Jay456watt
JF-Expert Member
- Aug 23, 2016
- 10,356
- 7,992
Theodore Lin, lives in Tanzania
Written Feb 23, 2016
I have only been to Kenya for about a week and Tanzania for 2 years.
After being in Tanzania for a while and I crossed over to Kenya and into Nairobi I was amazed at how much more developed it was than Tanzania. The buildings were actual buildings and not shacks with aluminum roofing.
The chicken in Nairobi was soooooo much better than Tanzania. I bought some fried chicken and fries (chips) and the chicken was actually crispy and juicy! Tanzania generally had dry and tough chicken that was just roasted over charcoal.
Transportation was much more comfortable and organized in Kenya than Tanzania. In Kenya there were actual seats and air conditioning and a set time when buses would arrive and leave. There are definitely some nicer buses in Tanzania that are air conditioned and are a bit nicer but I have been on my fair share of crappy buses and vans. Think 8 person van with 15-20 people... throw in a chicken or a baby and it's a zoo!
Kenyans generally know English pretty well which was a huge surprise to me. However, there were a few instances where I felt like my Swahili was better than theirs. Tanzanians in general have terrible English but if you're visiting any touristy areas you'll be okay.
The pace of life in Kenya felt more accelerated. When I ordered food it would take no more than 5-10 minutes to get it. In Tanzania I've definitely waited an hour for my food. I had gotten so used to it at that point that I always had something to do while I waited and it never quite bothered me.
The people feel more wealthy in Nairobi than Dar es Salaam or Moshi. They dressed nicer and were a lot less conservative in their dressing. Tanzanian women usually will cover their knees and their shoulders and generally do not wear tight fitting clothing. Everywhere in Nairobi the women I saw wore tight clothing and revealing a lot of skin and I was almost flabbergasted thinking that they need to cover up (culture shock!).
I do feel however that Tanzanians are a more friendly than Kenyans probably due to their slower pace of life. Tanzanians will stop and chat with you because they just have more time. Kenyans seem to always be bustling around somewhere, it felt a bit like New York to me where you go from point A to point B without talking to anyone. This may also be a difference between city life and village life.
