Just got back from 3 days in Kenya & 8 days in Tanzania. Great trip! But if you're from the US and want to use your CC in Kenya, be aware that, more often than not, it might not work. I was warned about this by my bank (Chase) ahead of time; they said Kenya is on a list of countries that it's going to be tough using my CC in, because of fraud concerns (even though they knew I'd be traveling there) and technical. In fact, I tried to use it 5 times, and it only worked once (at Karen Blixen museum). It didn't even work at the Nairobi airport. Thankfully, the attempts to use it didn't cause the card to be blocked (I had three different cards with me, just in case that happened).
Tanzania? Worked everywhere! ATMs, small shops, big shops, no issues.
Just figured this might be useful for some, knowing that you'll have to bring more cash into Kenya than planned. Dollars, by the way, are accepted everywhere. You have to watch the effective exchange rate, and if somebody's quoting you a dollar amount that doesn't square with Tanzanian or Kenyan Shillings, you can usually get them to change the amount to something closer to reality. Having said that, there were many times the dollar rate was actually better than if paid with Shillings.
Interesting countries! It's all part of the fun of travel. I don't say that sarcastically at all. If you want everything to be just like home, don't leave home.
