Travel essentials. Updated November 2026. 3 min read.
Kenya uses the British three-pin plug, type G, at 240 volts and 50 hertz. Your phone charger will be fine with a simple adapter. Your hair dryer will not.
U.S. outlets run at 120 volts. Most modern chargers for phones, laptops and cameras are dual-voltage: look on the brick for an input rating that runs from 100 to 240 volts. If yours has it, all you need is a type G plug adapter, a few dollars at any travel store. If a device is rated for 120 volts only, as many hair dryers, straighteners and curling irons are, you need a voltage converter, or better, leave it at home. Plugged straight into 240 volts, it will burn out.
Adapter or converter?
| Device | What it needs | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Phone, tablet, laptop, camera charger | Adapter only | Check the brick for a 100 to 240 volt input |
| Electric toothbrush or shaver | Usually adapter only | Fine if dual-voltage; many now charge by USB |
| Hair dryer, straightener, curling iron | Converter, or leave at home | Single-voltage U.S. models will burn out; camps on limited power may not cope with them |
| CPAP machine | Usually adapter only | Tell the camp in advance and ask about overnight power and a battery backup |
| Multi-port USB charger | Adapter only | One socket, four devices: the most useful thing to pack |
The adapter to buy
A type G adapter has three thick rectangular pins in a triangle. A universal adapter is the safer buy, because some older rooms and camps also have two-pin round sockets. Bring two if you are traveling as a couple, so you are not taking turns. Kenyan sockets usually have their own on and off switch beside them: if nothing charges, flip the switch.
Charging at safari camps
Many safari camps run on solar power and generators. Power may only be on in the mornings and evenings, and charging points are often in your tent but sometimes only in the main mess tent. Charge whenever the power is on, not just at night. In Nairobi and coast hotels you have mains power around the clock, with occasional outages that most hotels cover with backup generators. Some rooms only power the sockets when your key card is in the slot by the door.
- A universal adapter, or two
- A multi-port USB charger, so one socket charges everything
- A 20,000 mAh power bank, enough to keep phones going for about two days
- Spare camera batteries, charged whenever the power is on
- A headlamp, for camp paths and tents after dark
- Short spare cables
Airlines require power banks and spare batteries in your hand luggage, including on safari flights, where everything you carry counts toward the 15 kg limit.
Before you fly: a two-minute check
- Read the small print on every charger brick and set aside anything rated for 120 volts only.
- Pack one universal adapter per person and one multi-port USB charger.
- Charge your power bank fully and put it in your hand luggage.
- If you use a CPAP or other medical device, tell us before you book, so we choose camps with suitable power.
- Download maps, music and shows at home: camp Wi-Fi is for messages, not streaming.
Power cuts happen in Kenya, even in cities, and usually pass quickly. In camps, a short dark spell is part of the charm: keep a headlamp by the bed, and enjoy the stars while the generator restarts.
Phones, SIMs and Wi-Fi
Kenya's mobile networks use GSM, so unlocked U.S. phones work with a Safaricom SIM or an eSIM, and a local line also lets you set up M-Pesa. WhatsApp is the national messaging app: guides, drivers and camps all use it, and so do we. Hotels and most lodges have Wi-Fi in common areas, though remote camps may keep it to the lounge.
Water, while you are packing
Drink bottled or filtered water only. Most camps give you a refillable bottle and filtered water to fill it, because single-use plastic bottles are banned in national parks. Bring your own bottle if you like, and use it everywhere.
