Expatriates Forums in Kenya

FOOD & DINING IN KENYA / KENYA DINING GUIDE

Kenya Info — Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:25 am

Author: Kenya Info

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:25 am

FOOD & DINING IN KENYA

GENERAL

Kenya’s national dishes appear on most hotel menus. The country’s beef, chicken, lamb and pork are outstandingly good, as is the wide variety of tropical fruits. Local trout, Nile perch and lobster, shrimps and Mombasa oysters are included on menus in season. Indian and Middle Eastern food is available in most areas. There is a wide range of restaurants in Nairobi and Mombasa, otherwise hotels in smaller towns offer restaurant service.

National specialties

• Some game-park lodges serve game, including buffalo steaks marinated in local liqueurs and berries, often garnished with wild honey and cream.

• Nyma Choma literally means roasted meat, and is one of Kenya's best known specialties.

• Most Kenyans eat maize, beans and maize meal.

• At the small ‘hotelis’, chai (tea boiled with milk and sugar) and mandazi (doughnuts) are popular.

National drinks

• Locally brewed beer (Tusker and White Cap) and bottled sodas may be found throughout the country.

• Kenya Cane (spirit distilled from sugar cane).

• Kenya Gold (a coffee liqueur).

• Traditional beer made with honey (uki).

• Locally made spirit distilled from maize (changaa) may sometimes be found.

Tipping: This is not required. Most hotels include a 10 per cent service charge to the bill. If the service charge has not been included, a KES20 tip is usual, although the amount is entirely at the visitor’s discretion.

PLACES TO DINE

Nairobi

Anghithi
Raphta Road,
Westlands,
Nairobi
Phone: +254 20 4441258

Bangkok
Rank Xerox House,
Westlands,
Nairobi
Phone: +254 20 3751312

Blue Nile
Ardwings Kodhek Road,
Hurlingham,
Nairobi
Phone: +254 20 2728709

The Carnivore
Langata Road,
Nairobi
Phone: +254 20 4605933 / 7
Fax: +254 20 4602990
Email: carnivore@carnivore.co.ke

La Dolce Vita
Muthaiga Shopping Centre,
nairobi
Phone: +254 20 3749945

Mediterranneo
Woodvale Grove,
Westlands,
Nairobi
Phone: +254 20 4447494

Minar
ABC Place,
Waiyaki Way,
Nairobi
Phone: +254 20 4444656

Moon Flower
Kitale Lane,
Off Denis Pritt Road,
Nairobi
Phone: +254 20 2715518

Nairobi Java House
Adams Arcade,
Mama Ngina Street/Limuru Road,
Nairobi
Phone: +254 20 3873583

Tamambo Bar & Grill
The Mall,
Westlands,
Nairobi
Phone: +254 20 4448064
Fax: +254 20 4448059

Tamarind Restaurant
National Bank Building,
Off Haile Selassie Avenue,
Nairobi
Phone: +254 20 2251811 / 2220473
Fax: +254 20 2217224
Email: nbo@tamarind.co.ke
Website: www.tamarind.co.ke

Mombasa

Hong Kong
Moi Avenue,
City Centre,
Mombasa
Phone: +254 41 2226707

Hunters
Nkrumah Road,
Mombasa
Phone: +254 41 2311156

New Chetna
Haile Selassie Avenue,
Mombasa
Phone: +254 41 2224477

Shehnai
Fatemi House,
Maungano Street,
Mombasa
Phone: 254 41 2312492

Tamarind Restaurant
Cement Silos Road,
Nyali,
Mombasa
Phone: +254 41 4474600
Fax: +254 41 4474630
Email: info@tamarindmsa.co.ke

SHOPPING IN KENYA / KENYA SHOPPING GUIDE

Kenya Info — Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:25 am

Author: Kenya Info

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:25 am

SHOPPING IN KENYA

Khanga, kitenge and kikoi cloths may be bought in markets and the Bishara Streets of Nairobi, Mombasa and the Masai market held in Nairobi city centre on Tuesdays. There is a particularly good cooperative shop in Machakos which sells kiondos, bags stained with natural dyes and with strong leather straps. Makonde woodcarvings are sold throughout the country, and young Kamba and Masai men sell carvings and necklaces on the beaches of the south coast.

