Travel requirements & Essentials for East Africa(Kenya,Uganda,Tanzania)
Pre-departure Information
Passport
A valid passport is required for travel to any destination that we offer. In addition it is important that the passport remain valid for a period of six months beyond your travel date. This is essential; please carefully check your passport or you may be denied access to your flight. There must also be sufficient empty pages in your passport (two blank pages side by side for each country you will visit). Allow enough time to obtain a new passport.
VISAS TO EAST AFRICA
Kenya tourist visa can be obtained at Jomo Kenyatta airport on arrival while Tanzania visa can be obtained at the Namanga boarder entry point. You don’t require a multiple entry visa for travel in East Africa since the Kenyan Tourist visa allows you to enter and leave Kenya as long as you are traveling within East Africa.
You can apply for single entry and transit visas on the following links; Kenyan Visa , Tanzanian Visas , Uganda Visa,Rwanda Visa
HEALTH
Travel to the tourist regions of East Africa does not pose any extra health risks such as would occur if you were an aid worker or visiting very remote areas. The lodges and camps we use are vigilant with food preparation. Common sense is in order, be sure to wash your hands frequently especially before meals. Use bottled water (often called mineral water) for drinking and to brush your teeth. Malaria is not often contracted by visitors but is a serious disease and steps must be taken to prevent it. The best prevention is to avoid being bitten. The mosquito that carries malaria feeds at night so cover up in the evening and use repellent. Use a net for sleeping if provided.
Please consult you doctor or Health Travel Advisory Service to get up to date advice on vaccination and malaria prophylaxis. You should travel with your own personal first aid kit including any over-the-counter or prescription medications that you regularly use or may need. Eyeglass wearers should bring an extra pair and contact lens wearers should bring glasses as well. There can be a lot of dust and glare on safari that can affect sensitive eyes. A good pair of sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen are also essential, as is a broad-brimmed hat.
The following vaccinations are often recommended:
- Yellow Fever
- Polio
- Tetanus
- Hepatitis
COVID-19 TRAVEL POLICY
We at Marurumi Safaris follow the stipulated WHO and Ministry of Health guidelines and protocol in regards to ensuring safety of our guests from COVID-19 pandemic. We ensure that your tour guides are regularly tested for Covid-19 and must test Negative before departing for any safari. All our guest will be subject to regular temperature screening, we will also provide face masks and an anti-bacterial hand sanitizer will be available at all our safari vehicles. We will also ensure very high level of hygiene while on your safari. Your tour guide will disinfect and sanitize your luggage before and after every hotel check-in. The vehicles will also be regularly cleaned and disinfected.
Your Safety is our utmost priority!
MONEY/CURRENCY
You will need to have some of the local currency of the country that you are visiting. This can be obtained on arrival at a bureau de change or bank located in the airport or town center and sometimes at your city hotel. There will be some instances where you can pay for drinks and purchases with a credit card as they are becoming more widely accepted and there is often an extra service charge rendered for processing them.
However, it’s important to have a back up amount of foreign currency with you in the event of an emergency. Most widely accepted for exchange are US dollars, followed by Euros and GB pounds. (Please note larger bills (denominations of $100 & $50) receive a more favorable exchange rate and they must be issued in the year 2000 or later— the newer, the better.) In some countries (such as Tanzania) US dollars are often accepted for purchases and payment for extras and for tipping.
Although ATM machines are now more widely available in most countries it’s best not to rely on them for your cash needs.
Most services offered by Marurumi Safaris Ltd are pre-paid except for tips, purchases and items of a personal nature.
SERVICES
While travelling in Africa please remember you are often in a developing nation. Infrastructure is not perfect and traffic moves at a much slower (often frustrating) pace. In East Africa, most of the people here speak English as a second or even third language. The best advice is to follow the lead of your professional tour guide.
Remember, you’re on holiday and we’ve got your back! HAKUNA MATATA!
ELECTRICITY
The voltage in most African countries is 220-240 and plug pin types vary widely. Consult a specialty travel shop for the necessary plug adaptors, also most of our safari vehicles come fully loaded with power supply, hence ensuring that your cameras and gadgets are juiced up. You can also purchase a 12-volt charger that fits into the vehicle cigarette lighter to recharge your camera batteries.
Most lodges and camps also have facilities for charging batteries.
PACKING LIST GUIDELINE
On safari casual and comfortable dress is appropriate. Days are often hot, and early mornings and evenings are often cold, especially at the Ngorongoro Crater due to the altitude. Several lightweight layers plus a warm fleece and jacket work well so you can adapt to changing conditions as the day goes on. Long-sleeved shirts can also be useful to protect you from both the sun and mosquitoes. Neutral colors are best – khaki, green, beige – not white (which won’t stay white for long!), nor camouflage which is associated with the military and might inadvertently provoke a negative reaction. Most lodges do not have a formal dress code and there is absolutely no need to change for dinner, although some people like to freshen up a little after the evening game drive.
CLOTHES
- Shorts
- T-shirts
- Long trousers.
- Long-sleeved shirts.
- Sweater or fleece.
- Warm jacket.
- Light raincoat.
- Socks & underwear.
- Pajamas.
- Swimsuit.
- Comfortable sturdy walking shoes.
- Sandals or flip-flops to wear around camp.
- Gloves for cold mornings.
- Thick gardening gloves if gorilla trekking (to grasp sharp foliage).
- Sunglasses.
- Wide-brimmed hat.
- Waterproof bags for anything wet or dusty.
- A sarong / kikoi / shawl is often very useful.
TOILETRIES
- Sunblock / sunscreen.
- Insect repellent.
- Lip balm.
- Antihistamine cream for insect bites & stings
- First aid kit including Imodium and rehydration salts
- Tissues.
- Malaria tablets (see your doctor before you travel for up-to-date advice).
- Motion sickness tablets if required.
- Personal toiletries and medication.
DOCUMENTATION
- Passport and photocopies.
- Air tickets and vouchers.
- Itinerary and travel / accommodation vouchers.
- Travel insurance documentation.
Yellow Fever Inoculation certificate – if travelling to East Africa, you need to have a yellow fever inoculation (no less than 10 days prior to travel) and will need to have a certificate/card as proof when entering the country.
For more information, please feel free to contact us via Email, or phone. We’re more than willing to be at your service.
