Travel to Kenya

Driving to Kenya

The main international road crossings into Kenya are from Tanzania and Uganda. The main crossing points from Tanzania are at Lunga Lunga, south of Mombasa, and Namanga, on the road to Arusha. There are smaller posts at Isebania and Taveta. From Uganda there are crossing points at Busia and Malaba.

Heading to or from Tanzania, several companies run comfortable shuttle bus services between Nairobi, Arusha and Moshi. These are aimed at tourists who fly into Nairobi and are visiting the game parks in Tanzania’s northern circuit region from Arusha, or are climbing Mount Kilimanjaro from Moshi. The buses take about six to eight hours in both directions. Reliable operators providing a daily service include Riverside Shuttles (www.riverside-shuttle.com) and Regional Luxury Shuttle (www.regionalluxuryshuttle.com).

Kenya has a vast network of local long and short-haul bus routes, and the coverage is reasonably good around Nairobi, the coast and the western region. The further from the capital you travel, the less prevalent the services, particularly in the north. For Tanzania, the pick of the crop is Dar Express (www.dar-express.co.tz) which connects Nairobi to Arusha, Moshi and Dar es Salaam. The most reliable operators between Nairobi and the Ugandan capital Kampala are Easy Coach (www.easycoach.co.ke) and Queen's Coach.

When choosing to travel by public bus, it is important to take into consideration that some routes, particular Malindi to Lamu and Isiolo to Marsabit, have been prone to attacks by shiftas (bandits) in the past. Drugged food and drink is another potential risk, so it is best to politely refuse any snacks or drinks from strangers.