| Go shopping in Kenya with recommendations, reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and locals. Map |
 | Kenya Shopping | Tips 1 - 10 of 38 |  |
Everywhere you go you can find souvenir shops and art shops, near national parks, along the main roads in the big cities, along the coastline, everywhere....
In Kenya you can find many skilled artists, painters and carvers.
But most of the articles are produced in mass production. Leave a Comment Theme: Local Craft
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The handcraft cohoperative is the home of truly beautiful carved wooden objects. There are several cohoperatives in town - only one being state run. It's the one that sells carvings of much better quality than the others, and you can also see the artisans at work.
The most beautiful things I saw were some little tables with carved elephants - and some really peculiar chairs in Lamu style: you can take them apart in two pieces so that they are easy to carry on the plane.
Not too expensive, considering the quality. The price depends on your bargaining skills Leave a Comment Theme: Local CraftAddress: malindiDirections: about 2 kms from the old town in Malindi
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Anywhere in Kenya it is a must to bargain.
It is quite tough for first time tourists, and the sellers know that.
They ask for the country (or sometimes hotel) you come from and make the price accordingly.
If you donīt know what things are worth, maybe go to the hotel souvenir shop first and have a look at the prices (because here, there are some on the items). Then again take about 10% off that price -or more.
If you have no idea at all, at least before you begin to bargain, think for yourself what you would pay for the item. In the end, that is all that counts. Make a maximum price and donīt go over that. Not if you want to feel like a looser.
The first price the seller tells you will be much, much too high. As an example, I wanted to buy a simple box of carved soap stone, worth maybe 7 dollars. The seller asks for 40 dollars. Seriously. I said, no way. 6 dollar is what I would pay for that. On what he answers "goodbye". Ok, I think - it is not as if I needed that box anyway, it was just meant as a present, so I say "goodbye" as well and walk away. 3 metres further he stops me, and says, ok. 20 dollars. I stay with my price. After about 5 minutes we make the deal with 8 dollars (which is still more than it is worth, and still a high enough price for around here, but ok.)
There are no real thumb rules for that. I would not advise anyone to take the price the seller says and go down 30% or 50% - as you can see in my example then the box would have still cost 20 dollars - which is much too much. Another seller might have set the first price as low as 10 dollars ...
I am not against selling decent prices, but I am much against being ripped off, though, just because I am a tourist.
In the end it is up to you what the thing you buy is worth to you. Leave a Comment Theme: Local Craft
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Going north toward our hotel in the hills around Molo, we stopped in the town of Nakuru as we passed through to stock up on food and drink items for the family. This is easy enough to do in Kenya as most grocery stores have the basic supplies that you will need. We did the same thing in Nairobi on our return trip, before we headed further south for a few days 'roughing it' in our small Banda at Amboseli National Park. The second photo shows a Kenyan lady carrying her child and the groceries across a street in Nakuru. Leave a Comment Theme: Food and Drink
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All over town you can buy your stuff, cheap it is to. Always try to get the price down, the people like that, so they can talk longer to you and they also think it is fun. Cigarettes and drinks have a fixed price.
It is also the best way to learn to deal with Kenyans in real life.
If you are hunting for art or gifts, you should be outside the city. In the country you can make the real deals.
In the National Museum you can buy a Masaai spear for Ksh. 3800,- in the country you buy it for less than Ksh. 1000,-
In Turkana I could buy one for less than Ksh. 600,-. In the end they offered me one for free as a friend. The best deal ever!!!
Little money. Leave a Comment Theme: Food and DrinkAddress: Along the roads.
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A local craft shop with a workshop where craftsmen works sells wooden figures of african people or animals, batik paintings, local musical instruments, etc etc...
A beautiful batik would be good because one will not be so obstacle in your room even years later. Leave a Comment Theme: Local Craft
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In Nairobi you will find art galleries where you can buy real african art like Masks or sculptures. They bring it from different parts of Kenya, Tanzania and other parts of Africe - mainly west Africa. I got this mask some years ago and it is a mix of wood and hey. It is hanged in my saloon and i love it. Leave a Comment Theme: Art
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In this African Heritage shop (near the Carnivore restaurant), there was like a kind of gangway were they were showing African jewellery and human history in Africa for over 12.000 years, it looked like a little museum. That looked very beautifully. Not all items that were displayed were on sale.
In this part of the shop I did buy some beautiful busts (see next tip).
African art
depends on your taste and your desire to buy souvenirs Leave a Comment Theme: Local CraftAddress: Langata RoadPhone: + 254 020 675 1095Directions: near the Carnivore restaurantWebsite: AHDCO@WANACHI.COM Other Contact: Fax +254 020 890528
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This was a great shop. The ideal place to buy your last souvenirs, if you have still some money left (sorry, no need for money, you also can pay with your credit card), or if you have any room left in your luggage so you can still carry it back home.
They are selling really beautiful items here like masks and other wooden sculptures.
local craft
may a bit more expensive then at the local small shops. Leave a Comment Theme: Local CraftAddress: Langata RoadPhone: + 254 020 675 1095Directions: near the Carnivore restaurantWebsite: AHDCO@WANACHI.COM Other Contact: Fax +254 020 890528
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Nairobi's street vendors offer some of the freshest fruit if you keep your eyes open. For as rediculously little as 10 Ksh you can get a bag of plums, while oranges and bananas range from 20 to 45 Ksh. Since most post their prices, haggling can be kept to a minimum. This supports poor local women in the community and gives you a fair price. Should someone attempt to charge you too much, simply say " Punguze Bei, Tafadhali!", which means " Reduce the price, please" and you can start negotiating a more reasonable exchange.
Make sure you buy fruit early in the day, as it tends to sit out in the sun for a while. Your best bet for freshness is to buy Passionfruit or Oranges, as they tend to do better in the heat then Plums or Berries do.
See above.. Theme: Food and DrinkAddress: The bigger open-air markets tend to be off Moi Ave
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