HOW MUCH WILL MY TRIP TO MITS COST?

PREPARATION AND TRAVEL EXPENSES
  1. Passport
    1. Approximate cost: $150 USD
    2. Approximate processing time: 4-6 weeks
    3. If you already have a passport
      1. Verify that the passport will not expire before or during your stay in Kenya
      2. Make sure you have one full blank page for your visa
      3. Make a copy of the passport to carry with you as you travel
  2. Immunizations and Malaria Medication
    1. Approximate total cost: $250 - $500
    2. Check Center for Disease Control website (www.cdc.gov) for most up to date suggested vaccinations.
    3. Yellow Fever
      1. If you are traveling directly between the US and Kenya (airport layovers are okay), you will NOT need to provide proof of a yellow fever vaccination.
      2. If you plan to exit Kenya and enter Uganda or any other yellow fever risk country, and then re-enter Kenya, you WILL need to provide proof of a yellow fever vaccination upon re-entry to Kenya. This is strictly enforced.
    4. There are 3 common malaria medications, all of which require a prescription.
      1. Doxycycline (cheapest)
      2. Malarone
      3. Mephloquine
    5. For the sake of example, a typical visitor to MITS gets vaccinated for typhoid, yellow fever, Hepatitis A and B, polio, tetanus and meningitis. He or she will also take malaria meds during their stay. Typhoid medication is also available in a pill form.
  3. Roundtrip Airfare
    1. Approximate cost: $800 to $2,400 USD, depending on the time of year and the airline
    2. Contact David Jack at Michael’s Travel Centre for help with airline booking, connecting flights, and travel insurance. David and his family are friends of MITS and he has handled travel for MITS visitors for years.
    3. David Jack | davidj@michaelstravel.com | (805)496-8114
    4. You are also welcome to book your airfare on your own online 
  4. Travel Insurance
    1. Approximate cost: $50 USD
    2. Can be purchased through David Jack if you use his services to book your travel OR check your current insurance provider to see if you already pay for travel insurance. Another company MITS visitors have used in the past is www.imglobal.com
    3. MADE IN THE STREETS requires all our visitors to purchase travel insurance. No exceptions.
  5. Luggage
    1. International travelers are usually allowed to check up to 2 bags for free.
    2. Check your airline website for maximum number of bags AND max weight of each bag. Some airlines use kgs, some use lbs. Overweight bags will incur an extra fee.
    3. Think twice before paying extra to bring an overweight or additional bag. Many things can be purchased nowadays in Nairobi, sometimes cheaper than in the states.
    4. Carry-on luggage is defined as one carry-on and one personal item. The carry-on must fit in the overhead bins and comply with the carry-on dimension standards of your airline.
    5. Please consider packing light for yourself and checking a second piece of luggage with gifts to leave in Kenya for students, staff, missionaries or interns. On your return trip, you can pack that spare suitcase with your own souvenirs or merchandise for the MITS online store.
  6. East African Visa (Single Entry)
    1. Cost as of 2015: $50 USD + $1 USD service charge
    2. If your stay within East Africa (travel between Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda is fine) is 3 months or less, the Single Entry Visa will be sufficient.
  7. Travel Money (optional)
    1. For purchasing meals in transit beyond what is provided in flight

STAY AT MITS
  1. The price to stay at MITS is $500 per person per week (as of 2019). This covers the following:
    1. Nairobi Airport pick up upon arrival
    2. Housing in Kamulu (with bedding, pillows and towels)
    3. Meals at our facility
    4. Chai (tea) time at 4pm every day (Kenyan custom) 
    5. Transportation to and from Eastleigh, or on MITS-specific business (not recreational trips, such as shopping)
    6. Airport drop off at end of trip
  2. Please submit payment at least two months before arriving to Nairobi via our Visitor Resources page. 
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SAFARI (OPTIONAL)
  1. Total cost: $400-$700 per person for a 3 day, 2 night trip
  2. What you pay for safari covers your transportation, room and a lot of delicious food (think of it as a cruise ship on the Masai Mara). Drinks (sodas, bottled water) are NOT included in the cost of your safari. Bring about 200 KSH per drink.
  3. Bring additional money with you to tip your driver at the end of your journey. 1000 KSH per passenger is appropriate.
  4. MITS recommends Twiga Tours
    1. MADE IN THE STREETS and its visitors have a long-standing relationship with Twiga Tours, a safari booking agent. Twiga Tours offers a variety of safari options to fit any budget.
    2. info@twiga-tours.com, www.twiga-tours.com
    3. Pay ahead of time, online. Work it out yourself with the Twiga Tours representative.
  5. Shopping on safari. You will have many opportunities to buy African souvenirs while on safari. Your driver will stop at a couple tourist shops on the way to and from the Masai Mara. Additionally, hawkers are always around at gas stations and at the park entrance to offer you Masai jewelry at a discount. Don’t worry about finding them; they’ll find you.

SHOPPING AT MASAI MARKET
  1. Every Friday at Village Market
  2. Talk with Jackton or a staff member about prices of items before you go, but it’s not uncommon to spend $100 USD in one Masai Market shopping trip. Bring more cash than you expect to spend. There’s always one more thing that you’ll fall in love with.
  3. Never pay the first stated price of an item at the Masai Market. As a general rule of thumb, a vendor will quote roughly double to triple what an item is worth. Start by offering them a quarter of what they ask. If they want to make a sale, they’ll meet you in the middle.
  4. The prices here are much lower than the prices you’ll find at the gift shops on safari but much higher than that of items in smaller, less popular markets around town.

MEALS IN NAIROBI
  1. We strongly urge you to plan at least a couple days in Nairobi for shopping, sight seeing, or errand running in the city. On days like this, budget about $25 for each meal in Nairobi. This number includes chipping in for fuel for the MITS vehicle as well as helping to cover a meal for whichever MITS team members are facilitating the trip.
  2. Java House:
    1. Think Starbucks-quality gourmet coffee drinks and medium price meals. Great milkshakes!
    2. Free wi-fi at some locations
    3. This is a great place to pick up coffee beans/grounds to bring home as gifts. Expect to spend 800KSH on a 500 gram bag of coffee (that’s expensive for Kenya but still cheaper than Starbucks coffee beans in the States). If you miss your chance or don’t make it to Java House, don’t fret—you can buy Java House coffee at Nakumatt or Tusky’s (for a higher price).
  3. Artcaffe
    1. Located in Village Market and the Westgate Mall
    2. Free wi-fi
    3. Fantastic international fare, expect to pay $12-$17 USD for a meal.
  4. Village Market and Sarit Centre food courts both have a number of options.
  5. Ask the Conways (larryandhollyeconway@yahoo.com) for restaurant suggestions if you’re feeling adventurous.

FUEL
  1. Transport to and from the airport and into Eastleigh on MITS business is included in your $400 per person per week fee, but recreational visits to Nairobi are not.
  2. Fuel costs are paid out of pocket every time a trip into town is necessary and vary, depending on which vehicle is driven and how far. Listed below are average fuel costs of a trip into town.  
    1. Small white pickup (seats 4): 1,500 KSH
    2. White van (seats 8): 1,500 KSH
    3. Small bus (seats 30): 2,000 KSH
    4. Big bus (seats 44): 5,000 KSH