It's less than a month to senior editor Norie Quintos's trip to Kenya
(her third) with her teenage sons (their first). Here's how she's been
prepping. This is the second in a series of blogs on the trip. Click
here to see the first.
Kenya currently remains under a U.S. State Department travel warning due to
"threats of terrorism and the high rate of violent crime." (Many
on-the-ground experts say this designation is unfair, undeserved, and
politically motivated, but that's another story).
I consulted the travel intelligence folks at iJet, who said that if
I avoided the northwestern border areas, as all safari itineraries do,
and practiced basic personal precautions, there was no reason to stay
away. As with any trip to a developing country, or any trip really, I
wanted a tour operator that would be able to respond effectively should
the unexpected and unlikely happen. There are many established safari
companies that fit the bill. The one I selected--New York-based Micato
Safaris--maintains deep ties to Kenya; its Kenyan founders still reside
in Nairobi. The company also uses the services of a group of
aircraft-supported physicians if medical treatment is necessary.
Kenya currently remains under a U.S. State Department travel warning due to
"threats of terrorism and the high rate of violent crime." (Many
on-the-ground experts say this designation is unfair, undeserved, and
politically motivated, but that's another story).
I consulted the travel intelligence folks at iJet, who said that if
I avoided the northwestern border areas, as all safari itineraries do,
and practiced basic personal precautions, there was no reason to stay
away. As with any trip to a developing country, or any trip really, I
wanted a tour operator that would be able to respond effectively should
the unexpected and unlikely happen. There are many established safari
companies that fit the bill. The one I selected--New York-based Micato
Safaris--maintains deep ties to Kenya; its Kenyan founders still reside
in Nairobi. The company also uses the services of a group of
aircraft-supported physicians if medical treatment is necessary.
Micato took care of much of the organizing, such as booking the individual lodges and internal flights. Still, visiting a developing country with children requires more planning and preparation, and yes, expense, than a trip to, say, California.
Paperwork: For one thing, minors traveling abroad without both parents require permission from the non-traveling parent. The regulations are meant to prevent child abduction. My ex-husband provided a notarized letter stating he was giving permission for the children to travel to Kenya.
Passports: The kids already had passports from a prior trip abroad. (Check the expiration: Children's passports are only valid for five years, versus ten for adults. And if you do need passports, budget about $300 for a family of four.)
Visas: Next, visas, another expense many travelers don't consider when budgeting for their trips. Micato recommended going with a visa expediting service, which was charging almost $300 for my family of three. But not everyone needs this service (it's most useful for rush jobs and/or complicated itineraries involving several countries). In my case, we had plenty of time, were traveling to only one destination in Africa, and resided in the Washington, D.C., area, home to Embassy Row, where most visa applications are processed. It turns out that Kenya was (and is, at this writing) having a big sale on visas: $25 (half the normal fee) and for kids was free. I filled out the necessary forms, walked the packet to the Kenyan Embassy (it can also be mailed there), and my passport with visa stamp was back to me in less than a week. My cost: $25 for the visa, plus $5 return postage--a great deal.
Travel Insurance: Unexpected illness? Lost luggage? Layoff? Death of a pet? A travel insurance policy can protect the money you've spent on your trip (though whether it will depends on the fine print). I was covered by a work policy, but needed one for the kids. The tour company offered one; however, a little comparison-shopping on InsureMyTrip.com, a clearinghouse of travel insurance companies, yielded a better price and better terms with the same underwriting company, TravelGuard, used by the tour operator. Remember that you only need insurance on the non-refundable costs of a trip.
Tune in next time when I cover travel vaccines/medications and learning Swahili with Rosetta Stone. And in a future blog: packing and final preparations.
[More from Traveler: Africa Travel Planner; Kenyan Safari slideshow]
Photo: George W. Stone
Paperwork: For one thing, minors traveling abroad without both parents require permission from the non-traveling parent. The regulations are meant to prevent child abduction. My ex-husband provided a notarized letter stating he was giving permission for the children to travel to Kenya.
