 East African Safari: you only need a visa
Added: 11/27/2005 |
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Vacation is always a great chance to go somewhere, meet new interesting people, and have a rest. And if you are satiated with lying on the beach, swimming and visiting museums, safari is a perfect way to refresh the routine. And an ideal place for safari is Kenya situated on the East Coast of Africa famous for its beautiful landscapes, fauna and the spirit of adventures. But all the beauty of magnificent African landscapes is outshined with the main sight of Kenya -- wild animals. It is hard to say, indeed, who masters this land: people or animals.
When on vacations, people typically try to spend their time as bright as possible not restricting themselves to plain swimming and sunbathing. To get a load of impressions you can go on safari. Safari means bright sun, hot air and a lot of adrenaline. Imagine yourself driving a car, watching endless savannas and breathing chestfully. What can be better?
The most suitable place for going on safari is Kenya. Kenya is situated on the East African Coast and is famous for its beautiful landscapes. This African country presents itself a splendid combination of seas and mountains, rivers and lakes, flowering gardens and waterless deserts. The wonder of nature -- the Great Rift Valley -- stretches across all the country.
Yet, the key point of Kenya interest is wild animals, the pearl of the country to be 64 national parks with their fabulous world of wild nature. You can meet elephants, lions, giraffes, leopards, buffalos, rhinoceroses, antelopes and monkeys there. Lake Victoria is a home for crocodiles and hippopotamuses. The government of the country has to take strong measures to save animals from complete destruction. Therefore, if you have not decided yet where to spend your vacations go to this charming east African country and enjoy your time.
In spite of the fact that Kenya is not the country to be proud of high life standards, it has rather developed tourism infrastructure. You may stay in youth hostels or Five Star Hotels, tents in the very heart of savanna or private villas. You will get an unforgettable pleasure when waking up early in the morning and hearing a whisper of ocean surf. There are many hotels in Kenya, especially in Nairobi, the capital of the country, which will pleasantly surprise you with high-level service and individual attention.
To get to this miraculous country you need special permission -- visa. Only citizens of Eritrea, Ethiopia, San Marino, Turkey and Uruguay do not need visas to enter the country. To get a visa you should refer to the consulates or embassies of Kenya in your country. You need to bring your passport and two passport photos to the embassy and fill a visa application form. It is required that your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the dates of the expected trip and there must be at least one blank visa page in it. You also have to give a copy of round trip tickets to Kenya embassy. Everybody who is going to enter Kenya must have a yellow fever vaccination card. This is one of the most common illnesses in the east African countries, especially during rain periods.
Remember that you won't get a visa if not providing the embassy with the letter covering the following information: the purpose of travel and financial support guarantee while in Kenya (no less than 500 US dollars). If you are a business traveler the letter mentioned should be supplemented with a covering letter from the inviting company. If you are just a tourist add the evidence of a hotel room reservation.
Next, you are to choose a visa type. If you are going to stay in this east African country for less than a week you need only a transit visa which will cost you 20 US dollars. If necessary, you may order a three-month stay visa coming to 50 US dollars. You may also choose between a single entry visa and a multiple entry one.
You should take into account some custom limitations: you cannot export gold, diamonds and ivory from the country. The export of animal fells is strictly regulated by custom licenses. The import of plants and fruit is forbidden. To import fire arms and ammunition you need special permission. Toys imitating weapon shall not be imported either.
If you don't have Kenya embassy in your country it is definitely not the reason to refuse the trip. You may get a visa straight at the place of destination, after giving the passport and the letter of invitation and on paying a duty of 10 US dollars. So, it is not that hard to get to this magic east African country. And if you finally decide hereon be sure it will be an unforgettable journey.
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