Barry and Marenda;

We experienced similar angst when we travelled to Uganda, Rwanda, and Tanzania for 7 weeks last summer. It is exclusively a cash society there; credit cards are not accepted at restaurants and guest houses, and with some difficulty (you pay the 4%-6% surcharge) at mid-tier hotels. I cannot comment on upper-tier hotels. I have no reason to suspect Kenya would be different.

It became necessary to determine the locations of ATM machines where we planned to travel, and compute the amount of cash needed between 'fill-ups'. I carried in excess of $1,000 USD (equivalent) on me at all times. Given that it is a cash society with few ATMs, it did not take long to figure out that everybody else carried lots of cash as well, a fact that was confirmed by numerous residents.

Some ATMs did not accept my PLUS-System bank card, but all accepted my VISA card (cash advance). Barclays was the most reliable. Power disruptions are common so avoid using them on weekends if you are on the move - you lose your card until Monday.

I needed to log onto my online bank account and cover the cash advance to avoid the massive interest charges associated with cash advances. Wireless hotspots were abundant surprisingly enough.

I obtained $1,000 USD in cash before I left at RBC (main branch downtown Toronto). I asked for and got brand new bills, mostly $100s and $50s, with a few $20s. You might need to give your bank a few days to get that. Go back and double check your sources that said you needed $20s - we did not find that in the countries we visited.

I carried a money pouch that hung from around my neck in front, so I was always conscious of it. Pickpockets were known concerns; armed robbers were not, except in Arusha. I believe that Nairobi is a security concern, so walking at night is probably not recommended.

I maintained a rather dishevelled look at all times - wrinkled t-shirt, unkept hair - so I pretty much looked like I was a poverty-stricken homeless person. Nobody would have suspected I was carrying a year's salary under my shirt.

Anyway, East Africa is an amazing place. It will be the trip of a lifetime for you, one you will never forget. You will probably catch the last of the Wildebeest migration northward.

Let us know how it worked out.

best regards,
Rob Charuk