Travel into Kenya
Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is fairly well connected internationally. Kenya Airways, a member of Air France-KLM network, operates 2 direct flights daily from Mumbai to Nairobi. The flight time is ~6 hours. I took this flight and noted that only one meal is served during the journey. Juices, drinks are available throughout but it would good to pack light snacks, especially if travelling with kids.
All domestic flights, including flights to Mara, are operated from Wilson Airport, located about 17 kms from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The only exception perhaps is the domestic flights operated by Kenya Airways out of the international airport.
Commute to city centre
There is an official taxi counter just before you exit the terminal. Quite safe and if you do not have a pre-booked taxi, best to book here. Generally, drive to city centre or equivalent distance should cost USD 25-30 one way.
Nairobi witnesses very slow moving traffic during peak times(6am to 9am and 4pm to 7pm). If you are driving during and around these times, do budget for additional time.
Travel within Kenya
Only two main options – road or air. But between Nairobi and Mombasa, rail is also an option.
The roads beyond Nairobi can be very bumpy. Many tourists travel by road to the national parks, especially if they are visiting 2 or more national reserves and have engaged a tour operator.
Some of the national reserves have airstrips and there are 3 main air operators -Air Kenya, Safarilinks and Silverstone who operate flights to and from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport. I preferred Air Kenya/Safarilinks as they appeared to have better safety record.
Travel by air is very comfortable but slightly expensive if flying to the national reserves.
Possible itinerary, what to see in Kenya
Kenya is really about national reserves. But if you want variety, you could try the beaches or Lake Victoria, the second largest fresh water lake in the world. Kenya has only a small portion of the lake within its borders. Uganda and Tanzania have greater area.
If you have less than a week, best to visit Masai Mara.
If you have up to 10 days, you could consider another national reserve or the lakes (Lake Nakuru and nearby lakes or Lake Victoria) or Mount Kenya. If you want a photo of yourself standing on the equator, head to Kisumu(near Lake Victoria) or towards Mount Kenya.
If you have more than 10 days, you could include a beach/marine park as well.
Since Nairobi is the gateway to Kenya, you will most likely end up spending some time there. Take a half day tour if you wish to get a feel for Kenya’s largest city. Another option is to combine Masai Mara with day trips from Nairobi(Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha, Nairobi National Park etc.).
But again, if safari is all that you are interested in, best to stay in the national reserves and you could also look at combining Kenya and Tanzania over a period of 10 or more days.
Which national reserve to visit?
Kenya has several national reserves-Masai Mara, Amboselli, Tsavo, Lake Nakuru, Samburu, Aberdare, Laikipia and so on. Many tourists tend to visit 2 or more national reserves. Masai Mara is invariably included and not without reason. Amboselli has great view of Mount Kilimanjaro while Lake Nakuru is (maybe was?) famous for pink flamingos and white rhinos. The city of Nairobi too has a national park at its doorstep-the Nairobi national park. The Ol Pejeta conservancy houses a Chimpanzee sanctuary, though Chimpanzees are not native to Kenya.
Masai Mara is generally preferred for the sheer variety of wildlife you can view and is a must visit reserve. Among the big 5, lions, wild buffalos and elephants are abundant and easy to spot. Leopards and cheetahs are not so easy to spot. Rhinos are very few and hence difficult to spot. Masai Mara also hosts a variety of birdlife.
If you are planning for Lake Nakuru, note that pink flamingos are not seen through out the year. You should also be prepared to extend the trip to Lake Bogoria and/or Lake Elementaita to view the pink flamingos.
If you keen on viewing rhinos, you can select appropriate reserve (maybe Meru which has a fenced Rhino sanctuary or Aberdare or Nairobi National Park).
The best photos of Amboselli are the elephants with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background. But in terms of wildlife, there is nothing that you will not see in Masai Mara.
I did not notice any direct flights from one reserve to another. You will probably have to return to Nairobi and take an onward connection if planning to travel by air. This does make the trip a bit more expensive.
Book through tour operator or DIY?
Many tourists book through tour operators. Few also rent vehicles but those vehicles are unlikely to be suitable for game drives. If you are travelling by road and looking to cover 2 or more national reserves, it may be advisable to book through a reputed tour operator. These operators will tailor make a package based your requirements. If you are willing to spend a bit higher to travel by air, you could book air packages offered by some of the camps or by Air Kenya/Safarilinks.
If you are booking through a tour operator, you have a choice of private tours or shared tours. Shared tours are cheaper but if you are 2 or more, best to book a private tour. That means accommodation, transfers to Mara and Safari in Mara will be exclusive to you. Even solo travellers can book private tours. You can even choose to travel by air one way and road the other way.
I opted for the air package offered by Sarova Mara Game Camp. The package included return air ticket from Nairobi, 3 nights stay in a club tent, all meals and 8 game drives.
Where to stay in Nairobi
Traffic in Nairobi can bad in the morning (6 to 9AM) and evening hours( about 4 to 7 pm). So if you are only transiting through Nairobi, stay near the airports from where you have onward connections. I stayed at Weston hotel opposite Wilson Airport and Four Points by Sheraton near Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The Weston hotel was quite nice though the choice of food for vegetarians is limited. Four Points has its standard and I was not disappointed.
Where to stay in Masai Mara
See separate post on the topic.
Costing for Kenya trip
Unfortunately, Kenya safaris are not cheap and given the hygiene and vaccination requirements, I would not recommend ‘budget’ accommodations unless you are certain a minimum level of hygiene is maintained by the hotel/camp.
