Nairobi Airport

All international flights arrive at terminal 1a or terminal 1e. If you are on Kenya Air or KLM, you arrive at terminal 1A. Other airlines like BA, Lufthansa, and Qatar arrive at terminal 1e. 1A is bit nicer than 1e.

Last night we arrived on Lufthansa to terminal 1E. We had stairs to exit the aircraft and then boarded a bus. This is normal for international flights and we did the same for arrival and departure in Frankfurt. Stairs can be hard for folks with mobility issues. Let the airline know ahead of time if you can't climb stairs. There is a special lift to get you on an off the plane.

Terminal 1A has two jet bridges so you will most likely use the jet bridge if coming in on Kenya Air or KLM.

First thing you do upon arrival is clear immigration. There are multiple lines for immigration and there are signs for international passport holders, Kenya citizens, VIP/Priority, and diplomats. Ignore the signs and go to the shortest line (other than diplomats.) There is no one organizing lines so it can be a bit chaotic. Just try to be patient. If you checked a bag, it is no big deal to wait a while in line to clear immigration. Your bag won't be coming through any time soon so you would just be waiting there if you made it through immigration quickly.

When you step up to the immigration officer, smile and say Jambo. Give him or her your passport and Kenya ETA. They will take your picture and have you place your hand on a machine to scan your fingerprints. Place your four fingers on the screen (not your thumb.)

After clearing immigration you will arrive at the baggage carousels. Look for the sign for the carousel with your flight. Retrieve your bags and stand in line for the scanning machine to exit the airport. Only place your hand bags and purses on the machine conveyor (not your checked bag.) After that you exit the terminal and step outside. There will be lots of people holding signs. Some have names and others the hotel names.

If you have a greeter (most of my guests have greeters), they will have a sign with your name on it when you arrive at the terminal (before immigration.) The greeter will take your bag and show you the shortest line. They will take you to retrieve your bag and then make sure you meet your driver.

You will be exhausted when you arrive after flying from the U.S.. Just know you are almost to the end but expect it to take about an hour to clear immigration and baggage claim. It will all be worth it when you arrive to the Maasai Mara. The long flights and stress of travel will quickly be forgotten.