anyone been to kenya in febuary??/

paulwellerfan

hi i am going to Kenya in feb with my family.
( we were spose to going a couple of years ago but it was deemed as being ' unsafe' due to the local elections etc )
any how as anyone been to kenya? esp in feb, whats the weather like.
can any one give me any advice on things i should be doing now eg jabs.
( i did have the jabs 2 years ago though when it was originally planned.)
any advice would be welcome:D

Lobell

Februaury should be hot and dry. Take plenty of high factor sunscreen.

Yellow fever vaccintaion is strongly recommended...but if you had it 2 years ago then you should still be covered. We were given a vaccination card when we got ours and were told to hold onto it for 10 years and take it anytime we travelled to a country that requires yellow fever vaccs as we'd be covered for that length of time.

You'll also need anti-malarial tablets. We took Malarone as it is considered the best one with least side effects. It is expensive though and you'll need to get a private prescription which some GPs cahrge for (ours didn't). There are cheaper alternatives but can have more unpleasant side effects. We had no side effects from the Malarone at all...and not so much as dicky tummy between us the whole time.

Do call your GP's surgery as they should have a nurse available who can talk you through the recommendations and options and to double check that you are still covered for yellpw fever.

We were in Mombasa in October and had a fantastic time. Check out the Trip Advisor Kenya forums for loads of useful information, especially if you are intending to go on safari with a local Kenyan company.

paulwellerfan

hi thanks for your reply Lobell.
i dont think we will be going on safari as my sister says she doesnt fancy seeing lots of dead animals lying around due to the drought over the last couple of years
i think it will mainly be a beach holiday.
we are going to a place called Diana Beach i think

Lobell

There has been a substantial amount of rain in Kenya since mid-October so the effects of the drought will have been alleviated to some extent.

We went to Tsavo East & West and Amboseli on safari and we did see dead animals at Amboseli (it hadn't rained at that stage...rains started a few days after we returned to UK) but none at all at Tsavo East & West (other than a buffalo that had been killed and was being eaten by lions). Kenya is such a fabulous country but you will be missing out massively, IMO, if you don't take the opportunity to go out on safari. Watching a lioness drink from a waterhole less than 100ft from us, while a family of elephants bathed beside her, is one of the most awesome experiences of my life....

supersmith

I would also recommend going on safari, we went to Tanzania and Kenya in August and the safari was one of the most amazing things that we did. (It was in Tanzania.)

In Kenya we stayed very near Diani beach, on Tiwi beach in a small cottage resort called Coral Cove Cottages, that was really nice. It was right by the beach and self catering - a fisherman and a fruit and veg seller came by every day selling food. There was a nearby campsite with a restaurant so didn't have to cook every day. It was pretty quiet where we were, Diani beach seemed a lot busier with more resorts and restaurants and more going on.

Have an amazing time, I'd love to go back, I'm jealous!!

paulwellerfan

thank you for all the above replies
just another quick question.
if you were not going on safari and you were staying away from the main land would you still take the maleria tablets- i have heard that they really make you sick.

Incapuppy

paulwellerfan wrote: »

thank you for all the above replies
just another quick question.
if you were not going on safari and you were staying away from the main land would you still take the maleria tablets- i have heard that they really make you sick.

You should be seeking the correct, current medical advice from a GP or practice nurse, not canvassing opinions from random strangers on the internet. Just MHO, of course.

paulwellerfan

Incapuppy wrote: »

You should be seeking the correct, current medical advice from a GP or practice nurse, not canvassing opinions from random strangers on the internet. Just MHO, of course.

there is no harm in asking for any ones views, especally if they have been to kenya...
canvassing opinions... !!!!!!...:rolleyes:

Lobell

paulwellerfan wrote: »

thank you for all the above replies
just another quick question.
if you were not going on safari and you were staying away from the main land would you still take the maleria tablets- i have heard that they really make you sick.

Kenya is a high risk country for Malaria. Malaria is a potentially fatal disease and it only takes one bite to catch it. You will be much, much sicker if you catch it than if you take the tablets.

The majority of people we met at our hotel and on safari were taking Malarone and I didn't hear anyone complain of ill effects from it.

paulwellerfan

thank you for that

hoxtonbabe

paulwellerfan wrote: »

thank you for all the above replies
just another quick question.
if you were not going on safari and you were staying away from the main land would you still take the maleria tablets- i have heard that they really make you sick.

Im going in 2 weeks time and as much as it has killed me to part with best part of £60 for the malaria tablets I would never ever think of going to Kenya (or any part of Africa) and not take anti malarials, it really isn't worth the risk, my other half has caught it twice, I admit he was working in Mozambique at the time in a rather remote part, but it it was no fun for him I assure you.

As Lobell has said if you catch Malaria you will be far worse than if you took the tablets, plus you may even be totally fine with the tablets.

Either way have a nice time