Travel Kenya responsibly

Some advice to consider

Do not hand out money, clothes, pens or sweets at random to local children. However touching it might be, it encourages begging and creates a distorted view of tourism. Instead, show genuine interest, play and talk with the kids the way you would with children in your own country.

If you really want to bring goods, a lodge owner or connection to a local organization is a good source of advice. You can also check Pack for a Purpose. It would be good to find out which goods can be bought locally. Basic school supplies and basic (first aid) medical supplies are easily found in the shopping malls in Nairobi - in this way you stimulate the local economy.

We discourage leaving stuff behind in your hotel room - it's better to give it to the lodge owner than leaving it for the maid to find, which might cause friction among the staff. 

Most lodges have a tipping box and distribute the tips equally among all the staff. If you enjoyed the service, just be generous and contribute to the tipping box. As for your driver or guide, tipping is highly appreciated. 

Giving back more

You will not be the first roadtripper moved by the fact that Kenya and its people have given you such a warm welcome, and you may want to show your appreciation. Below are a few initiatives which you can sponsor. These are local, sustainable initiatives that are well managed, and we know your money will be well spent. 

Big Life Organization
They have a cross-border anti-poaching initiatives and protect wild animals when they move outside the national parks in Kenya.

We4Kenya
A Dutch-Kenyan tourism initiative. Income from the accommodation and tours is used to develop an agricultural training institute and a model farm to teach the local community about sustainable agriculture.