KENYA
Kenya is a country in Eastern Africa. Its Indian Ocean coast lies between Somalia to the north east and Tanzania to the south. Its other surrounding countries are Ethiopia and South Sudan to the north and Uganda to the west.
Although made up of many diverse ethnic groups and tribes, Kenyans have strong sense of national pride which may be due in part to unity in the struggle for Uhuru (Kiswahili: “freedom”) – independence from British colonial rule, achieved in 1963. Most Kenyans seem optimistic about the country’s future. Kenyans understandably pursue the business opportunities offered by tourism with a zeal that may be off putting to some visitors, but are usually open, talkative and friendly once business matters have been settled.
Widlife:
The wildlife in Kenya is often remarkably approachable. While never tame (and you should treat all wildlife with great caution), Kenya’s wild animals have lived with a comprehensive hunting ban for the last 35 years, meaning their fear of humans is greatly reduced. There are few other places on earth where you can easily watch large predators hunting, or megafauna such as giraffe, elephant and hippo interacting and behaving quite naturally while you capture their images on a sensor.
Current Time & Date:
GMT+8
Currency and ATMs:
The Philippine peso, also referred to by its Filipino name piso, is the official currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos or sentimos in Filipino. As a former colony of the United States, the country used English on its currency, with the word “peso” appearing on notes and coinage until 1967. Since the adoption of the usage of the Filipino language on banknotes and coins, the term “piso” is now used.
You won’t have a problem finding an ATM in major Philippine cities, especially in Metro Manila. Your best bet is to enter any mall and you’ll find at least one ATM there. Most ATMs charge a fee for withdrawing money. This is usually in the range of 150-200 PHP. Some local bank ATMs will also have a withdrawal limit, which ranges from Php4, 000 to P20, 000 per withdrawal, and may also impose a limit of 2 withdrawals per day.
Some ATMs may run out of money on weekends, paydays (10th/15th and 25th/30th of the month), just before and during national holidays. There are also long queues on the mentioned days.
A lot of the newer machines will return your card right after you enter your PIN, before your transaction is complete. Keep your card and continue with your withdrawal. Bring cash in the local currency to all remote places. Some rural areas may not even have a bank.
Health:
Visit your physician at least 4 to 6 weeks before your trip to check whether you need any vaccinations or other preventive measures.
Mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue fever, Japanese encephalitis (JE) and chikungunya virus occur all year round. There were increased levels of dengue cases in 2016. There’s a heightened risk of dengue fever during the rainy season (June to October). You should take appropriate precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.
Although adequate in major cities, medical care is limited in more remote areas. Even some of the more popular tourist destinations have limited and basic medical provisions. This may result in a delay when seeking urgent medical attention in an emergency.
Make sure you have adequate travel health insurance and accessible funds to cover the cost of any medical treatment abroad and repatriation.
As the strains of malaria, and the drugs used to combat them, frequently change, and as certain strains can become drug resistant, it is best to seek medical advice before your departure and take any medication prescribed. Pregnant or very young children are not advised to travel to malarial areas.
Other precautions are: to wear long sleeves, socks, closed shoes, and generally keep the body covered, to sleep with a mosquito net and to use mosquito coils and repellent.
Visa:
Many passport holders do not require a visa to enter the Philippines and get 21 days visa free.
Please check the most recent guidelines with us as these can change.
International Airports:
Manila Ninoy Aquino Airport
Mactan-Cebu Airport
Clark Airport
Davao Airport
Puerto Princesa Airport
Ilo Ilo Airport
Kalibo Airport
Laoag Airport
General Santos Airport
Subic Bay Airport
Zamboanga Airport
Capital: Nairobi
Currency: Kenyan Shilling
Population: 49 million
Official languages: English, Swahili