Though some visitors to Kenya might not realize it,
Kenya shopping can really be quite excellent. If Kenya
is one thing, it is diverse, and equally diverse are the
range of products made locally by different cultural groups.
These kinds of products are excellent gift and souvenir
items, and surely you can make room in your living space
for a deserving Kenyan decoration. Unique jewelry, hand-carved
furniture, art, and even music make it onto the list of
interesting things to consider when one engages in Kenya
shopping. Plenty of upscale Kenya accommodation establishments
have nice gift shops where you can certainly find some
attractive wares, but the most serious shoppers will want
to check out the Kenya markets. Yes, you could certainly
more than fill up a suitcase when shopping in Kenya, so
you might bring an empty one along if you can. Otherwise,
you might have to look into shipping some stuff back home.
Before you can hit the shops in Kenya or the Kenya markets, you’ll first have to familiarize yourself with the currency of Kenya. The Kenyan Shilling is the official Kenyan currency, and it comes in notes of 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1,000. The Kenyan currency coins come in denominations of 5, 10, and 20, and the best place to exchange currency once you get here is at the major banks and exchange houses. In major cities like Nairobi and Mombasa, it’s possible to change money at the airport, and some of the Kenyan hotels are ideal as well. US dollars are accepted at some places, such as national parks and major hotels, but by no means should you depend on them outside of such places. Once you are armed with Kenyan currency, you are ready to do some Kenya shopping!
Though some shops in Kenya do not encouraging bargaining, it is a common practice at others, and it is surely the norm when it comes to the Kenya markets, so don’t be shy. Just be sure not to offend anyone when bargaining by going ridiculously low on a specific item, especially one that is of high-quality workmanship. If you are interested in visiting shops in Kenya, the best ones are found in Nairobi. Fine, beaded suede clothing shops are worth checking out in Nairobi, as are the nice fabric shops, many of which are found on Biashara Street. The City Market in Nairobi is a popular shopping destination, offering plenty of good bargains. Besides the curio and souvenir shops found here, there are also food vendors should you get hungry. One of the more upscale shopping complexes in Nairobi is the Sarit Centre, which is basically a small city all its own. Found in the Westlands suburb, the Sarit Centre is easily the kind of place that shoppers can spend gobs of time in. A good amount of open-air markets open every day in Nairobi, so you’ll certainly run into one when moseying about town.
Found throughout Kenya, hand-made baskets are great items to pick up. They vary greatly by region, though regions where the Kikuyu people live are known to be among the best for basket shopping. Perhaps even more popular Kenya shopping items are carvings. The best place to get hand-carved Kenyan goods is Lamu, as the carvers here are generally regarded as the best in the country. Chairs, picture frames, boxes, and beds are just some of the things that the carvers in Lamu fashion out of wood, and you’ll certainly notice the quality of the work. Wood animal carvings are hugely popular with tourists, but you could easily come away from Lamu with carvings of all sorts. While you are enjoying Kenya shopping on the coast, you might also look into grabbing some of the textiles that are of excellent quality here. One of the more common garments sold in this region of the country is the Kikoi, which is a sarong of sorts.
If you are looking for interesting artifacts when shopping
in Kenya, the Maasai tribe is known for its quality wares,
as are some of the northern Kenya tribes, such as the
Rendille and Samburu. Some of the artefacts you’ll
see are shields, spears, swords, and the curious neck
pillows. The Maasai, and other tribes, are also known
for their beaded jewelry. The work is quite intricate,
and some of the beaded items of primary interest are bracelets,
necklaces, and ceremonial items. Back in Nairobi, jewelry
from Kenya, Ethiopia, Yemen, and other places can be found
in various curio and jewelry shops. You might also come
across elephant hair bracelets, which are actually made
mostly from twine or grass. Other things that folks might
want to check out when doing some Kenya shopping are musical
instruments and coffee. The coffee grown in the western
Kenya highlands is some of the best in the world, so if
you like a good cup, you’ll certainly want to bring
some Kenya coffee home. As for musical instruments, drums
are found throughout the country, and they are generally
of high quality wherever you go. Back towards the coast
at Lamu, the wood carvers are known to churn out some
very impressive flutes (Siwas), and these can be quite
large and ornate.
