Fast Facts

Area Codes Kenya's country code is 254. Local major area or city codes are: Nairobi, 020; Mombasa, 041; South Coast, 040; Malindi, 042; Nakuru, 051; Nanyuki, 062; Naivasha, 050; and Kisumu, 057. If you're calling a cellphone number from abroad, you don't need to add the area code before the cellphone code.

ATM Networks Cirrus and PLUS ATM networks are available at almost all bank branches, but remember in remote areas banks are few and far between.

Business Hours Standard shopping and business hours are Monday through Saturday from 8:30am to 5pm, though many shops are open Sunday morning, too. Shops run by Asians may close on Friday afternoons. Bank hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 1:30pm and Saturday from 8:30 to 11am.

Drugstores Pharmacies are ubiquitous in the towns and cities and usually open until 9pm. Pharmacies attached to hospitals are open 24 hours.

Electricity Outlets in Kenya supply 220-240 volts of electric current, and take square three-pin plugs (same as the U.K.). If you're bringing electrical equipment from the U.S., you'll need an adapter as well as a converter.

Embassies & Consulates All embassies are located in Nairobi, the capital: U.S., Mombasa Road (tel. 020/334-142); U.K., Upper Hill Road (tel. 020/714-699); Canada, Comcraft House, Haile Selassie Avenue (tel. 020/226-987); and Australia, ICIPE House, Riverside Drive (tel. 020/445-034).

Emergencies In an emergency, dial 999.

Internet Access Cybercafes can be found in any sizeable town; in the city centers of Nairobi and Mombasa, they can be found on almost every street. Increasingly, hotels and resorts offer Internet access, though smaller cybercafes are often cheaper.

Language While there are a number of local languages in Kenya, KiSwahili is the official language. However, English is taught in secondary schools, and apart from remote rural areas almost everyone speaks it. Some safari guides and hotel staff on the coast speak other European languages, too. Signs are usually in English.

Legal Aid Contact your consulate or embassy, who can refer you to a qualified English-speaking attorney.

Liquor Laws Alcohol is sold in bars, hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets with no restrictions. Away from the large resorts on the coast, small Muslim-owned restaurants may not offer liquor. The Lamu Archipelago is predominantly Islamic and largely non-alcoholic, save for a handful of European-run resorts and hotels.

Lost & Found To report a credit card stolen, place a collect call to Visa at tel. 410/581-9994, American Express at tel. 623/492-8427, or MasterCard at tel. 636/722-7111 (all in the U.S.). You can have money wired to you via Western Union; there are agents in all of Kenya's larger towns and cities. Check locations at www.westernunion.com.

Mail The Kenyan postal service is cheap and reasonably efficient. An airmail letter will take about a week to arrive in Europe, and about 10 days to the U.S. The bulkier your mail, the longer it will take to arrive.

Newspapers & Magazines Kenya has a number of English-language newspapers, the best of which is the Daily Nation. The East African is a weekly newspaper covering news throughout Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Restrooms Public bathrooms are rarely available and can be quite smelly and dirty. Always carry toilet paper with you. Some are long-drop (outhouse) toilets, which most Westerners will be unfamiliar with. If you need to go, try to find a nearby restaurant or hotel. Bathrooms are clearly marked with internationally recognizable symbols for ladies and gents.

Smoking Smoking in public and in the workplace is banned in Kenya, although hotels provide smoking rooms, and most restaurants and bars permit smoking in designated places.

Taxes There's an 18% value-added tax on goods and services, and this is generally included in the prices.

Taxis Taking cabs is a comfortable way to get around and not very expensive by Western standards. But agreeing on a price with the driver before setting off requires a little bit of skill and research. Before you head out, ask at your hotel what your trip should cost. Besides regular taxis, there are bicycle taxis, which carry one person on a seat over the back wheel; and tuk-tuks, three-wheeled vehicles that can carry three people on the backseat behind the driver.

Telephones You can make international calls from public call boxes with a phone card, available at post offices. Hotels offer international calls, but remember you'll be paying a premium for these services. Cellphones are a way of life in Kenya, and you will be able to pick up roaming from a local provider on your own phone, though access is restricted in isolated areas. Alternatively, SIM cards and pay-as-you-go top-up cards are available everywhere from formal phone shops to street vendors. Call rates from Kenya to the neighboring countries of Tanzania and Uganda are charged at long-distance rates and not international. American and European toll-free numbers can't be called from Kenya.

Time Zone Kenya is 3 hours ahead of GMT, and 7 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

Tipping Wages in Kenya are generally low, so tipping for good service will be much appreciated. In general, you should leave a 10% to 15% tip at restaurants and bars, even if the service charge is already included. If you're staying at an upmarket hotel or lodge, tip a few Kenyan shillings to the luggage porter, the chambermaid, and the doorman if he hails you a cab. On safari, it's only right to tip your guide US$10 to $20 per day, although excessive tipping can cause problems for the next client so ask your safari company to advise on a realistic tip. Taking pens and sweets to give out freely to children in Kenya is not advised as this encourages begging. If you want to contribute to any cause in Africa, it's always best to make a donation to a reputable charity.

Water Although the water is not particularly dangerous, it can carry bacteria that can give you a bout of diarrhea, which could disrupt your vacation. Drink bottled water, order drinks without ice (unless you know that the ice was made with bottled or purified water), and stay away from washed salads and fruit as much as possible. Water that has been boiled for several minutes is fine, as is water that has been sterilized with iodine tablets or similar additives. When buying bottled water, ensure the seal hasn't been broken, which indicates they may have been refilled with tap water.