Kenya Safari and Mombasa Sun

All we knew when we booked is that we wanted hot sun, with a tropical feel, that was a bit different. When we booked Kenya we were just expecting to go and lay around in a 5 star hotel for 2 weeks looking out on the Indian Ocean.

After booking we realised that British citizens required a visa to enter Kenya. The options were getting them done beforehand or getting them on arrival. Either way it cost £30 each, and as I worked near to the Kenyan High Commission I opted to go there.

We then looked into vaccinations. You need to be up to date with all your UK vaccinations such as Tetanus, and are also given Typhoid (which hurts your arm for a few days after), and Hepatitis A, which are all free on the NHS. We were also advised to get Yellow fever, which is a live vaccine and is chargeable. Costs vary, mine was £50 and my partners £65, but it does cover you for 10 years and you need to keep the certificate with your passport. The next medicine that was required was Malaria tablets. There are a variety of different makes you can chose from, that have different side effects and different prices. We went for the most expensive as it tends to give you less side effects and you have to take less before and after your trip. With the cost for your GP to write the prescription and the pills, and the dispensing charge we spent about £80.

It is worth looking into all travel vaccines and visa's before you book, as we found it can easily add another £200 to the cost of the holiday.

I read a lot in the Lonely Planet Travel Guide about risks and things to look out for, but the thing that scared me most was flying with Monarch in economy for 8-9 hours!