Ongoing discussions · Kenya

Hello,

To read:

📋 Yes, travel insurance is now mandatory in the ETA application. Since October 6, 2026, the official Kenyan ETA portal directly includes a step to subscribe to mandatory government travel insurance for travelers required to obtain an ETA, even if you already have your own medical and repatriation insurance. This insurance adds an official extra cost of $44 plus payment fees of $8, totaling $52 on top of the ETA. The ETA application cannot be completed without paying for this insurance on the portal.

In the end, Kenya followed the Tanzanian "model".....!!

One more piece of good news.... Regards.

Puma2A

Thirty years ago, I traveled to Zanzibar (Tanzania) with my children. Since I’ve since started a new family, I took the opportunity of a trip to Kenya to bring my new family along: my wife, who’s Kenyan, and my 10-year-old daughter. Zanzibar has really changed in 30 years. It’s become the island of taxes. It all starts upon arrival: I think it’s the only country in the world, besides the visa, where Zanzibar insurance (and no other) is mandatory—it costs 40 €. If you didn’t purchase it before arriving, good luck getting it: the IT systems are unreliable. With a bit of luck, it’ll take at least an hour to process! And of course, this insurance is useless—if you get sick, it’s recommended to use your home country’s insurance because if you use Zanzibar’s, your national insurance won’t cover you anymore. I wanted to show my daughter the red colobus monkey, which is endemic to Zanzibar. I paid for a tour that was supposed to be all-inclusive. First, we visited a spice farm, where a farm guide took charge of us—meaning commissions were involved, of course! The tour was very good and informative, though. When we arrived at Jenzhi Park (the colobus park), the guide told us he "forgot" there was an entrance fee (50$). Aware of the system, I decided to book an Ocean Blue tour through the Zanzibar Tourism Office. After two hours of driving, we stopped at a beach—and were left there. No boat was ready to take us. Since my wife speaks Swahili (the language in Zanzibar), after an hour, a captain with his own boat agreed to take us along with his family. Another attempt. The main attraction in Zanzibar (besides the city) is Changuu, the Prison Island. You have to take a motorboat and pay the captain, which is normal. But in Zanzibar, to even get on a boat, you first have to pay a tax! Once we arrived at the island, it started all over again! Thirty years ago, access was free, and the entire island (about 1 km²) was open. Today, there’s a small office, and you have to pay a hefty fee to enter. But enter where? A paved path leads to about 15% of the island—the rest is off-limits. In total, I paid 100 € for my wife, daughter, and myself just to visit a tiny portion of the island! Avoid this! For the rest of our stay, we stayed at a 5-star hotel with golf, horseback riding, tennis courts, evening concerts, etc.—undeniably high-level comfort. One last thing: if you want to rent a car, it’s affordable and useful for exploring the island’s diverse landscapes, but there are speed cameras at every corner on the main roads. The fine is supposedly 100 $, and it’s hard not to get one! I told you: Zanzibar, the land of taxes. I used to think my country, Belgium, was the tax champion—I’ve found something even better!

Hi, I just wanted to step in and warn people who are interested in doing eco-volunteering abroad. I had this experience recently and I’m really disappointed. Watch out for pompous and enticing websites, and their associated blogs where all the comments are inevitably positive. In my case, I went to Kenya after checking out the many sites of this organization (no fewer than 4 links), which boasted about organizing eco-volunteering and eco-solidarity activities, helping the local population, including an orphanage and a refugee camp. In reality, we ended up with a couple of opportunistic French people who treated their staff with contempt and authoritarianism, spending their days on the internet creating new sites to attract more clients. No contact with the local population, let alone the orphanage or refugees, and constant denigration of Africans. The presence of their staff, who were devoted and lovely, made this trip a success. We spent all our time with them and managed to ignore their bosses. We left a review on Tripadvisor, which was quickly contested by the director of the establishment, but we don’t want to let people like that get rich by taking advantage of tourists’ generosity. That’s what we think of Muringa Farm in Subukia, Kenya, and we’re counting on the forum to prevent others from being scammed. Thanks

Hello,

A must-read for anyone planning to travel to Kenya or Tanzania in the coming months.

https://www.corsematin.com/article/francemonde/70999544524516/lonu-prevoit-un-el-nino-de-tres-forte-intensite-ces-cinq-prochains-mois

In Nov./Dec. 2022, I went on a safari in the region and we suffered from the extreme temperatures caused by the "El Niño" phenomenon in the Indian Ocean at that time. On top of the extreme heat, there can be torrential rains, flooding, etc., which have led to disasters with casualties.

Worth keeping in mind (just in case).

Best regards, ...

Hi there,

I’m reaching out with a question about which park to choose for a 3-day safari in Kenya.

After 20 days in Uganda, I’m meeting up with my dad for a 3-day safari (that works for him). We’ll be meeting in Nairobi and have a full day to travel to a park (preferably the farthest from Nairobi to avoid crowds?) and spend 4 nights there before heading back to the capital for our flight to France.

I’d love to hear your recommendations since I’ve read so many great tips on this forum.

Thanks,

David

Hello,

In 1985, the film "Out of Africa" was released, which inspired me to visit Kenya for the first time a year later. My passion for animals in their wild and natural habitat, and thus for safaris, was born while watching this film and appreciating Robert REDFORD’s acting.

Of course, the film’s director and Meryl STREEP also contributed greatly to this wonderful movie.....

In a way, I owe him this passion, and I thank him for it. Sometimes, during safaris, when we had our breakfasts in the middle of nature, in one reserve or another in Kenya or Tanzania, I often thought of him.

May he rest in peace, far from our world of madness. Thank you for EVERYTHING, Mr. REDFORD.

( In three weeks in Kenya, I think I’ll often be thinking of him....... )

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