Air Plane Ticket Rates for 2026: Rates will not be published until June 2025, giving you over a year to purchase your ticket. The earlier you purchase, the cheaper the price.
Travel Duration: The longer you stay, the more it will cost.
Example Costs from Recent Travel:
Tickets to Nairobi: For the FESTACT Celebration in Kisumu City, Kenya, I paid $2,945.20 for two tickets (myself, a senior, and my son Anthony Elmore Jr.) on July 6, 2024. If we were to get our tickets early we could have traveled much cheaper.
Nairobi to Kisumu: Had we purchased tickets earlier, they would have cost about $200 for both of us. Due to late purchase, the price was $362 each.
Estimated Costs:
Early Purchase: If you purchase your tickets early, you can potentially get to Kisumu, Kenya, for around $1,200.
Direct Flights: Living in cities with direct flights (e.g., New York, Atlanta) can save you more money. Our ticket came from Memphis then to Atlanta or New York.
5 or 4-Star Hotels: Standard hotel rates apply as in America. You can pay $100 to $150 per night in a 4 or 5 star hotel Western Rates apply.
Local Clean Rooms: Safe and clean rooms can be as low as $20 per night if you book online. If you walk up to the hotel without a reservation you can be charged as much as $80 per night for the same room.
Additional Costs:
Safari at Maasai Mara: Approximately $200 per person. If you spend the night, add about $150 for hotel and food. Transportation costs to Maasai Mara are additional.
Luxury Hotel in Mombasa: If on a limited budget, consider relaxing at a luxury hotel on the beach in Mombasa.
Local Experiences:
Churches: Kenya has many churches for those who want to enjoy church and praise the Lord.
Entertainment: Clubs, restaurants, Nairobi Museum, walking tours, and more.
Haircut: $4
Custom Outfit: $35
Uber: Available for convenient transportation.
Discos: Free admission.
Massage, Manicure, Pedicure: Affordable and enjoyable.
Excursions:
Kisumu to Kogelo: Visit the Obama family home and tour Western Kenya.
Ethiopia Extension: My Ethiopian wife, Bogalech, is arranging a trip to include Ethiopia. Travel to Addis Ababa, spend days in Ethiopia, and then travel to Kenya or vice versa. Hotels in Ethiopia may be around $40 per night.
Key Tips:
Book Early: Secure the best rates by booking early.
Open Travel Dates: Flexibility can help you find better deals.
With careful planning, you can have a wonderful time in Kenya at significant savings.
American Tourists: In 2023, over 241,000 American travelers visited Kenya.
While there isn't specific data readily available on the racial breakdown of these travelers, it's widely acknowledged that a significant portion of American tourists are white.
Historical Context: Kenya has long been marketed as a luxury safari destination, which has traditionally attracted more affluent tourists from Western countries.
Cultural Differences: There is a notable difference in the travel patterns of white and Black Americans when it comes to visiting Kenya. Black Americans traveling to Kenya for safaris are less common, often due to factors like cost, awareness, and historical travel trends.
Please note there is a huge difference in what we call White travel to Kenya and Black Travel to Kenya. Whites travel to Kenya for a "Real Safari". In the 1990's I took Black groups on a Kenya Safari at Massai Mara. Just do an online search and it would be rare to find Black people on a "Safari." Tour operators add 30 to 300% to the cost of a Safari. There is so much to see and do in Kenya without the cost of a Safari.
Those who desire to take a Major Safari we will get the local rates hire our driver. We are asking the Kenya Government to allow African/Americans to pay the local rates to visit the Park. We will communicate with the Goverment of Narok regarding park prices. It is about a 3 hour drive from Nairobi to Naraok to visit Massai Mara.
This would make it affordable if we could get a discount. Just starting in July 2024 it cost $200 per person to visit the park. This does not include other cost like the driver and tips per person.
Regarding cost Kenya offer discounts for students and educational programs. This park has a place to walk around. Kenya has the only game park in the world near a city. Rates are listed $46 for adults and $26 for those under 23 years old. We believe since were are a special group we can get discounts. There is so much to do in Nairobi. They have fabulous hotels. Those who wish to pay for a 5 star or 4 star hotel can do such and pay more. For the most part we will spend very little time in a hotel. We will go to the park in the day and later we will go out for dinner and entertainment. If you are on a limited budget you can eat at the hotels cheap or go to a modest eating place disco in Kenya are free and the expect you to purchase a drink. While some of us would like to go to a club there are some who would like to go to a church. There is so much to do. The have walking tours in Nairobi. The Nairobi museum is amazing and worth the trip.