Service vacations offer life-changing experiences for families, civic groups, faith-based organizations, and company teams. We offer two-week trips, which include service work, sight-seeing, and a four-star safari experience, structured as follows:
- 2 days outbound travel time. Our USA point of departure is either Chicago O’Hare International Airport or San Francisco International Airport. From the U.S., we fly to London Heathrow, experience a 12-16 hour layover, then fly into Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
- 4 – 6 days in the Machakos District, where we work on the current service project and spend time in the Kiima Kimwe villages.
- 1 day travel time. Our driver will take us overland to our safari destination.
- 3 days on safari in one or more Kenyan National Parks, where we will enjoy first-class accommodations, morning and late afternoon game drives, gourmet meals, swimming, special activities, and the fantastic sights and sounds of the most beautiful, wildest places on Earth.
- 1 day return trip to Nairobi, where we will spend the night in a modern hotel and the next day touring sites like the Karen Blixen House, the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, and Kazuri Bead Factory.
- Following day 2 in Nairobi, we get early morning transport back to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
- 2 days return travel, retracing our outbound flights, with an overnight stay in London.
Service Vacation Costs
Service vacations to our Kenyan service area, based on a six- to ten-person project team, cost $5,200 per person. The following conditions apply:
- A non-refundable $1,000 deposit is due at the time of registration.
- Registration for a given service vacation session closes 60 days prior to our scheduled departure date.
- The remaining balance is due 30 days prior to our scheduled departure date.
Service vacation fees cover the cost of individual airfare, accommodations, some meals (detailed in your service vacation packet), all on-site travel, donations to the given community project, orientation sessions & materials, safari activities, logistical support, and acquisition of an entry Visa from the Kenyan government.
All fees listed on this site are in United States Dollars (USD). Payment can be made via foreign check with prior authorization from Other Paths, however you will need to pay the full price to convert to the USD equivalent in addition to any fees your bank may charge to convert currency. There are no conversion fees for using PayPal. All foreign credit card charges will only need to be converted to USD equivalent based on the current exchange rate.
Yes, the service vacation cost is tax-deductible. Other Paths is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization.
Travel Requirements
All participants need a valid U.S. passport. Service vacation fees do not cover the cost of obtaining a passport. Please ensure that you have your passport in-hand at least 60 days prior to our departure date.
As a general precaution, all travelers are advised to carry a photocopy of the photo/bio information page of their passport and keep it in a location separate from the passport. Copies are also kept by Other Paths.
Yellow Fever Cards showing up-to-date vaccination must be available for inspection at the Kenyan port of entry when passports are presented.
Supplemental International Health Insurance is highly recommended and is not covered by our Service Vacation fees. Some companies that offer this type of insurance are:
- International SOS
- Wallach & Company
- Cultural Insurance Services International
Please refer to our international travel safety guide for detailed information on health requirements, immunization requirements, and common-sense tips for staying safe while traveling to Kenya.
Working in Partnership
Other Paths, Inc. has extensive connections in the Machakos District. We have friends in the District government agencies, the police department, the local Rotary Club, and the Kiima Kimwe tribal authority.
We also have an ever-expanding list of international partners that we work with in the course of our service projects.