Kenya - African Green Paradise VI.

Kenyan Kitchen

Local kitchen is rather outlined. It is based on wide use of cheap products, including all ingredients, which could be found in savannas. Except traditional expensive beef and pork meats, there are widely used the meats from animals and birds, living in open air. So, the tourists could taste all exotic sorts of meat, such as: the antelopes, elephants, crocodils, ostrichs, but also baked termites or baked locusts, added with maize, beans and rice.

Sea food is being served at sea coast. Anyway, would you taste, for sure, turtle soap, octopus goulash, grilled trout or Nile perches, the fish, baked in banana leaves, various oysters or salad made from sea-weads. Except of this, all restaurants are offering wide choice of fresh fruits and vegetable. During the feast, fresh ice sauce and tea (English tea, with milk an sugar) or coffee, are being served.

The alcohol of local origin production, known as „Tsanga“ has its specific taste and it is not popular with tourists. As an exception, it is local beer of „Tusker“ or „White Cap“ brand, „Uki“ honey-beer, „Kenya Kein“ reed gin or „Kenya Gold“ coffee brandy. Nevertheless, all important brands of alcoholic drinks are available in each hotel. „The Carnivore“ in Nairobi belongs to most popular restaurants in Kenya. You can find there wide choice of meals, prepared from meat of exotic animals. So, you have the chance to taste the crocodile, giraffe, zebra or ostrich meats.

Transport

Air transport

Air transport belongs to those quickiest and most comfortable ways of transport. Air Kenya is connecting all big towns. So, you can use, especially for internal transfers, the services of local Kenya Airways or Eagle Aviation companies. The prices are reasonable. Moreover, you can rent charter flights for safari excursions (plane or taxi), but this service is more expensive, of course. The flight routes are as follows: Nairobi-Amboseli (daily), Nairobi-Masai Mara (to any place of the reservation, the flights are dependent on passengers´ number), Nairobi-Samburu-Naniuki (daily flights to the north part of Kenya National Park), Nairobi-Lamu-Kivayyu (daily), Nairobi-Eldoret-Kisumu (once or twice a week).

Bus transport

In Kenya, it is an excellent nest connection of bus lines. „The Matata“ is a name of local line buses. You can travel to any place of the country.

However, its disadvantage is: they are always overcrowded and the journey takes quite a long time. Taxi-sevice is being operated with big companies (such as „Kenatco“, „Dial Cab“ or „Jatco“) as well as with small companies or private bodies. Anyway, to most reliable ones belong  the vehicles of great companies. Caution, please: the fare would be negotiated always in advance, before you enter the vehicle, as many drivers are expecting the tips, amounting 10% from total sum which is to be paid for. Nevertheless, do not try to stop the vehicles on the road, you can be easily a victim of some deceiver. So, we wish to recommend you, to reserve the respective taxi-service directly from the hotel. Moreover, the taxi-drivers work as the guides or protectors at the same time, when you pay them for such service.

Railway transport

Kenya Railway Corporation organizes railway connection between the towns of Mombasa and Nairobi. The trains are usually leaving in the evening and are arriving to the final place of destination the following day in the morning. However, the time-table of nearly all trains is not kept, but, on the other hand, most of train sets is modern and comfortable, including bars and dining carriages. In local trains, you can distinguish three categiories: the first class (equipped with most modern way, including two beds).

Text: Maxim Kucer

Tranlsation: ing. Jan Jonáš

Photo: neatorama.cachefly.net, sln.org.uk, my-kenya-guide.com, drmrenfrew.files.wordpress.com, tamarind.co.ke