Nairobi hotels and transfers
Hotels in Nairobi will set you back by USD 100 – 200 dollars a night for a couple.
Transfer from Jomo Kenyatta airport to Weston hotel, a distance of ~17 kms, cost me USD 30. I had booked a cab from the hotel itself. It costs about the same if you take the official taxi. I understand Uber is cheaper and you could give it a try.
A half-day car hire with pick up from Wilson airport, sightseeing in the city and drop to Four Seasons cost me USD 70.
Air fare to Masai Mara
Airfare to Mara varies between USD350-400 for a return trip per person.
You cannot hire a vehicle merely for drop to Mara and return to Nairobi. You will need to take a package or rent a car.
Masai Mara Camps
A mid range camp will cost USD 250-300 per night per person on a full board plus 2 game drives a day basis. The pricing is not based on a per tent basis but per person basis and therefore, prices can be disproportionately high if 2 or more are travelling together. To illustrate, a solo traveller may pay say USD 325 per night without sharing the tent and safari vehicle but a couple sharing the same tent would pay a cumulative amount of ~USD 550 per night, even though the only additional cost for the second person is that of meals. There is a marginal reduction if the group is larger but overall, it is as if each individual is paying for the entire tent!
Safari drive costs USD 70 per game drive per person. That makes it USD 140 per day for 2 game drives. For a couple, that could mean USD 280 per day.
It is best to opt for all-inclusive packages-full board and 2 game drives a day. With air package, it would cost ~USD 1300 for a solo person and ~USD 2400 for a couple. Additionally, park fee of USD 70 per person is payable for every 24 hours. For 3 nights/4 days, this adds to USD 210 per person. So overall, the budget for a couple is ~USD 2,800 in a mid range camp for 3 nights. This for a private tour and with air travel from and to Nairobi.
Note that all camps do not offer air packages. Travelling by road will save couple of hundred dollars at the minimum…the differential savings will be much more if 2 or more people are travelling.
Budget and shared tours will cost much less. A couple can get by with a budget of ~USD 1000 for 3 nights. Luxury camps will cost upwards of USD 450 per person per night.
Ask for the best quote
Note the rates can vary depending upon the season. Whether you are booking through a tour operator or directly, do ask for the best quote. Except during the peak season of July-September, you may be able to get discounts especially if you book early or are travelling in a larger group.
Additional activities
Hot Air Ballooning is about USD 450 per person and includes a bush breakfast. It is probably worth it during the migration time when you can view thousands of wildebeest from the air. Then there are bush walks, night safari and so on. All these have to be paid for if not included in the package.
Park fees
I handed over the park fees to my guide on Day 1 at the camp. On the day of departure, on way to the airstrip, I was given receipts. I did not verify the receipts but after getting home, I noticed the receipts did not carry my name and the dates they were valid for. There were other discrepancies as well. I wrote to the camp who then indicated my guide has given me wrong tickets and sent scanned copies of the actual tickets that appeared to have the necessary details.
I have read about guides/operators collecting park fees from you but not actually buying the tickets or providing you with improper tickets. The park tickets are supposed to be preserved until you exit the reserve. Do make sure you get proper tickets.
Entry to Masai Mara National Reserve costs USD 70 for every 24 hours, starting from the time of entry, for every foreigner.
Vegetarian food
Vegetarian options are normally available everywhere but when booking in smaller camps, do check what is available. Some of the camps like Keekorok and Sarova Mara serve Indian dishes.
Visa
Best to apply for eVisa online. Most countries are eligible for eVisa. It is very simple process and costs USD 51 plus credit card charges (about USD 53 total). The visa is issued in 2-3 days. I did not get any email notification but downloaded the visa after about 5 days. Take a print as you will need to show this to Immigration in Kenya.
Visa on arrival is also an option but if few flights get bunched together, it could mean a longish wait.
Vaccination
For Indian residents, Oral Polio and Yellow Fever vaccination is required.
Currency
The local currency is Kenyan shillings (KSh) and the conversion is 1USD=100KSh. Dollars and credit cards are accepted in most places and you actually may not need to buy local currency but this would depend on your itinerary. For tourists, the prices are often quoted in USD
In any case, you can convert KSh to any of the major currencies at the international airport.
Safety
Nairobi – Generally a safe city but do exercise caution in lonely areas especially in the night. Or better avoid lonely areas. Official taxis/Uber are believed to be safe to engage but my preference would still be hotel car. City centre is believed to be safe in the night also. Also, take basic precautions like you would do anywhere else – no expensive jewellery or displaying wads of cash. Sometimes preferable to not appear as an obvious tourist- with cameras hanging from the neck!
Masai Mara – best to keep valuables and passport in the locker provided. The tents do not have a lock and there have been stray cases of theft reported but by and large, camps are safe from humans!
During game drives, do follow the instructions of the guide-no talking or abrupt movements when animals approach the vehicle. There have been very very few incidents of wild animals attacking safari vehicles…a wild buffalo charged at my vehicle and dented the rear portion of the vehicle! The guide, equally surprised, anyway said he had not heard of any tourist being injured over the years. Somehow, that does not always provide comfort!
Also, you are not allowed to alight from the vehicle at any time. I am not sure what happens if you need to answer nature’s call during a full day game drive? In my case, we and many other vehicles stopped at a hill overlooking Mara river. We could get off and do the needful!
The safari vehicles have open windows and the roof too can be raised to maximize viewing pleasure.
Language
English is understood and widely spoken. In Nairobi or at the game reserves, you will not have any problems. The one word in Swahili language that everyone visiting national reserves would learn is Jambo, meaning Hello.