Hello from Kenya! This dispatch is coming to you from a beautiful country very much devoid of tourists, but one which is desperate to have you all back.
Not advocating for travelling en masse during #Covid19, but here are 24 reasons it's a GREAT time to go to Kenya:
Not advocating for travelling en masse during #Covid19, but here are 24 reasons it's a GREAT time to go to Kenya:
1. By the numbers:
- Kenya’s total number of #Covid19 cases: 36,205
- Deaths: 624
- Recoveries: 23,243
- Population: 50 million ish
- Tests conducted: 481,982
- Kenya’s total number of #Covid19 cases: 36,205
- Deaths: 624
- Recoveries: 23,243
- Population: 50 million ish
- Tests conducted: 481,982
2. Kenya's international borders have been open since August 1. Their daily #Covid19 cases have decreased since the borders were reopened
3. Getting in: 130 countries are exempt from the 14-day quarantine, including all of the GCC countries & most Western countries
3. Getting in: 130 countries are exempt from the 14-day quarantine, including all of the GCC countries & most Western countries
4. A PCR test is mandatory to get in, taken within 96 hours
5. It was one of the first countries to be awarded the Safe Travel Stamp from the @WTTC
5. It was one of the first countries to be awarded the Safe Travel Stamp from the @WTTC
6. I’m SO impressed with how seriously everyone is taking health and safety. Masks are mandatory and social distancing imposed, cleaning is constant. Not just in Nairobi either, even out in the villages, people are wearing masks & disinfecting credit card machines etc vigorously
7. It’s Great Migration season with no one here to see it. Today, in the Maasai Mara, we saw 6 jeeps all day. Usually, my guide says, there would be many hundreds
Wildebeest for MILES
Wildebeest for MILES
8. This means a front row seat to action like this, with approximately zero other people around
(Sound on)
(Sound on)
9. It's also TWIN Migration season. Wildebeest in the Maasai Mara and humpback whales on the coast. And again, no people around to see it
10. Zero tourists, zero selfie sticks, zero influencers
11. Most national park fees have been cut 50% to encourage tourism
10. Zero tourists, zero selfie sticks, zero influencers
11. Most national park fees have been cut 50% to encourage tourism
12. But that's not to say there is no tourism whatsoever. The domestic market is thriving & that is awesome to see. Apparently some hotels are experiencing a surge in demand because Kenyans have only just begun exploring their own country and have realised "how amazing it is"
13. The Kenyan people are the friendliest, warmest, most welcoming people on planet14. In 2019, tourism contributed $7.9 billion and 1.1 million jobs to the Kenyan economy. That has obviously now nosedived and there are many people struggling
15. Not advocating for mass tourism right now, but people’s livelihoods depend on it & they are desperate for people to return. So if you’re safe & responsible then Kenya definitely is an option
16. In the Maasai Mara, go and stay at @angamasafari, it will be the best decision you’ve ever made. Proof below:
17. In Nairobi, stay at @villarosakempin. Beautiful, central, GREAT food and GREAT staff. Also, Obama stayed there
18. On the coast, prepare to see some of the most sparkling white beaches of your life. And if you're lucky, spot the humpback whale migration. Stay at @hemingwaysKE and get to know the marine life with @watamumarine
19. On your way out, if you need a #Covid19 test to re-enter your country, rest assured it's incredibly safe and easy to get one here. PCR tests are serious business in Nairobi. Genuinely felt safer getting one done here than I did in Dubai
20. You will leave with the fullest of hearts
21. Your plane there and back will most likely be empty & there are many safety precautions the aviation industry are now taking to make sure everyone feels totally safe. Disinfecting, social distancing, PPE etc
21. Your plane there and back will most likely be empty & there are many safety precautions the aviation industry are now taking to make sure everyone feels totally safe. Disinfecting, social distancing, PPE etc
22. Completely up to you whether you feel safe to travel again (and up to each country & their protocols). But there are some countries, like Kenya, doing everything right to kick the tourism industry off again. And if you're comfortable travelling, it deserves your time & money
23. People have said to me here "Corona kills, but so does a bad economy", quite poignant
24. There is a stigma with Africa as a whole that it is poor, it is struggling with Covid and it should be avoided. While some countries are doing worse than others in the virus response, you shouldn't lump them all together. It's an entire continent consisting of 54 countries
That is all. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. Now I'm leaving Twitter for the remainder of my trip because I'm breaking a promise to @sophieprideaux and she's gonna kill me
Of course, there are issues too. The police are crazy corrupt & pulling people over for bribes left, right & centre. That’s weird. In a matatu on my way down to Mombasa I was used as a talisman for safe passage - they seem to wave on the ones with the tourists in them
And I’d advocate never flying @FlyJambojet - no real concern for health & safety there, half the passengers without masks or around their chins & no one telling them otherwise. @Flysafarilink & @KenyaAirways on the other hand are excellent
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