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Local Transportation
The most popular method of tourist transport in Kenya is by road using "mini-buses" which are specifically built for tourist safaris in this country. They are operated by nearly all established tour operators in Nairobi and Mombasa. These chauffeur-driven mini-buses will pick you up from the airport on arrival and take you to the city hotel of your choice. There is proper organised taxi service run by Kenatco Transport Company. They run taxi services from the international airports to all the main urban hotels. There are other privately owned and run taxis usually marked with yellow lines on the sides. They offer the same services as the Kenatco taxis with much cheaper negotiable charges but may not be as comfortable. Major five-star hotels run guest courtesy busses from the airport to the city centre.
Kenya Bus Services (KBS) runs public bus services within the city and its environs. Similar bus services are available in Mombasa, Kisumu and Nakuru. Their services are supplemented by the privately owned and run matatu mini-buses sometimes noisy and overloaded. There are country bus service between Nairobi and all other towns. These are supplemented by the Matatu mini-buses and the speedy Peugeot 404 or 504 communal taxis known for their break-neck speeds.
To move to the National Parks and Reserves in the rural areas tourists travel in the packaged tour operator mini-buses or in chauffer-driven saloon cars, Toyota Land Cruiser vans, or in Range Rovers which are operated by tour operators or are available for hire from many car-hire companies in Nairobi and Mombasa. Those who want to enjoy exclusively private self-drive safaris will find numerous local companies offering everything from Range Rovers and Troopers to small saloon cars for their convenience. It is perfectly possible for visitors to the country to hire and drive around the country without problems. Nearly all roads to the National Parks or Reserves or to major towns are sign-posted so that strangers will find their way around the country with ease.
The second popular mode of transport is by Kenya Railways from Nairobi to Mombasa and vice versa or from Nairobi to Kisumu on the shores of Lake Victoria, with lake steamer connections to all the ports in the lake. The rail travel in the first or second class coaches offers visitors spectacular views of the country side from the coach windows in addition to first class cabin services, bars and restaurants.
There are also dhows, steamers and motorboat services at the coast between Mombasa, Kilifi, Malindi and Lamu sea port, for ocean lovers.
Those who want to travel by air and visit many National Parks and Reserves in a short time will book domestic flights which fly between Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or Wilson Airport to Moi International Airport, Eldoret, Malindi and Kisumu Airports or may charter light aircrafts for the various National Parks and Reserves.
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