Ways of traveling responsibly on a safari in Kenya : Focus East Africa Tours makes every effort to provide our clients with a distinctive, genuine, and sustainable travel safari experience when it comes to our Kenya vacation packages. To guarantee that tourism benefits the local economy, environment, and communities, we urge all tourists to Kenya to travel responsibly and with dignity.
Always observe local etiquette and be aware of the culture, customs, and religion of the places you visit, particularly if you are visiting isolated rural areas or the predominantly Muslim coast and islands.
While visiting towns or metropolitan areas, make sure to dress modestly and properly. Women should always cover their upper arms and legs while they are not in beach resorts. When entering places of worship, one should cover their knees and shoulders. Our best recommendation is to get a kanga, a type of traditional sarong that can be used as a scarf, blanket, or towel in addition to covering shoulders.
When on safari, try to get a room at a camp or lodge run by the local community. This will support the local indigenous population by giving them a steady source of revenue.
Engage in conversation with locals and try to understand about the habits and cultures of the Maasai, Samburu, Turkana, and Swahili people. Going on a bushwalk with a local guide on land owned by the community or visiting rural communities and marketplaces are excellent ways to get a sense of the way of life there.
Never take pictures of someone without their consent, even of a youngster, and always respect their privacy. Instead of just snapping pictures, we advise you to make an effort to interact with the locals. You are both an object of attraction and a two-way street when it comes to cultural interaction.
While visiting a school might be an exciting experience, keep in mind that having tourists enter classrooms on a daily basis to snap pictures can interfere with the education of the students. If you decide to visit a school, make sure the visit is allowed by the principal and is organized and overseen by a qualified tour guide. Donations and gifts should be made to the head teacher rather than the kids, as they can begin to view outsiders as a source of gifts and cash.
Never purchase items made from endangered species including coral, turtle shells or eggs, ivory, fur or bone.
Buy indigenous goods such as jewelry, wooden carvings and Maasai blankets at markets, villages and small-scale souvenir shops rather than hotel tourist shops.
Be adventurous and eat in local restaurants and cafés. Not only does this help contribute to the local economy, but it will also give you a more genuine holiday experience.
Carry a phrasebook in your hand luggage for Swahili and try to learn a few essential terms and phrases. Speaking a little bit of basic Swahili would definitely make you very popular with the welcoming natives you meet throughout your stay in Kenya. Since Swahili words are pronounced precisely how they appear to English speakers, it is an easy language for native English speakers to take up.
