Published by:Rono K Lenny
Visiting Kenya on a tight budget can be very tricky,
especially when you do not know what you will do so as to enjoy your safari. Such
a situation calls for adequate research and planning. Appropriate planning will
ensure that whatever you set aside for your vacation will be enough for you to
enjoy your stay in Kenya.
 |
| Gogirlfinance |
Well, when you have a tight budget, you will have to
consider your travel, accommodation, food and drinks and entrance expenses and
how much each will cost so that you can plan well in advance.
Travelling
When travelling to Kenya on a tight budget, road
travel will be the best option compared to travel by air. This means that after
landing at the airport, you might consider using vehicle to visit various
tourists’ destinations instead of using a plane.
You can rent your own vehicle instead of using
package tours, which are more expensive. This will save you lots of money as
well as giving you the flexibility and freedom you need. You can rent a vehicle
with a full-time driver or you can even opt to drive it yourself. This will
cost you between $20 and $30 per day.
Note the exchange rates here: Kenya Shilling Exchange Rate
In case you need a five-seat SUV, you can rent it
for $75 - $200 per day. This depends on the vehicle you choose. You will have
to provide useful information such as where you plan to go, number of
passengers and duration you intend to rent the vehicle.
In case you opt to fly, then you can choose Fly540,
which is a low cost airline.
 |
| Fly540 |
You may also like this: The Best Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya
Visa Charges
When it comes to acquiring your visa, you will
either have to get one or be exempted depending on your nationality. Citizens
from commonwealth countries do not have to acquire a visa prior to visiting
Kenya. For more information concerning visa, you can check them here to know who needs it or here to know who doesn’t need it.
Visa charges are as shown below:
·
US$50.00 – Single Entry Visa
(Tourists/Visitors/Business)
·
US$100.00 – Multiple Entry Visa
(Tourist/Visitors/Business)
·
US$20.00 – Single Transit Visa for not
more than 3 days.
·
US$100.00 – East Africa
·
US$10.00 – administrative fee for
referred visa
For more information concerning visas, I would
advise you to visit Kenyan Embassy in your country or any other relevant
institution for further clarification. However, it is worth noting that Tourist
Visas are valid for 30 days.
Accommodation
Accommodation in Kenya is highly flexible and can
accommodate tourists with or without a tight budget. Each city and major towns
have well-furnished and affordable hotels that offer basic facilities necessary
for a comfortable stay.
In case you have a tight budget, you can opt to spend
your nights in affordable hotels instead of staying in expensive five star resorts
that will stretch your budget too much.
In Nairobi, you can find hotels such as Meridian Court Hotel, Bermuda Hotel and
Ngara Youth Hotel. Budget friendly hotels in Mombasa include Mtwapa Creek Villa
and The Beach-Bar Resaturant and Camp Lodge.
 |
| Meridian Court Hotel |
In case you want to enjoy Lamu beaches, which are
amongst The Best Beaches in Kenya, Lamu Island Villa and Shella Sea Breeze are
two nice hotels which provide good facilities and services to tourists with a
tight budget.
Food and Drinks
Having a tight budget on your safari can be very
challenging when it comes to choosing what to eat and drink. There are several
restaurants where tourists can get great food at affordable prices. The best
way to save on eating is by dining in local restaurants rather than expensive
restaurants.
These local restaurants offer diverse and authentic Kenyan Dishes at affordable prices. It is advisable to be
flexible on your diet rather than to stick on a fixed and luxurious diet. It is
also worth noting the number of times you eat so that you do not spend so much
on local food; something that will eventually increase your expenses.
 |
| Migrationology |
In case you would like to enjoy traditional Kenyan
food in Nairobi, several restaurants offer them at affordable rates. However,
you can opt for Kosewe Restaurant where you will have a
wide variety of traditional Kenyan dishes to choose from.
However, there are other hotels/restaurants within
the city that serve international cuisines such as Thai, Chinese, Italian,
French, Lebanese, etc. at reasonable rates. You can choose which one suit you
best and enjoy it.
Do you want to see endangered species in Kenya? Ol Pejeta Conservancy is the
place to visit.
 |
| Ol Pejeta Conservancy |
National Park Entrance Fees
Visiting Kenya on a tight budget will determine
which attraction site you will visit based on their varying entrance fees or
charges. Entrance fees to national parks in Kenya vary depending on the
national park you visit and the time of the year; whether it’s a high or low
season.
Nairobi National Park charges $40.00 per
day while Maasai Mara National Park charges $60.00
per day. Although Maasai Mara National Park is the best place to be, visiting
Nairobi National Park is a spectacular experience on its own since it has a
wide variety on wildlife that you can see.
 |
| Maasai Mara National Park |
You may therefore opt to tour the cheaper one to
save on your budget. In case you are driving your own vehicle, there are
separate vehicle charges that range from $30.00 - $40.00 per day. It is advisable
that you make a list of places that you would like to visit so that you do not
spend so much on entrance charges by visiting many but relatively similar
tourists’ attraction sites.
For instance, you can choose to visit either Maasai
Mara National Park or Tsavo National Park
so that you do not visit both places yet both offer relatively similar
wildlife experience, though Maasai Mara is the better one of the two.
 |
| Tsavo National Park |
Visiting Kenya on a tight budget will also affect
the time of the year to tour Kenya. Dry season between June and October is
usually the best time to see wildlife but this period is usually very
expensive. The best time you can visit Kenya is just before the peak season
kicks in.
Visiting Kenya before the peak season kicks in will
give you an opportunity to enjoy spectacular wildlife view at a relatively
lower cost as compared to one who visits during the peak season. This doesn’t
deny you the opportunity to enjoy your tour but instead enables you to enjoy
your safari in Kenya on a tight budget.
Like our Facebook Page and Share With Friends.
Like our Facebook Page and Share With Friends.
No comments :
Post a Comment