What is the climate like in Kenya?

What is the best time of the year to visit Kenya?

How far in advance should I book my safari?

What kind of accommodation is available in Kenya?

Will I stay in tents or lodges?

What’s the food like on safari?

Can special dietary requirements be accommodated?

Is it OK to drink the water?

Where is the best place to go on safari in Kenya?

What can be expected on a Safari?

When is the best time of year to go on safari in Kenya?

What is the Great Migration?

When is the best time in the day to view game?

What clothes should I bring on safari?

How big are your safari groups?

What if I want a custom safari?

Is Kenya a good family destination?

Is Kenya a good honeymoon destination?

Will I have a chance to interact with the local people of Kenya?

Are safaris in Kenya safe?

Where is Kenya located?

What is the landscape like?

What languages are spoken in Kenya?

What is the Capital City of Kenya?

What are the different cultures that can be encountered in Kenya?

What type of religions are there?

What is the time zone of Kenya?

 

 

What is the climate like in Kenya?
Kenya lies directly on the equator and has a tropical climate. It is hot and humid in the coastal areas and temperate inland and very dry in the north and northeast parts of the country.

What is the best time of the year to visit Kenya?
Kenya is a great year round destination, with the main tourist season being in January and February. During this period the weather is hot and dry and is generally considered quite pleasant.

This is also a time when flocks of birds arrive in the Rift Valley, offering a kaleidoscope of colour and sound. Between June and September the weather is still dry, with the rains coming from March to May. During the rainy months things are quiet, with hotels and lodges having many rooms available and prices tend to decrease.

How far in advance should I book my safari?
It is better to book as far in advance as possible to ensure availability at the time you wish to travel (4-6 months), especially during the peak seasons (July & August and Christmas/New Years). This is especially important for those wishing to travel on private custom made safaris and those adding extensions to scheduled trips.

What kind of accommodation is available in Kenya?
Accommodation in Kenya ranges from ultra luxurious lodges and tented camps to basic accommodation in hostels and hotels. Nairobi is home to some world class hotels and backpackers campsites.

Internationally renowned hotel chains like Intercontinental and Hilton have hotels in Nairobi, as well as the local chains like Serena and Sarova. Cheaper accommodation is offered in downtown urban areas, but is unsafe as they are located in high crime areas.

Will I stay in tents or lodges?
We offer accommodation in both tents and lodges. But in a case where clients prefer tents to lodges or vice verse; this is taken in account and given priority. We can also tailor make safaris with a combination of both tents and lodges. All you have to do is give us your preference.

What’s the food like on safari?
Most of the lodges and safari camps serve a buffet menu with a desert to complete your meal. Though there are a few lodges and hotels that serve a set menu. Food in all the facilities are up to an international standard prepared by world class qualified chefs.

Can special dietary requirements be accommodated?
Yes. Special dietary requirements are catered for throughout Africa. Please give us advanced notice so that we can make arrangements with the lodges and camps you are scheduled to stay at. Most restaurants offer selections for vegetarians, depending on their forte. Local specialties can be surprisingly good! With the exception of a few lodges, halaal and kosher food is not available at most camps/lodges.

Is it OK to drink the water?
While water in major towns is chlorinated and relatively safe to drink, it is safer to drink sealed bottled water, available from most hotels and lodges. And also sold in the locally supermarkets. Furstenberg Safaris also provides water to its clients while on safari with a particular regard to road safari clients. Though on request we do offer the same to other safaris as well.

Where is the best place to go on safari in Kenya?
Kenya as a country is a tourist’s paradise endowed with numerous parks, reserves and culture that together form the base for exploration while on a Kenyan Safari. To begin with Maasai Mara is the best one of the best in this region. All the big five are residents here. And the sheer volume of wildlife sweeping across the Mara plains is a sight one cannot afford to miss. Amboseli on the southern circuit is commonly referred as the home of elephants. Seeing Elephants in a group of herds is very common here, coming close to the local Masai culture and walking right into the middle of their homestead is very real here as the elders take you through the set up. This park also gives one a perfect chance to see snow capped Mount Kilimanjaro in the back drop on a clear sky without having to cross over to Tanzania. Samburu game reserve is another place to be visited. Samburu is unique in that it hosts some of the unique game and flora that are only available in the northern part of the country and can only be seen here plus the Samburu culture. To the south again Tsavo East and West national parks are the biggest of them all with a combined total of 21,000 km square that like a host to a larger population of wildlife and has some very interesting features like the Mudanda rock, Yatta Plateau that stretches about 6000 Km across the horizon.

What can be expected on a Safari?
A warm and friendly welcome by the local people, no humidity, comfortable temperatures, a high degree of comfort, a variety of delicious food and exhausting but exhilarating days.

An average day begins at dawn with tea and a sunrise game drive. Back to the lodge for a wonderful breakfast with fresh baked breads, local coffee, and your choice of entrée. During the heat of the day when the wildlife is at rest you too may wish to relax around the pool. In the afternoon when the wildlife again comes alive go out on an afternoon game drive. In certain areas full day game drives, a bush walk, night drive or other activity may be planned.

In the evening, everyone gathers to exchange stories of the bush while enjoying beverages. Retire early, as tomorrow will bring…well we just don’t know but we can assure you it will be exciting

When is the best time of year to go on safari in Kenya?
There are two rainy seasons that you should probably avoid. The short rains are in November and the long rains start at the end of March and go through to the end of May. Although, having said that, we will add that it is not really a big deal, people are used to it and manage to carry on with rain or not, and skidding on the muddy roads in a 4x4 wheel drive can actually be a lot of fun. August and October are just about the best times but to see the wildebeest migration in the Maasai Mara. It’s advisable to come around July through September.