Passports: The kids already had passports from a prior trip abroad. (Check the expiration: Children's passports are only valid for five years, versus ten for adults. And if you do need passports, budget about $300 for a family of four.)
Visas: Next, visas, another expense many travelers don't consider when budgeting for their trips. Micato recommended going with a visa expediting service, which was charging almost $300 for my family of three. But not everyone needs this service (it's most useful for rush jobs and/or complicated itineraries involving several countries). In my case, we had plenty of time, were traveling to only one destination in Africa, and resided in the Washington, D.C., area, home to Embassy Row, where most visa applications are processed. It turns out that Kenya was (and is, at this writing) having a big sale on visas: $25 (half the normal fee) and for kids was free. I filled out the necessary forms, walked the packet to the Kenyan Embassy (it can also be mailed there), and my passport with visa stamp was back to me in less than a week. My cost: $25 for the visa, plus $5 return postage--a great deal.
Travel Insurance: Unexpected illness? Lost luggage? Layoff? Death of a pet? A travel insurance policy can protect the money you've spent on your trip (though whether it will depends on the fine print). I was covered by a work policy, but needed one for the kids. The tour company offered one; however, a little comparison-shopping on InsureMyTrip.com, a clearinghouse of travel insurance companies, yielded a better price and better terms with the same underwriting company, TravelGuard, used by the tour operator. Remember that you only need insurance on the non-refundable costs of a trip.
Tune in next time when I cover travel vaccines/medications and learning Swahili with Rosetta Stone. And in a future blog: packing and final preparations.
[More from Traveler: Africa Travel Planner; Kenyan Safari slideshow]
Photo: George W. Stone
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Thanks,for this nice post.
We have been to kenya many times, its one of our favourite holiday destination,you did not state the safari company or the hotel in mombasa, as there are many , also you have two coasts in mombasa to choose from,north or south, we prefer north mombasa coast, as for costings, the safaris average approx £100--£150 per night for the masai mara, a road safari to starve east, west and amberseli are cheaper,when you stay at your hotel go all inclusive.
Thanks for sharing such a nice information about Kenya. Kenya is one of the best places when it comes to Africa safari; this is because they have vast concentrations of game reserves and landscapes. There are countless things that you can do this is because known to have numerous opportunities for adventures, there are the game reserves, the landscapes in Masai Mara and Mount Kenya to explore, there are countless wildlife camps and lodges also.
We too have been to Kenya, but this was many years ago. We monitor the travel alerts page of the State Departments website as Kenya has been in the "warnings" for some time due to heavy crime and kidnappings of westerners. There is no place better to go on safari then Kenya and the beaches are second to none in the world. Hopefully the Kenyan government can regain some control of the crime situations making it safer for us to travel there again. If traveling presently to Kenya try staying with a group, avoid going out at night, and stay in the more upscale hotels where security is present.
wow.. interesting post thanks!!!! i really like it
Kenya is a great place to visit; Major places are Nairobi, Masai Mara, Lewa Downs, Samburu, Amboseli, Central Highlands, Aberdares, The Great Rift Valley and the Lakes, Laikipia, Tsavo, Mombasa and Lamu. Nairobi is the city at the heart of Kenya and the primary gateway to the vast game reserves and national parks of East Africa. The name Nairobi comes from the Masai words enkare nyarobe meaning sweet water, as this area was a watering hole for the Masai and their cattle. One of the largest cities between Cairo and Johannesburg, Nairobi is cosmopolitan, lively and interesting. The city center is modern and prosperous and the services are well organized and efficient. Places of interest include Kenya National Museum, Snake Farm, Nairobi National Park, Railway Museum, National Archives, McMillian Memorial Library, Parliament House, Kenyatta Conference Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, Kiambethu Farm, Langata Giraffe Centre & Bird Sanctuary. There are also many colorful markets to explore as well as the famed Carnivore Restaurant.
Thank You.
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I must say this is a great article i enjoyed reading it keep the good work.
I think you can find more information at tourtokenya.com or toursinuganda.com/kenya/5-kenyan-safaris-lake-tours.html .
Thanks
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