Customer Reviews

The Rough Guide to Kenya

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Rough Guide Kenya is an indispensable guide and is useful for first-time and veteran travellers to Kenya. Sections on literature and history complement excellent, detailed, and often witty coverage of nearly the entire country. The best thing about this book is the author's attempt to introduce the reader to the social and political realities of modern Kenya which lie behind the facade of safaris and curio shops.

As a woman travelling alone in Kenya, the hotel information was very good- warned of bars and hotels you might not want to go to alone. Also, gave good advice on the best rooms in a hotel (e.g. not over the bar). This is true at least for hotels in the very cheapest level, as I was budget travelling and never stayed or ate in places above level 2 price range.
Additionally, directions on how to get to out-of-the-way places via local transport was really helpful.

Rough Guide definitely looks smarter today than it used to. Typeface and design overhauled, and even their hideous logo (which STILL looks like a fire exit sign) has been jazzed up into a more agreeable fuzzy pharmaceutical-looking symbol. There are more photos, and better ones. Information, from what I could see, is accurate, and there good practical tips, as usual.

The problem is their writing. They say in their preface that Kenya is a hugely rewarding country to visit - but there is no evidence of the authors having a good time. The text is dry, uninspired, shallow; again, it reminds you of tax return guidance notes.

It does not FEEL like they liked the country; and, while it is evident that a lot of effort has been put in, it does feel like a 'contractual obligation product' rather than an inspired writing from someone who is genuinely connected with Kenya.

While I found hotel descriptions helpful, dining advice is the most disappointing aspect. People who know Kenya better than I do confirmed to me, with bewilderment, that restaurants appear to have been picked at random or, worse, still, their names have been copied from leaflets lying around in upmarket hotels. It is a real shame in a country where you can have the best Ethiopian meal outside Addis.

The section on getting to Kenya is hardly helpful - essentially lots of hot air on theoretically available airline options, prices which were out of date before the guide was even printed and a stubborn refusal to admit that these days, if anyone is too thick to check the price on the net, perhaps that person would be better off staying at home.

It is commendable that the guide is more open to all kinds of readers and does not presume that everyone only has twenty dollars a day to spend, but its value is diminished by the lacklustre writing. An informative and accurate guide does not need to be this boring.

This is the guide that locals buy! Earlier editions were selling well too in Nairobi. Lots of information, good research.

At last a useful map for Kenya - rare these days to find ANY decent map of East Africa - but now one for the professional, the student or teacher, the traveller and the dreamer -- all in one. AND plastic coated so you don't mess it up with your spilled coffee!

Don't even think of going to Kenya without this guide. In addition to the fount of information given the author will reply to any e-mail sent him. He also has thousands of posts on Tripadvisor.com and Fodors.com.

Be forewarned. On the last page of the book is the following ".......the most hardened independent travellers suddenly find themselves booking through a travel agent". Kenya is expensive!!!!!!! There are many hundreds of tour operators, lodges and camps. Dozens of parks, reserves and conservancies. You really have to do your homework if you do not want to get fleeced.

My friend and I were in Kenya for a month on business/pleasure. He had the Lonely Planet Guide and I had the Rough Guide. He was constantly borrowing my book and remarking how much better it was than his book.

We found this book to be extremely accurate and informative, both as we prepared for our 2 week trip and while we were in Kenya. The description of the "snake museum" was perfect - we read it out loud to the group as we stood in the park. Much of the information provided to us by our hosts from Nairobi matched what we already had learned from our reading. When we prepare for our next trip anywhere, we'll look first for a Rough Guide!

I just got back from a driving trip through Kenya and this guide was fantastic! The city maps were excellent. The hotels were what I expected after reading the reviews and most of the recommended restaurants were as good as described. I've used many travel guides over the years and this was one of the best. The only thing I would add is info on the mileage between towns and perhaps some info on parking security at hotels for those of us who are driving. Anyway, kudos to the author and my thanks for making our trip a pleasure. A good travel guide really makes a difference as I realized to my dismay when I had to switch to another guide for Uganda which was deficient in so many of the above respects.

After looking at a lot of different options, we purchased this guidebook before moving to Kenya. It does a great job of giving lots of pertinent information on the reasons to visit different places and how to do so - more useful information than the other big name travel books. If anything, however, it's a little too rough for us mid-thirties family people. For example, we are much more likely to drive ourselves, rather than make the whole family suffer through matatu travel, but the Rough Guide doesn't give info relevant to drivers. It's even more incongruous when taken together with the $500 per person per night tented safaris described -- with directions on how to hitchhike there instead of landmarks for driving. Other than that, the information is great and we have found everything to be updated and accurate.