Is the airport the only place to change money on a Saturday? Are they amenable to providing small denomination notes?
There are lots of ATMs in Nairobi (and even Narok near the Maasai Mara) that work with VISA (most times) and several in Arusha Tanzania now. Big hotels in Kenya will change money – at a premium rate for their guests and usually for casual visitors. Big hotels in Tanzania mostly change traveller cheques or cash for anyone. The banks will be open at the airports on arrival – you can get small notes if they have them – be firm. You should get 100 and 200 shilling notes which are best in Kenya. 1,000 and 5,000 shilling notes are most useful in Tanzania. If you can’t get any, ask your guide to go to a bank or lodge or hotel with you en-route (wherever possible) and try changing to smaller bills there – don’t get too frustrated if things don’t work like European or American banks and look on it as all part of the African experience.
