Useful informations about kenya. This category will be extended from time to time.
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 Kenya is generally a dry country; over 75% of its area is classed as arid of semi-arid with only around 20% being viable for agriculture. Inland,rainfall and temperatures are closely related to altitude changes, with variations induced by local topography. Generally the climate is warm and humid at the coast, cool and humid in the central highlands, and hot and dry in the north and east.
Across most of the country, rainfall is strongly seasonal,although its pattern, timing and extent vary greatly from place to place and from year to year. The relatively wet coastal belt along the Indian Ocean receives 1,000 mm or more rain per year. Most rain falls from April to July as a result of the southeasterly monsoon. Another moist belt occurs in the Lake Victoria basin and its surrounding scarps and uplands, mainly due to moist westerly winds originating over the Atlantic Ocean and Congo Basin. Except immediately adjacent to the Lake, rainfall occurs reliably from March to November. The upland plateaux adjacent to this area are less influenced by the lake, and rain falls mainly in March-May and July-September. In much of the central highlands, there is also a bimodal rainfall pattern, with rainy seasons in March-May and October-December. The remaining 70% or so of the land area falls into the 'arid lowlands' zone (NRI 1996), with rainfall averaging less than 500 mm and varying greatly from year to
year. Rainfall peaks in most areas are in November and April. Some 30% of this zone can be classed as semi-desert, with rainfall averaging less than 300 mm per year and evaporation often greater that 3,000 mm.
Except for the coast and Lake Victoria region, altitude is the main determinant of precipitation. The high-attitude areas (over c. 1,500 m) in the central Kenya highlands usually have substantial rainfall, reaching
over 2,000 mm per year in parts of the Mau Escarpment. However,topography also has a major influence, with strong rain-shadow effects east of Mt. Kenya and the Aberdare mountains. Here, even areas higher than 1,800 m may be relatively dry. In the arid lowlands the peaks of isolated mountains attract cloud and mist, and may support very different vegetation to that of the surrounding plains.
Differences in temperature vary predictably with altitude. Frost occurs regularly at 3,000 m and occasionally down to at least 2,400 m, and there is permanent snow and ice on top of Mt. Kenya at 5,200 m. The hottest areas are in the arid northeast, and west of Lake Turkana, where mena maximum temperatures average over 34 C.
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Kenya has a good postal service for both local and international post. There are post offices and post boxes in most towns. Many shops in tourist lodges and hotels sell stamps.
There are different rates for letters by weight, airletters, and postcards by size. Parcel services are available from larger post offices.
There are post restante services in Nairobi and Mombasa.
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Shopping in Kenya is dominated by souvenir sellers. Handmade items may be purchased at market stalls, roadside stands, and from street peddlers. Tourists are easily identified, and a walk down the street can bring the attention of groups of salesmen.
Be prepared for a strong sales pitch, offering bargain prices on handcrafts. Prices are initially determined based on what these sellers believe you will pay, but can generally be bargained down to a low price. Chances are you will get a fair price, and the vendor will still walk away with a good profit. Don’t be intimidated by the number of peddlers offering similar goods, or you may end up with more souvenirs than you can easily carry home. If quality is an issue you may want to make your purchases at some of the more established shops in the larger cities, but be prepared to pay higher prices.
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When calling Kenya, the International code is 254+ local area code. Kenya has a good network of telephone, cellular and satellite connections. Work is under way to expand this network and introduce fibre optic cables.
Most hotels and lodges offer International telephone and fax services. But the rates for telephone and fax services are mainly high. In larger towns, private telecommunication centres also offer international services.
If you have a mobile phone with a roaming connection, then you can make use of Kenya's excellent cellular networks, which covers most larger towns and tourist areas.
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Tipping is not mandatory in Kenya. Guides, drivers, waiters and hotel staff can be tipped at your discretion.
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Local tap water is not potable. Sealed/bottled bottled water is safe to drink and can be purchased in hotels, restaurants, and grocery stores. In most of the camps and lodges is bottled water in the rooms included.
If you are on game drive we offer bottled water also for free.
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 Taxis are available in Mombasa and Nairobi. Prices are usually reasonable, but ask about the fare to your destination first.
Buses offer transportation throughout Kenya, with the exception of parks and reserves. Private vehicles known as matatus also serve as bus services in many areas. Prices are cheap, but that’s where the advantages end. They tend to be overcrowded, and are not known for their safety.
Driving in Kenya is on the left, giving way to traffic from the right at intersections. driver National drivers licenses are valid for 90 days. International drivers licenses are recommended. Once you get out of the cities and off the major highways, be prepared for roads in poor conditions. Upgrades to roads can be many years apart, and the rainy seasons have a tendency to wash out large sections. Be prepared for drives to be slow and tiring when you hit these bad sections.
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Kenya has a single time zone- which is GMT+3. For the current local time and information about the time for sunrise and sunset pls click here.
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