Nyumbani
Nyumbani means home.
Trips home for Kenyans in the U.S.
For Kenyans in the U.S.: bring your children, your partner and your people home. We carry the planning. You pay in dollars, in full or monthly.
Five ways home
KESCAWatotoBring your children homeKESCA: 21 days with Kenyan peers, Swahili, heritage and service, for ages 16 to 34. Supervised, with a program team in the U.S.
WageniHost your peopleShow your spouse, in-laws or coworkers the Mara and the coast. You're the host; we're the crew, from drivers to lodges.
PamojaTravel as a groupChamas, churches and alumni associations: one link, everyone pays their own way, and the organizer can earn their place.
LikizoAdd a safari to your trip homeAlready flying home for December or the summer? Add three to five days in the Mara, Amboseli or on the coast, from Nairobi.
RaiaPay citizen park feesTravelling with a Kenyan ID or passport? You pay citizen rates at Kenya Wildlife Service parks, and we price your trip that way.
BaloziShare it and earnAmbassadors get a personal code: friends get money off, and you earn a reward for every booking it brings.
The part we handle
- The 5 a.m. pickupA driver with your name on a board at JKIA, whatever time the flight lands, and a safe Nairobi base in Kilimani or Karen.
- Upcountry with a driverA car and driver for the road to your home county, so nobody has to borrow a cousin's car or spend the visit behind the wheel.
- A safari for the familyTwo or three nights in the Mara or Amboseli for your American spouse and the children while you do family duties, or all of you together.
- The coast weekFinish in Diani or Watamu so the trip ends as a holiday, not a logistics job.
- December, planned in JulyDecember fares climb and JKIA queues grow. We plan flights, cars and rooms early so the festive season stays festive.
- Honest adviceGifts, expectations and the money conversations nobody puts in a guidebook. Ask us; we are Kenyan too.
Guides for the trip home
- FamilyYour children's first tripPassports, citizenship, jet lag and the day they meet cucu and guka.
ItineraryTwo weeks homeNairobi, upcountry, a safari and the coast, in a rhythm that works.
SeasonDecember in KenyaShort safaris from Nairobi when you are home for Christmas.- GroupsGroup tripsChamas, churches and alumni: how a group trip works.
- MoneyCitizen park feesWhat you pay with a Kenyan ID or passport, and where it applies.
HeritageBlack heritage travelFor African American friends and family coming with you.- FlightsFlights from your cityThe best routes to Nairobi from twelve U.S. cities with big Kenyan communities.
- CountiesFind your home countyAll 47 counties: what to see on the way home, and on the way back.
Paperwork corner
- Dual citizenship. Kenyans who became U.S. citizens declare dual citizenship with the Kenya Embassy in Washington, D.C. If you were born after August 27, 1987 you declare it; if you were born before that date you first regain Kenyan citizenship, then declare. Fees were about $230 and $540 respectively at the time of writing; check the embassy for current rules.
- Children born in the U.S. A child with a Kenyan parent is a Kenyan citizen by birth. Travelling on a U.S. passport, they need an eTA like any visitor. Our guide for parents covers passports and consent letters.
- The eTA. Anyone entering on a U.S. passport applies online before flying, on the official portal only. Entry requirements.
- Money on the ground. M-Pesa, cards and how much cash to bring. Money in Kenya.
Kenyan ID? Pay citizen park fees.
Kenya Wildlife Service charges Kenyan citizens far less than visitors at its national parks and reserves. Bring your Kenyan ID or passport and we price your park days at citizen rates. Private conservancies and some lodges set their own rates; we tell you which before you book.
One link for your whole group.
Pick the trip and share the link in your WhatsApp group. Everyone books and pays their own way, in full or monthly with no deposit. You see who has paid, and organizers can earn their own place.
Start a group
Who you're paying
- U.S. companiesKenya Experience LLC is a collaboration of two U.S. companies, GCK Travel and Roundtrip Safaris, with Diaspora Link.
- Dollars, by cardPay through Stripe with your card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and get a receipt straight away.
- No depositsPay in full, or in equal monthly payments that start today and finish before you travel. No interest, no fees.
- People you can reachFounders and specialists with names, faces and email addresses, who reply within two business days.
- Your own bookingIn a group, nobody collects money for anyone: each traveler pays and gets their own receipt.
- Real reviewsRead what travelers say, and write your own when you're back.
Tuongee
Tell us what you're planning
Tuongee means let's talk. A specialist replies within two business days, by email, or by phone or WhatsApp if you leave a number.
More for the trip home
Family reunion trips to KenyaThirty cousins, three continents and one grandmother's compound: how to bring everyone home at once.
Getting married in KenyaThree weddings in one: the dowry visit, the ceremony and the reception, plus the paperwork that makes it legal in both countries.
Finding your home countyYour father says he is from 'near Kisii'. Here is how to turn that into a place on the map, and a visit.
Going home to Kenya for a funeralNobody plans this trip. Here is what to do in the first 24 hours, and what to expect when you get home.
Bringing your non-Kenyan spouse homeThey have met your mother on video calls. Now they meet her in the village, with the whole clan watching.
Gifts and shipping to family in KenyaThe suitcase of gifts is part of the trip home. Here is how to pack it, declare it and know when to send money instead.
Visiting relatives upcountryRoads, rooms, water, signal and the harambee: the practical side of going home to the village.- Kenyan associations and community groups in the U.S.Welfare groups, women's networks, saccos and Sunday services: the Kenyan community in America, metro by metro.
