Kenya

Capital: Nairobi

Language: Swahili and English

Currency: Kenyan shilling (KES)

Time zone: UTC+03:00

e-Visa — 90 days

An eTA is mandatory for all GCC nationalities via the official portal: ~$30 (plus ~$9 card fee), single entry, valid 90 days from ISSUE not arrival — so don't apply too early. Submit a few days ahead; approval usually lands within 3 working days.

Official source ↗

⚠️ Guidance only — always verify with the official source before traveling.

🕓 Last officially verified: 14/07/2026

July–October is the Mara's Great Migration season — squarely in the Gulf summer. January–February offers a second clear dry window. April–May long rains drown some tracks and close camps.

Halal food: The coast is near-halal by nature — Mombasa, Malindi and Diani's Swahili kitchens are Muslim-rooted. In Nairobi, Eastleigh and South C brim with Somali and Swahili halal restaurants, and safari camps cater with confirmed notice (tell your operator from the start).

Prayer places: Mombasa's storied mosques grace every quarter (16th-century Mandhry), and Diani–Watamu keep theirs close. Nairobi: the downtown Jamia Mosque is a landmark, Eastleigh's are countless. On safari: your mat and compass.

Friday is an official holiday: No

The coast lives Ramadan fully — old Mombasa's iftar markets and last-ten-nights spirit are renowned — while Nairobi keeps it in its Muslim quarters. Tourist restaurants serve by day without friction.

'Jambo' and 'asante sana' open faces. Kenyan time flexes — patience is a practical virtue. Ask before photographing people; the Maasai especially expect an agreed fee. Haggle in markets, not shops.

The kingdom of M-Pesa — the country pays by phone down to street stalls; as a visitor, cards cover hotels and bigger restaurants, cash the rest. Post-2009 dollars pass across tourism. ATMs live in towns; withdraw before safari.

Uber, Bolt and Little to move; Glovo and Uber Eats feed Nairobi and Mombasa. M-Pesa (via a Safaricom SIM) if staying longer. iNaturalist adds joy logging your wildlife sightings.

Left-hand traffic and matatu drivers who acknowledge no rules — leave driving to locals: Uber is cheap, and your safari driver is part of the experience anyway with wildlife-spotting eyes you don't have.

Safari driver-guides expect $10–20/day by firm custom; $5–10/day for camp staff; 10% at good restaurants.

Safaricom is king (coverage even in the Mara!) — the airport kiosk sorts you in minutes with cheap data, eSIM available. Airtel is cheaper, narrower. Camp Wi-Fi exists with a satellite temperament.

The modern SGR train Nairobi–Mombasa (~5h, first class ~$30) elegantly rivals the plentiful domestic flights (~1h; Jambojet/Safarilink to the parks). In Nairobi, Uber and Bolt run cheap. Safari means operators' vehicles — no self-driving parks unless truly experienced.

Safari is the budget: a mid-tier Mara runs $250–450 pp/day inclusive, luxury beyond $700. Otherwise the country is kind: good meal $5–12, Nairobi hotels $60–150/night, Diani resorts $100–250. Shilling (~130/$) and dollar coexist across tourism.

ℹ️ Prices are approximate and subject to change

Safari circuits and the coast run safe and organised; the due honesty is Nairobi: pickpocketing and phone-snatching through car windows are real ('Nairobbery' earned its old nickname) — no night walking, no visible phones in traffic. The northeastern border regions sit outside tourist routes anyway and are avoided.

• The Maasai Mara river crossings
• Amboseli's elephants before Kilimanjaro
• Lake Nakuru's flamingos
• Old Mombasa and Fort Jesus
• Diani's white beach