Money, cards and ATMs in Kenya

The three ways to pay

• M-Pesa is first. Set it up on your Safaricom line on day one and most daily friction disappears.
• Cash in shillings is second. Keep small notes: KES 50, 100 and 200 for tips, matatus and market stalls.
• Cards are third and work in hotels, supermarkets, malls and better restaurants. Nowhere else assumes them.
• KWS park gates take cards and mobile money and no cash at all.

Dollars, and the 2013 rule

• Safaris, park fees, dive shops and some hotels quote in US dollars.
• US notes printed before 2013 are refused across East Africa because of counterfeit history. Bring new, clean, large-denomination bills.
• Small dollar bills get a worse rate than large ones at bureaux, which is a local quirk worth knowing.
• Change dollars at a forex bureau in town, not at the airport or a hotel.

ATMs

• Equity, KCB, Absa and Standard Chartered machines all take foreign cards.
• Fees run KES 200 to KES 500 per withdrawal, plus your own bank's charge.
• Withdrawal limits are usually KES 20,000 to KES 40,000 per transaction.
• Use machines inside bank branches, malls or hotels, in daylight. Card skimming and follow-out robberies both happen.
• Always choose to be charged in shillings when the machine offers to convert.

Tipping

• Safari guide: KES 1,500 to KES 3,000 per day from the vehicle, more if they were exceptional.
• Lodge staff: a tip box at reception is the usual arrangement, split among everyone.
• Restaurants: 10%, and check whether a service charge is already on the bill.
• Porters and drivers: KES 200 to KES 500.
• Tipping in shillings is more useful to the recipient than dollars, which they must go and change.

Costs

• Kenya is not a cheap country once safari is involved. Park fees and lodges are priced for an international market.
• Everyday life is inexpensive: a plate of nyama choma and ugali, a matatu ride, a Tusker at a local bar.
• VAT is 16% and is usually included in the price you see; hotels add a tourism levy on top.