Getting Around

Matatus are the local minibuses, which offer cheap public transport, and there are also local buses. These are often uncomfortable and cramped and are not recommended for mainstream tourist travel.

Guided Tours
Many people like to book onto a tour if going on a safari, and these range from very low budget to top of the range luxury travel. Almost all tours will offer a custom designed safari vehicle, which will be at your disposal, and it will come with a knowledgeable driver/guide. Your guide will have an excellent local knowledge and a fabulous understanding of where to find various animals; whether it be a camouflaged leopard lying low in the top of a yellow fever tree or a pride of lions nestled in the long yellow grass in the heat of the day. Most people feel that their guides greatly enhance their safari experience and are happy to give a tip at the end of their tour.

Shuttle buses
At the large hotels, transport is usually provided to meet guests at the airport. In Mombasa, courtesy buses are very often available to take guests to nearby places of interest.

Tuk-tuks are found at many of the coastal resorts and are cheaper way to get around than taxis.

Taxi firms:

Kenatco Transport Company
Nairobi: Tel: (+254) 020 230771/316611
mobile: 0721-830061/0734-699991
Mombasa: Tel (+254) 041 2313402/2227503
Email: info@kenatco.co.ke, mombasa@kanatco.co.ke

Jatco Taxi’s Ltd
Nairobi: Tel: (+254) 020 4446096/4448162
mobile: 0722-648383/ 0722-725131/0733-701494
Email & website: jatco@jatcotaxis.com, www.jatcotaxis.com

Jimcab
Nairobi Tel: (+254) 020-7122565 /7120344/ 7121205
mobile: 0722-711001/ 0722-714246/ 0733-735499.
Fax No: (+254)-20-7122565
Email & website : info@jimcab.co.ke, www.jimcab.co.ke

Other taxi firms include:

Car hire

Hiring a car in Kenya is useful for some tourists especially if you will be staying at a rented house/cottage perhaps in Mombasa or Naivasha.

If you plan to hire a car to go on a safari, careful planning is required and you will have to be confident about driving on poor roads. A 4-wheel drive is essential and anything less than 1300cc will have a hard time coping with the rough roads in the game parks. Landrovers, Toyota, Suzuki and Pajero’s are commonly used and are easy to find parts for on the road if anything breaks and needs replacing! To hire a car, you generally need to be over 23 and hold a full driving license (but not necessarily an international driving license). Check out the insurance carefully as some companies offer a collision damage waiver which can lead to very expensive damage expenses even for the smallest accident. Make sure you thoroughly look over the vehicle before departing and ensure that you have a tool kit, jack and spare tyre. Also ask if there’s a special key/tool for undoing any security locks on the spare tyre.

Driving is on the left. SatNav does work in Kenya and is expanding its database so is becoming a useful tool for getting around in Nairobi and even in many of the game parks.

Driving on some of the rough roads in Kenya, and being "off road" can be great fun if you have a reliable vehicle!

Car hire companies: