Kenya Travelers 2019​

Our Kenya Travelers 
Karen McLean
Lynette Matthews
Carole Copeland Thomas, CITM, Tour Leader
2nd To The Last Email To Travelers (Tues, Nov 12, 2019)

Hello Lynette and Karen:

How exciting that our trip is now two days away. I know that you are busy getting ready for this amazing trip, and I am happy that we will be leaving in just a short while.

Here are some final thoughts:

I’ll have one more conversation with Gabe Garavanian tomorrow about the airlines we’ll use once inside Kenya. That way, I’ll have a chance to check on luggage weight limits during our trip. I’ll also double-check on weight limits for the Delta/KLM flights we’re taking to and from Boston and Nairobi. 

Kenya is now 8 hours ahead of us since we are now on Eastern Standard Time.

Please arrive at the airport by 4:00 pm on Thursday, November 14th. Terminal A. Don’t check-in. We’ll check in together. 

We are on Delta Flight #258 from Boston to Amsterdam. Please email me if you need me to send your ticket to you again. It’s an electronic ticket.

Don’t forget your passport, yellow inoculation card, and your medications.

Don't forget to bring one roll of toilet paper, and Deet insect repellent.
Bring plenty of storage room for your camera (SD cards, etc).
Bring an extra charger for your phone/devices.
Here’s the link to your Travelers' page with our two orientation sessions and other information about the trip:
https://www.msstravelandtours.com/kenya-2019-travelers.html

Don’t hesitate to call me at 508 947-5755 if you have any questions.
See you on Thursday!

Warmly,
Carole
Last Email To The Travelers (Wednesday, Nov 13 2019)

Jambo Lynette and Karen!  (That’s Welcome/Hello in Swahili)

I just sent you your electronic ticket in a separate email.
Attached is your complete trip agenda for Kenya.  Please read through it, especially the General Safari Guidelines in the back of the agenda.

Our guide who will pick us up at the Nairobi airport will be Peter Waweru.  I have worked with Peter for 14 years and can vouch for his professionalism and passion for the animals we will see in the Motherland.

Peter will be our guide for six days.  According to the tipping guide, we should pay Peter between $48-60 each for his services.  We won’t pay him until Nov 22nd when he takes us to catch our flight to Mombasa.  He will take US dollars.

We will pay $1 per day per person for the porters/hotel bellman who help us.  I think it’s also $1 per bag.

We wil pay $2 per day per person for the waiter who serve us.

You will be provided bottled water throughout the trip.  Use it to brush your teeth and for drinking water.  You can bathe with the tap water that will be provided throughout the trip.

Please call your banks/credit card companies to alert them that you will travel to Kenya and may use our cards.  You might also use your cards in the Amsterdam Airport during our layover. 

Here is info about luggage weight limits for the Delta/KLM flights:

The first checked bag is free must be 50 lbs or less and 62 total inches    
You are also allowed to have 1 small carry on and 1 personal item

Here is info about luggage weight limits for the following flights:  

Masai Mara/ Mombasa, Mombasa Air Safaris. 
Luggage allowance is 15Kg (33 pounds) per person in soft bags including hand luggage.
Scheduled flight: Mombasa/ Nairobi on Kenya Airways. 
Luggage allowance is one piece – 23kg (50 pounds) per person.
That’s it!  Please call me at 508 947-5755 if you have any additional questions.
Thank you for traveling with Multicultural Travel and Tours.

Warmly,
Carole

October 22, 2019 Orientation Session #2 Video

Video Length: 1 Hour 12 Minutes

October 8, 2019 Orientation Session #1 Video

Video Length: 1 Hour 18 Minutes

Our Travel Agency

Garavanian Travel.  Attention Gabe Garavanian.  
40 Vinyl Square
N. Chelmsford, MA 01863
(978) 251-2868
Check with Gabe About Travel Insurance

Tips About Our Trip To Kenya

Check your passport and make sure that it expires after June 2020

Upload the WhatsAPP application to your smart phone for that you can send text messages and make calls for FREE as long as your party on the other end also uses WhatsAPP.  You'll be able to use the app in the hotels and lodging that have free Wifi.

