World Country Guide

Travel - International

Note
Kenya shares with neighbouring countries a high threat from terrorism. Previous attacks have been against civilian or visibly Western targets where foreigners have been present, as demonstrated by the bomb attacks on a hotel and an unsuccessful attempt to bring down a civilian airliner in Mombasa in November 2002. Muggings and armed attacks are prevalent, particularly in Nairobi and Mombasa.

Air
Kenya’s national airline is Kenya Airways (KQ). Kenya is served by a large number of airlines from all over the world, particularly from Asia, Europe and the rest of Africa. These include British Airways and KLM.

Approximate flight times
From Nairobi to London is nine hours 30 minutes; to New York is 18 hours; to Los Angeles is 20 hours; to Singapore is 21 hours; and to Sydney is 25 hours.

International airports
Nairobi (NBO) (Jomo Kenyatta International) is 16km (10 miles) southeast of the city. A Kenyan Bus Services bus and a Kenyan Airways bus leave every 20 minutes (travel time – 40 minutes). Taxis are readily available, but the fare should be established before getting into the vehicle (travel time - 15 minutes). The state-controlled Kenacto taxis work on a fixed rate as do the British-style black cabs, and Dial a Cab, which are legally required to charge per kilometre. Airport facilities include an outgoing duty free shop, hotel reservation, bank/bureau de change, post office, restaurant/bar and car hire.
Mombasa (MBA) (Moi International) is 13km (8 miles) west of the city. There is a regular bus service by Kenya Airways to their city centre office in Mombasa (travel time – 20 minutes). Taxis are also available. Fares should be negotiated in advance. State-controlled Kenacto taxis and British-style black cabs work on a fixed rate. Airport facilities include an outgoing duty-free shop, bank, restaurant/bar, tourist information and car hire (Avis, City Car Hire and Hertz).

Note
Immigration procedures in Kenyan airports are likely to be extremely slow, so it is advisable to arrive early.

Departure tax
None.

Sea/Lake
Short-distance ships sail between Mombasa, Mauritius, the Seychelles and Zanzibar. Passenger and cruise lines that run to Kenya are Barwil Shipping Company, Inchcape Shipping Company and Seaforth Shipping Company. The ports in the Lake Victoria passenger service include Homa Bay, Mfangano and Port Victoria/Kisumu. The ferries in Lake Victoria connect Kisumu in Kenya to Mwanza, Musoma and Bukoba in Tanzania. Fares are paid for in the currency of the port of embarkation. It is also possible to get ferries from Mombasa to Pemba and Zanzibar in Tanzania, and also to Chiamboni in Somalia. Enquire locally for details.

Rail
Train services operate between Voi and Moshi (Tanzania) and between Nairobi and Kampala (Uganda). Travellers should check beforehand as these rail services may be subject to disruption. For more information contact Kenya Railways, PO Box 30121, Nairobi (tel: (20) 221 211; fax: (20) 340 049).

Road
The main crossing points from Tanzania are at Lunga Lunga and Namanga, with smaller posts at Isebania and Taveta. Some direct coach services operate. From Uganda there are crossing points at Buisa and Malaba. Note that at Malaba, the Kenyan and Ugandan customs posts are about 1km (0.6 miles) apart and no transport between them is available. For all road frontier crossings, it is advisable to contact the Kenya AA, PO Box 40087, Embakasi, Nairobi (tel: (20) 825 060-6; fax: (20) 825 068/119) prior to departure from the country of origin for up-to-date information concerning insurance requirements and conditions.