Shopping hours

Mon-Sat 0830-1230 and 1400-1730.

Banking hours

Mon-Fri 0900-1500; 0900-1100 on the first and last Saturday of each month. National and international banks have branches in Mombasa, Nairobi, Kisumu, Thika, Eldoret, Kericho, Nyeri and in most other major towns. Banks in Mombasa and the coastal areas open and close half an hour earlier. Many of the banks and bureaux de change at the international airports open 24 hours every day.

Note: The sale of souvenirs made of wildlife skins (this includes reptiles) and shells is forbidden.

Currency

Kenyan Shilling (KES) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of KES1000, 500, 200, 100 and 50. Coins are in denominations of KES20, 10 and 5.

Currency exchange

Currency can be exchanged at the major banks, bureaux de change or authorised hotels. The bank at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Moi International Airport have 24 hour exchange services. The easiest currencies to exchange are US Dollars, Pounds Sterling and Euros. There are over 140 ATMs.

Credit & debit cards

American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are all widely accepted. Major hotels now also accept payment by credit card, as do major safari companies, travel agencies and restaurants. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.

Traveller's cheques

These can be changed at banks, and are widely accepted. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in US Dollars or Pounds Sterling.

Currency restrictions

There is no restriction on the import and export of local or foreign currency. However, authorization from the Central Bank is required for amounts of 500,000 KES and above.

NIGHTLIFE IN KENYA / KENYA NIGHTLIFE GUIDE

Kenya Info — Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:24 am

Author: Kenya Info

Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 9:24 am

NIGHTLIFE IN KENYA

GENERAL

Most of the major hotels in Nairobi and the tourist resorts have dancing with live bands or discos each evening. There are also a few nightclubs. There is a large selection of cinemas in Nairobi which show mainly British, European and US films. Theatre is popular in Nairobi. There is a National Theatre and several small groups of dramatic companies, probably the best known are the Phoenix Players.

NAIROBI

Go see a movie at one of Nairobi’s first class cinemas. Consult the Daily Nation Newspaper for daily listings of the movies and times. If you’re the type who wants to explore a bit of the Nairobi nightlife and safari, it may be wise to start at bar first, since the clubs and discos in Kenya don’t get busy until around midnight and don’t close until the sun rises. By far your best source of info on what's rocking on any given weekend is a local.

Other clubs you may want to check out are Gypsy's, Sohos, and Kengeles. Don't forget to look into a few restaurants on the outskirts of Nairobi.

MOMBASA

If you have some extra energy after basking in the sun all day, there are several clubs around Mombasa that can be a lot of fun. The New Florida Casino & Nightclub on Mama Ngina Drive is a nice club with three bars, a big screen TV, pool tables and is right on the ocean. Cover is around KSh 150 for men ad 70 for women. The clientele is much the same as Florida 2000 in Nairobi. About a 10 minute drive north of Mombasa Island on Nyali Beach is Mamba Crocodile Village, an unlikely combination of a crocodile farm and disco. Cover charge changes depending on the night, but is usually around KSh 250. Even more fun is the huge Tembo Disco, about 15 minutes north of Mombasa, just opposite the Bamuri/Haller Nature Trail. Tembo comprises of a huge multi-layered open-air disco, a cosy beer garden and a barbeque restaurant packed with hundreds of locals and tourists looking to dance the night away. The atmosphere, lay-out and music makes this the best club in all of Kenya. Tembo is open daily, its disco from 9pm til dawn and the beer garden and restaurant even 24hrs around the clock. Cover charge to the disco is normally KSh 150. There’s public transportation to both Tembo and Mamba Village starting at about 9 pm. You can get the Nissan from the Post Office, or across from the Post Office. The fare is about KSh 30.