What is the Great Migration?
This is an annual event that has repeated itself time and again every year as thousands of wildlife embarks on their long trek from Serengeti National Park into Maasai Mara which is its extension to the south. Hundreds of thousands of wildebeests and zebras cross over Mara as they escape from the dry areas of Serengeti in search of green pastures on the Kenyan side. This is a very spectacular and unique event that is a must see. From the treks to ambush by the predators like the cats, crocodiles lying in wait for wildebeests in Mara river, thousands succumbing to nature by drowning in their attempt to cross Mara river, young one’s born on the move and the sheer numbers that sweep across the Mara plains is a site to behold and one cannot afford to miss this annual occurrence

When is the best time in the day to view game?
Wild animals prefer to move about when it is cool and is the best time to view game is early morning and late evening when temperatures are lower

What clothes should I bring on safari?
It is a good idea to bring mosquito repellent, sunburn cream, a hat, sunglasses, and malaria medication. Kenyan supermarkets are quite well stocked, but it never hurts to come prepared with these essentials. However, if you are going on Safari, as you get into the highlands, it gets cooler, and during the early morning and late evenings you may need a sweater and trousers/jeans. If you are in Mombasa, it is always warm so bring shorts, short sleeves, and your swimming gear. It is also advisable to have some smart clothes. Generally in Mombasa, you will not be expected to wear a tie, but some restaurants still require long trousers and shirt sleeves. Nairobi also gets quite cold in the evenings during the rainy season, making a sweater a welcome garment. Once again, it is advisable to bring some smart clothes for the evening.

How big are your safari groups?
Our safari groups can be as big as 15 to 20. Or can be as small as two people on safari. Groups normally are a preference for regular prebooked safaris. But we still cater for any number of clientele that our esteemed clients would prefer to travel in. So you don’t have to worry whether you’re ten or single we have safaris for everybody just get in touch and find out what we have in store for you.

What if I want a custom safari?
Yes we do custom safari and this works best when done in advance especially during the high season period. Turn around time is 24 hours and we will try very much to stay with proposed itinerary. Though we reserve right to offer an alternative accommodation in a case where the offered accommodation is overbooked. For low season there isn’t much of a problem with accommodation therefore chances are always open and good in securing the offered accommodation.

Is Kenya a good family destination?
Kenya offers a wide variety of family friendly facilities, from overland safaris to kiddie’s programmes at some of the beach resorts. Kenya hosts a variety of accommodation options catering to the needs of families. Generally, children under the age of 4 years are not permitted on any game activities and children under the age of 16 are not allowed on game walks, but this can be determined when making the booking.

Is Kenya a good honeymoon destination?
Yes, definately. Kenya is home to some of Africa's most exclusive, romantic and intimate lodges, set in the most tranquil and breathtaking bush environment. Guests are treated like royalty, with their every need taken care of. Many of these lodges offers special honeymoon suites that are separated from the rest of the camp, providing guests with an intimate and private experience. Many of these lodges can also organise romantic sunset cruises, bush dinners and private game drives.

Will I have a chance to interact with the local people of Kenya?
Interaction with local people is inevitable from very point of entry in to the country and to the hotels and the lodges. Better still for those interested in raw and undiluted culture of the local people. These can be arranged if mentioned or requested in advance to visit the local village manyattas of the local people and learn more about their lifestyles

Are safaris in Kenya safe?
The continent of Africa is larger than all of Europe, China and the United States put together. It consists of fifty-four countries with totally unrelated political systems over 11,700,000 square miles. What happens in one country, even a bordering country does not necessarily affect the other. Think of it this way – if something happened in Serbia, would that affect your travel plans to Italy or France? There are certain inherent risks whenever one travels, but chances of being involved in an incident are very small. It is just not wise for Furstenberg Safaris to send you to an area where we know there are problems. We are in constant contact with our government security urgencies and Kenya Wildlife Services and continually monitor any situations that might occur or arise and advice our clients accordingly. All of our vehicles are equipped with emergency long range radio calls. We have the ability to change your itinerary at last minute and would certainly cancel a trip if you would be in harms way. If you have any questions at anytime regarding destinations, do not hesitate to call. Your safety and comfort in traveling to an area is our foremost concern.

Where is Kenya located?
Kenya is located in East Africa, nestled between Somalia to the north west and Tanzania to the south. Neighbouring countries include Ethiopia and Sudan to the north and Uganda to the west.

What is the landscape like?
Kenya lies on the Indian Ocean and on the equator. Four geographical regions: arid desert, savannah grassland, fertile lowlands (coast) and the highlands. There are extinct volcanoes as well as lakes and rivers.

What languages are spoken in Kenya?
English is used commonly in Kenya and is the ‘language of communication’. It is widely spoken in hotels, restaurants and other tourist areas. Swahili is the national language of the country. It is worth learning some Swahili before your trip and locals will be happy to hear you attempting to speak their language.

What is the Capital City of Kenya?
Nairobi is the capital and largest city in Kenya, and popularly known as the ‘Green City in the Sun’. Nairobi is also the capital of the Nairobi Province and of the Nairobi District. Nairobi is located on the Nairobi River in the south of Kenya and is the most populous city in East Africa, with an estimated population of 4 million. Nairobi is also the fourth largest city in Africa.

What are the different cultures that can be encountered in Kenya?
The population of Kenya consists of 32 major indigenous African groups, five of which making up 70% of the entire population. These groups include Kikuyu, Luo, Luhya, Kamba and the Kalenjin. Ethnic minorities include Arabs and Asians.

What type of religions are there?
The majority of the population of Kenya practices the Christian faith, with 27% being Protestant and 26% being Roman Catholic. About 19% of the population follows local native tribal beliefs, and 6% are Muslims.

What is the time zone of Kenya?
The standard time zone in Kenya is 3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.