; yellow fever; and as needed, booster doses for tetanus-diphtheria, measles, and a one-time dose of polio vaccine for adults.
Due to a recent outbreak of Yellow Fever in Kenya, evidence of a Yellow Fever vaccination may be required. You can review the latest CDC advisories here.
Nairobi is at an elevation of 5,500 feet; Mountain Lodge is at 7,200 feet; and we may reach 8,400 feet as we drive to Lake Nakuru. Our morning at the Met Station on Mt. Kenya requires a drive to 10,000 feet. There will be an optional short walk on disembarking, but we should have acclimatised somewhat at Mountain Lodge the previous night.
ACCOMMODATION and FOOD: During the tour we’ll stay in two tented-camps — the rest are lodges. The tents are permanent structures with concrete floors, thatched roofs, proper beds and built-in flush-toilets and showers. They all have electric lights. Where a camp generator provides the power, this is sometimes turned off late at night and turned on again early in the morning. Hot water is usually provided by wood-fired heaters each serving several tents. It is important to remember that you may need to let the water run for some minutes before it gets hot.
The food throughout the tour is generally good to excellent and many people are surprised at the high standard provided, even in remote parts of the country. Breakfasts are buffets offering everything from full cooked breakfasts to cereals and fresh fruit. At other meals there is almost always a choice of two or three main courses. Vegetarians are well catered for.
CLIMATE: Despite its proximity to the Equator, much of Kenya feels anything but tropical, and many people are not prepared for how chilly it can be. Some of the tour is at elevations over 5,000 feet and highland days can be quite cool if there is cloud cover. However, when the sun does shine, it can conversely get very hot, especially in the Masai Mara and at Lake Baringo. Humidity is low. Rain is possible almost anywhere but we will probably only experience it in the highland areas and around some of the Rift Valley lakes and even then it should not be prolonged. Although Kenya has, in theory, two distinct rainy periods – a long rainy season in March and April and a short one in November and December – these can be late or early or fail altogether. Some feel the short rains add to the experience.
PACE OF TOUR AND DAILY ROUTINE: During any tour to Kenya, a fair amount of birdwatching is done from the vehicles. This is mainly because we spend a lot of time in National Parks where getting out of the vehicle is not allowed except in certain allocated areas. As each vehicle has roof hatches and each person has a window seat, this is not as daunting as it might first appear.
There are a few travelling days where long drives are required. You should be prepared to spend more time in the vehicle than you would do on tours to other countries. While all roads within the national parks and reserves are dirt tracks of varying quality, there are also two lengthy trips on public dirt roads — part of the journey to Amboseli from Tsavo West national park and the entry to the Masai Mara — which can be bumpy at times. Some interesting birds are found along the roadsides and we may break our journeys investigating some of these areas.
There are no strenuous walks on this tour. Most walking is done around the grounds of the lodges we stay at. At Baringo we do walk along the base of the Baringo cliff, which involves walking through rocky and, at times, bushy terrain, but this is not particularly arduous. We also have a scenic walk overlooking the Masai Mara, outside of the reserve. Our morning at the Met Station on Mt. Kenya requires a drive to 10,000 feet. There will be an optional short walk on disembarking, but the group should have by now acclimatized at Mountain Lodge the previous night.
Most of the days begin at first light, and we usually gather at about 6:30 a.m. We will either have a pre-breakfast walk for about an hour or have breakfast at 6:30 in order to make an early start. When we are not moving on to a new lodge we will usually spend the morning birdwatching and return to our accommodation for lunch. We then usually have a break or go birdwatching around the grounds before going out in the vehicles again later in the afternoon.
Most days will finish at dusk and we try to allow a one-hour break before we meet to do the daily checklist and have dinner. On a few days this break may be shorter or longer depending on the schedule. On one night, there will be an optional night-time game drive and bird excursion.
TRANSPORTATION: Transportation is in long wheel-base Defender Land Rovers with roof hatches for window-free viewing and photography. Our drivers are professionals, skilled at finding birds and mammals, and at repairing vehicles. Some of the driving is on unmade roads and while most of these are in good condition there are some bad sections, notably driving in and out of the Masai Mara. In most National Parks leaving the vehicles is prohibited. Each person will have a window seat and the roof hatches are helpful, but come prepared to spend an unusual amount of time in the vehicles. There is always drinking water provided in the vehicles. Please note that the leader will operate a rotation system for seating in the vehicles.
DRESS: Dress is informal throughout.
SMOKING: Smoking is not allowed in the vehicles or when the group is gathered for meals, checklists etc. If you are sharing a room with a non-smoker, please do not smoke in the room. If you smoke in the field, we ask that you do so well away and downwind from the group.
If any lodge, accommodation or location where the group is staying or is gathered has a more restrictive smoking policy than the WINGS policy, the more restrictive policy will prevail.
GENERAL INFORMATION & CONDITIONS OF WINGS TOURS: Please take a moment to read the WINGS General Information & Conditions. This section contains important information about how we conduct tours, e.g., what is included in the tour price, refund and cancellation policies, pace of the tours and other information that will help you prepare for the tour.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A more complete General Information for Tours to Central Kenya will be sent to each registrant on receipt of their booking. Final information with instructions for meeting the group, hotel addresses, etc., will be mailed about three weeks before trip departure. Other news will be communicated as necessary. If you have any questions, please let us know.
Updated: October 2008