Overland Kenya Travel

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Visiting Kenya[edit]

Visiting Kenya is an experience that should be on everyone's bucket list. It is a lot safer than many conclude and its outskirts are quite serene. Border crossings are relatively straight forward. The Maasai mara should definitely be visited, and i found that there are some pretty good campsites in Naivasha and Nakuru. The DSWT elephant orphanage is also a great place to visit as they rescue injured and orphaned elephants and rehabilitate them!!

Entering Kenya with a Car or Motorbike[edit]

Correct as of: June 2013

Required Paperwork[edit]

(To check if you need a travel Visa for Kenya, application instructions and fees see: Kenya Visa online application at VisaHQ.com)

Process at border[edit]

Independent travelers will need to clear immigration first prior to starting customs clearance with the vehicle. A valid Carnet de Passage is required, along with 3rd party insurance.

Cost of entry[edit]

$40 for foreign vehicle road tax

Permitted length of stay[edit]

Extension of stay[edit]

To be confirmed.

You can leave your car at Jungle Junction in Nairobi.

Jungle-Junction (along 'Amboseli Rd.,' in 'Lavington,' near the crossing 'Gitanga Rd.' and 'James Gichuru Rd.') Tel. +254-0-722-752865 / 0723-392014, E-mail; jungle_junction_nairobi@yahoo.com GPS Location S1 17.325 E36 45.634

Quote Horizonsunlimited.com/hubb “JJ Is accomodation in Nairobi - nice big house with rooms available and also able to camp there. Very good facilities (wifi etc) and good place to service your bike or do repair work. Chris (the owner) is very knowledgable with BMW (ex BMW mechanic), and I'm sure he knows his way around other bikes too. Relaxed place and lots of other overlanders there to get some good info too.”

Exiting with a vehicle[edit]

Exiting the country involves customs clearance for the vehicle followed by immigration.

Driving in Kenya[edit]

Recommended books for Overlanding in Kenya[edit]

Lonely Planet Kenya (travel Guide)
Lonely Planet Kenya (travel Guide)
by Lonely Planet, Anthony Ham, Stuart Butler, Kate Th...
From $13.94 on Amazon
Work Less To Live Your Dreams: A Practical Guide To Sa...
Work Less To Live Your Dreams: A Practical Guide To Sa...
by Dan Grec
From $click on Amazon
Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $22.49 on Amazon
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $click on Amazon
Kenya's Beaches (footprint Focus)
Kenya's Beaches (footprint Focus)
by Lizzie Williams
From $12.95 on Amazon

Travel insurance for Kenya[edit]

World Nomads offer the most flexible Travel Insurance at the best prices for multi-country / multi-year trips. You can buy, extend and claim online, even after you've left home.

Vehicle insurance requirements[edit]

3rd Party insurance is mandatory and is issued by COMESA. Additional information can be found on Africa Overland Insurance

Cost of insurance[edit]

See the prices listed on the COMESA Insurance page.

Where to purchase insurance[edit]

Insurance can be purchased via insurance brokers at one of the four major border crossings alternatively an insurance broker in Nairobi will be able to sell 3rd party insurance.

Driving license[edit]

International Driving Permit is required.

Driving side of road[edit]

Left hand side of the road, with majority of vehicles being right hand drive.
Left hand drive vehicles can be driven in Kenya without a problem, but they can not remain in the country long term - i.e. drive in and drive or ship it out.

Mandatory items in vehicle[edit]

2x Safety warning triangles, first aid kit, 2x fire extinguisher

Roads[edit]

General Road quality[edit]

The general road quality will be bitumen in varying conditions from new to severely potholed. All minor roads will be gravel.

Road signs[edit]

Road signs are limited with the occasional speed sign, warning sign and distance sign.

Toll roads[edit]

There are only a few Toll roads for private vehicles. Large trucks are required to stop at weigh bridges and are required to pay tolls to proceed.

Bribery in Kenya[edit]

In certain government agencies, Bribery is often expected especially with traffic police. Independent travelers should avoid paying bribes and patiently negotiate an exit strategy.
See the Bribery tips page for general advice.

Checkpoints[edit]

Very few checkpoints exist for private vehicles however random police checkpoints are spontaneous and usually have no impact to the independent traveler.

Traveling with pets[edit]

To Be Confirmed.

Gas and Diesel price in Kenya[edit]

Last updated: May 2017

Currency and unit to display:

Gasoline Grade Price
Unleaded €0.83 EUR per Liter[1]
Diesel €0.75 EUR per Liter[1]

Gas and Diesel Availability / Frequency[edit]

Gas shortages are known to occur in rural areas of Kenya. Distance between petrol stations can be as long as 200km.

Gas and Diesel Quality[edit]

Diesel quality is low grade. petrol is only up to 93RON.

Safety and Security Considerations[edit]

Driving at night[edit]

Driving at night should not be encouraged due to the roadworthness of local vehicles, wild and domestic animals.

Vehicle parking[edit]

Vehicles should not be parked on the street due to theft. look for parking in secure areas.

Special driving considerations[edit]

To Be Confirmed.

Security advisories and information[edit]

Camping in Kenya[edit]

Organized camping in Kenya is very popular. The average price is roughly $10.00 USD per person. Wild or bush camping is possible and encouraged however the independent traveler might find the population density to high to bush camp without visitors.

Camping guide books[edit]

To Be Confirmed.

Drinking water[edit]

Regular tap water is safe to drink however it is encouraged to filter any ground or rain water.

Navigation[edit]

Paper maps[edit]

Reise Know-How are amoung the best paper maps. Purchase paper maps before arriving in Kenya

Kenya
Kenya
by Reise Know-How Verlag
From $14.95 on Amazon
Kenya (national Geographic Adventure Map)
Kenya (national Geographic Adventure Map)
by National Geographic Maps - Adventure
From $11.50 on Amazon
Kenya (national Geographic Adventure Map)
Kenya (national Geographic Adventure Map)
by National Geographic Maps - Adventure
From $11.50 on Amazon
Lonely Planet East Africa (travel Guide)
Lonely Planet East Africa (travel Guide)
by Lonely Planet, Anthony Ham, Stuart Butler, Mary Fi...
From $16.40 on Amazon
  • Michelin North East and Arabia 954 or 745 Map.
  • African Adventure Atlas (National Geographic) is an alternative.

GPS Maps of Kenya[edit]

Review Tracks4Africa

GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in Kenya[edit]

  • iOverlander is a website and iPhone application designed by Overlanders, for Overlanders. It contains GPS co-ordinates and reviews for camping, hotels, propane, water, mechanics, borders and much more.

To Be Confirmed.

Special Overland Travel interests[edit]

  • National Game Parks: Masai Mara
  • Remote lakes: Lake Turkana

Vehicle Maintenance[edit]

Dealers[edit]

4x4s / Trucks

Motorbikes

Local Garages[edit]

To Be Confirmed.

Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Kenya[edit]

Buy
Unknown.

Sell
Unknown.

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 World petrol prices, gas prices, diesel prices|MyTravelCost.com

Helpful External links[edit]