Kenya
Kenya5 guides across 1 destination — where to go, when, what it costs and what to eat.
Destinations in Kenya
Practical essentials for Kenya
Kenyan shilling (KES)
Swahili and English are both official languages, and English is used throughout business, government and tourism.
Type G, 240V 50Hz
Nairobi runs on privately owned matatu minibuses that carry most commuters and take cash or M-Pesa, but visitors almost always use taxis or the Uber and Bolt apps.
Around 10% is usual in restaurants unless a service charge has already been added, and safari guides are tipped separately at a daily rate.
Treat tap water as unsafe for visitors and drink bottled, boiled or filtered water; hotels and camps supply purified water.
Left-hand side; a valid foreign licence in English is accepted for up to 90 days, otherwise an International Driving Permit or official translation is required.
999 or 112
Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.
Recent stories from Kenya
Nairobi for First-Timers: The Complete Guide
Lions with a skyline backdrop, orphaned elephants at breakfast, and Kenya's best nyama choma — how to make sense of East Africa's most compelling capital.
Charcoal, Coconut and Cardamom: A Nairobi Eating Map
Nairobi organises its food by neighbourhood rather than by menu, so here is where to eat in each one, what to order when you sit down, and roughly what the bill comes to.
The Most Photogenic Corners of Nairobi, Ranked
Nairobi's best pictures come from collisions - wildlife against a skyline, colonial verandas against traffic, indigenous forest a short drive from a mall - and these are the corners that repay the effort, ranked, costed and ordered so the traffic does not eat your week.
A Rainy Day in Nairobi: The All-Indoor Route
When the rains arrive, Nairobi’s parks turn to mud and its traffic doubles. A full day of museums, galleries, workshops and markets that never needs a clear sky.
Where to Base Yourself in Nairobi: A First-Timer’s Guide
In a city defined by traffic, the neighbourhood you sleep in shapes every day of the trip. A first-timer’s briefing on Nairobi’s five bases and the stays that define them.