Overland Kenya Travel

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Visiting Kenya

Give a brief overview of what it's like to visit. How easy is the border, how safe is the country, are there great things to see and do, etc.

Entering Kenya with a Car or Motorbike

Correct as of: June 2013

Required Paperwork

(To check if you need a travel Visa for Kenya, application instructions and fees see: Kenya Visa online application at VisaHQ.com)

Process at border

Independent travelers will need to clear immigration first prior to starting customs clearance with the vehicle. A valid Carnet de Passage is required, along with 3rd party insurance.

Cost of entry

$40 for foreign vehicle road tax

Permitted length of stay

Extension of stay

To be confirmed.

You can leave your car at Jungle Junction in Nairobi.

Jungle-Junction (along 'Amboseli Rd.,' in 'Lavington,' near the crossing 'Gitanga Rd.' and 'James Gichuru Rd.') Tel. +254-0-722-752865 / 0723-392014, E-mail; jungle_junction_nairobi@yahoo.com GPS Location S1 17.325 E36 45.634

Quote Horizonsunlimited.com/hubb “JJ Is accomodation in Nairobi - nice big house with rooms available and also able to camp there. Very good facilities (wifi etc) and good place to service your bike or do repair work. Chris (the owner) is very knowledgable with BMW (ex BMW mechanic), and I'm sure he knows his way around other bikes too. Relaxed place and lots of other overlanders there to get some good info too.”

Exiting with a vehicle

Exiting the country involves customs clearance for the vehicle followed by immigration.

Driving in Kenya

Recommended books for Overlanding in Kenya

Lonely Planet Kenya (travel Guide)
Lonely Planet Kenya (travel Guide)
by Lonely Planet, Anthony Ham, Stuart Butler, Kate Th...
From $13.94 on Amazon
Work Less To Live Your Dreams: A Practical Guide To Sa...
Work Less To Live Your Dreams: A Practical Guide To Sa...
by Dan Grec
From $click on Amazon
Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $22.49 on Amazon
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $click on Amazon
Kenya's Beaches (footprint Focus)
Kenya's Beaches (footprint Focus)
by Lizzie Williams
From $12.95 on Amazon

Travel insurance for Kenya

World Nomads offer the most flexible Travel Insurance at the best prices for multi-country / multi-year trips. You can buy, extend and claim online, even after you've left home.

Vehicle insurance requirements

3rd Party insurance is mandatory and is issued by COMESA. Additional information can be found on Africa Overland Insurance

Cost of insurance

See the prices listed on the COMESA Insurance page.

Where to purchase insurance

Insurance can be purchased via insurance brokers at one of the four major border crossings alternatively an insurance broker in Nairobi will be able to sell 3rd party insurance.

Driving license

International Driving Permit is required.

Driving side of road

Left hand side of the road, with majority of vehicles being right hand drive.

Mandatory items in vehicle

2x Safety warning triangles, first aid kit, 2x fire extinguisher

Roads

General Road quality

The general road quality will be bitumen in varying conditions from new to severely potholed. All minor roads will be gravel.

Road signs

Road signs are limited with the occasional speed sign, warning sign and distance sign.

Toll roads

There are only a few Toll roads for private vehicles. Large trucks are required to stop at weigh bridges and are required to pay tolls to proceed.

Bribery in Kenya

In certain government agencies, Bribery is often expected especially with traffic police. Independent travelers should avoid paying bribes and patiently negotiate an exit strategy.
See the Bribery tips page for general advice.

Checkpoints

Very few checkpoints exist for private vehicles however random police checkpoints are spontaneous and usually have no impact to the independent traveler.

Traveling with pets

To Be Confirmed.

Gas and Diesel price in Kenya

Last updated: October 2012

Currency and unit to display:

Gasoline Grade Price
Unleaded €0.89 EUR per Liter[1]
Diesel €0.79 EUR per Liter[1]

Gas and Diesel Availability / Frequency

Gas shortages are known to occur in rural areas of Kenya. Distance between petrol stations can be as long as 500km.

Gas and Diesel Quality

Diesel quality is low grade. Expect the vehicle to puff large quantities of smoke.

Safety and Security Considerations

Driving at night

Driving at night should not be encouraged due to the roadworthness of local vehicles, wild and domestic animals.

Vehicle parking

Vehicles should not be parked on the street due to theft.

Special driving considerations

To Be Confirmed.

Security advisories and information

Camping in Kenya

Organized camping in Kenya is very popular. The average price is roughly $10.00 USD per person. Wild or bush camping is possible and encouraged however the independent traveler might find the population density to high to bush camp without visitors.

Camping guide books

To Be Confirmed.

Drinking water

Regular tap water is safe to drink however it is encouraged to filter any ground or rain water.

Navigation

Paper maps

Reise Know-How are amoung the best paper maps. Purchase paper maps before arriving in Kenya

Kenya
Kenya
by Reise Know-How Verlag
From $14.95 on Amazon
Kenya (national Geographic Adventure Map)
Kenya (national Geographic Adventure Map)
by National Geographic Maps - Adventure
From $11.50 on Amazon
Kenya (national Geographic Adventure Map)
Kenya (national Geographic Adventure Map)
by National Geographic Maps - Adventure
From $11.50 on Amazon
Lonely Planet East Africa (travel Guide)
Lonely Planet East Africa (travel Guide)
by Lonely Planet, Anthony Ham, Stuart Butler, Mary Fi...
From $16.40 on Amazon
  • Michelin North East and Arabia 954 or 745 Map.
  • African Adventure Atlas (National Geographic) is an alternative.

GPS Maps of Kenya

Review Tracks4Africa

GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in Kenya

  • iOverlander is a website and iPhone application designed by Overlanders, for Overlanders. It contains GPS co-ordinates and reviews for camping, hotels, propane, water, mechanics, borders and much more.

To Be Confirmed.

Special Overland Travel interests

  • National Game Parks: Masai Mara
  • Remote lakes: Lake Turkana

Vehicle Maintenance

Dealers

4x4s / Trucks

Motorbikes

Local Garages

To Be Confirmed.

Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Kenya

Buy
Unknown.

Sell
Unknown.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 World petrol prices, gas prices, diesel prices|MyTravelCost.com

Helpful External links