Hi Jane - Everyone seems to have given you a lot of very good advice. I just returned from a 6-week trip to Kenya, my 14th trip there, so I just wanted to add one more piece of advice about the best made plans of mice and men. What I'm trying to say is to expect the unexpected and have a have a good reservoir of patience and good cheer.
My first adventure after landing in Nairobi was to travel by air to Samburu....something kept nagging at me about confirming my reservations for the Serena Lodge and the flight - so I didn't make my plans until I was already in Nairobi...when I went to see my travel agent to pay for my trip I was told Samburu had just experienced a catastrophic flood of the Ewaso Ngiro River and that seven lodges, mine included, were totally swamped and tourists were being plucked from the roofs of the lodges by police helicopters with the majority of their belongings floating down the river.
I had to alter the entire first week and also had to make plans for my last 10 days which I left unplanned until the last moment. My only real regret was my trip to Lake Naivasha which used to be one of the most beautiful fresh water lakes on earth....it is now a very degraded cesspool due to the growth of the flower business which went from a few farms to hundreds....all disposing of their pesticides and fertilizers into the lake and the growth of the population around the lake from 20,000 soles in the 1970's to about 300,000 and everyone sending their raw sewage directly into the lake. It is a very sad lesson in greed, corrupt politicians, corrupt environmental police and the soaring human population in Kenya and around the world which is depleting natural resources at an alarming rate.
My most positive surprise was the 62,000-acre, well-managed, paradise called Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. My first trip to this private wildlife conservancy....brimming with white and black rhino, elephants, oryx, eland, grant's gazelles, lions, hyenas, cheetah, etc. The highlight was seeing a mother leopard with two cubs about a month and a half or two months old. The owners have their own armed security rangers who patrol on foot and in small planes. They work closely with the community - creating many jobs and building schools and heath clinics. My private driver was Nissa, a Maasai from the local community who is going for his Gold Certification. He was the best guide I've ever had anywhere in Africa with an encyclopedic knowledge of all the plants, animals, insects, geology, culture and history of the area....simply fantastic.
I agree with Jan that changing money is best done at the Forex at the airport. They give a fair exchange for only a small fee. I also strongly encourage you to ask your bank for bills, say 100's, which are of recent vintage - at least the year 2000 or later. I used an ATM only once using my Visa Credit card and had to pay a lot to JP Morgan Chase for the privilege. I bring a lot of cash and a Visa Card - traveler's checks are worthless as they will not be accepted in most places. Putting money in various places is a good idea. I've never worn a money belt....my waist is thick enough....so I put some money in my pockets, photo bag, inside my suitcase in my socks....in my jacket pockets, etc. So far, never had a problem....knock wood.
Have a great trip - just stay loose and enjoy the ride!