International Calls:  Check your phone carrier for details, including purchasing a SIM card for your phone. AT&T has a "PASSPORT' Program that you might consider.  It's a flat $70 rate including unlimited text messaging, 2GB of data, and phone charges of .35 per minute.  

Bring your YELLOW CDC card that has been completed by your physician or travel clinic.

Make sure that you bring Deet bug repellant.

The exchange rate changes daily.  As of 10/20/19 $1 is the equivalent to 103.76 Kenyan shilling.   We will exchange our money either at the hotel or we'll work with our tour guide to make the exchange in Nairobi when we arrive in the country.

You are also encouraged to check with your local bank or AAA office to exchange your dollars in the US before the trip.

The hotel and most commercial stores and tourist gift shops will take credit cards:  mostly Visa and Mastercard, followed  by American Express.

IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO NOTIFY YOUR BANK THAT YOU ARE TRAVELING TO KENYA AND WILL USE YOUR CREDIT CARDS/DEBIT CARDS THERE.

Time Difference:  8 Hours for now based on Eastern Standard Time.
If it's 12 noon in Boston, it will be 8pm in Kenya.

Temperature Differences:
Boston:  50s and 60s
Nairobi - Low 80s
Mombasa- Mid 80s

How to dress:  Dress in layers!  Cottons, pants, skirts, shorts, sleeveless and long-sleeves all ok. Bring a jacket for cool nights.
Dress casually to anticipate long drive times in the van when we are moving from one city to another.  

Jewelry: Costume jewelry is preferred.  Real jewelry wear in moderation.

Bring a roll of toilet paper, hand sanitizer & wet wipes. 

​Bring anti-diarrhea medicine...just in case.

Don't forget to sign up for Travel Insurance.  Gabe Garavanian can help with that.


Applying For Your Kenya Visa​

​Cost: About $65
Link to apply for your Visa online:  http://evisa.go.ke/evisa.html

Kenyan Immigration has instituted a strict visa policy whereby all visitors are strongly encouraged to obtain visas by using an online system, though visas are available upon arrival at international ports of entry including Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
  • A passport with at least two blank pages, six months’ validity, and a visa are required to enter Kenya. 
  • Single-entry visas are available upon arrival at Kenyan airports; however, Kenyan Immigration plans to end visas upon arrival in the near future.
  • Multiple-entry visas must be applied for prior to traveling to Kenya.
  • Obtain the latest information on visas, as well as any additional details regarding entry requirements, from the Embassy of Kenya, 2249 R Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20008, telephone (202) 387-6101, or the Kenyan Consulates General in Los Angeles and New York City.
  • You should have proof of yellow fever immunizations, or you may be denied entry.
For additional information on immunizations and detailed country-specific recommendations on vaccinations and other health precautions for travelers to Kenya, visit the CDC’s Travelers’ Health website.
HIV/AIDS Restrictions: The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to, or foreign residents of, Kenya. 
​
For more information visit: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Kenya.html

Hotel and Lodging Contact Information 

THE FIVE KENYA 2019 LODGINGS ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS
I recommend using the Tamarind Tree Hotel for the main address since it is in the capital city, Nairobi.
Tamarind Tree Hotel. 1 Night
Website: http://www.tamarindtree-hotels.com/
Langata Link Road, Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254 709 240000


Sarova Shaba Game Lodge. 2 Nights
Website: https://www.sarovahotels.com/shabalodge-samburu/
Samburu, Kenya
Phone: +254 709 111000

Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort 1 Night
Website: https://www.sopalodges.com/lake-naivasha-sopa-resort/the-resort
Nakuru, Kenya
Phone: +254 704 300301


Mara Ngenche Safari Camp. 2 Nights
Website: https://www.maasaimara.com/entries/mara-ngenche-luxury-tented-camp
Address: Confluence of the Mara and Talek Rivers, Masai Mara, Kenya
Phone: +254 715 555322


Sun n Sand Beach Resort 4.5 Nights
Website: https://sunnsand.co.ke/
Kikambala Beach
Mombasa, Kenya 80109
Phone: +254 41-32621