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Masai Mara is considered a very expensive and luxurious holiday option by most. That’s because the overall cost generally comes to nearly $4000-$4500 PER PERSON (all inclusive). However, I was keen to plan one for $2500+tax per person including tickets, room, food, safari and transfers for 8 nights, 9 days. This came to roughly 3.5 lacs in INR for 2. I was also keen on going during the great migration. So clearly it was going to be a tough task. But there are certain things that we did to make this possible.
#Tip 1- Plan early
We started planning this trip 6 months in advance. That gave us a huge advantage on the air tickets. We got the best timing of flights, for as low as 25,000 per person to Nairobi and back. Later that same ticket became 50,000 since it was migration time in August. The flight to Zanzibar went up from 8000 to 20,000 return per person. Even hotel rates went up. So booking early, especially during peak season is a must. We flew Kenya Airways to Nairobi from Mumbai and Precision Air to Zanzibar.
#Tip 2- Be flexible on the itinerary
During my research, I realized that the most popular way to do Kenya was to visit the 4 main areas- Masai Mara, Nakuru, Samburu and Amboseli. That’s what all travel agents suggest. They pack the 4 destinations over 8 nights and suggest road travel to make it a budget trip. Each drive is at least 6-7 hours long. But covering all 4 places was exceeding our estimates by good $1500.
We were clear that we did not want to make the holiday very hectic. Nor were we going there for a professional photography mission. We were going there for “the first time” and as wildlife lovers who are interested in observing animal behavior and be amidst the wilderness of Africa. So we had to take a slightly different approach.
We went with the following:
- To see 1 place properly and thoroughly for 5 nights – which was Masai Mara.
- To club it with Zanzibar for 3 nights- a beach destination to relax after a hectic safari tour
- Go by road to Mara and back. But fly to Zanzibar from Nairobi
This brought down the cost significantly and we were well within the budgets. In hindsight I think this was a great itinerary for us. It was a very relaxed yet exciting trip. We loved every safari we took and each day in Zanzibar was simply magical. We had full board in Kenya and breakfast included in Zanzibar. I will post a separate blog on Zanzibar after this.
#Tip 3- Choice of resorts
Kenya offers a host of resorts and hotels that come in various shapes and sizes. The tents are the most expensive and give you the original “bush experience”. Eg; Little Governor’s Camp. It costs around 50-75k a night on booking.com
Obviously this was not feasible for us. Besides it was closer to the Mara river and more suitable for big time photographers. This being our first trip to Masai Mara, we wanted something closer to the main park and more reasonable.
Our choices were Keekorok Lodge, Ashnil Mara Camp, Julia’s River Camp. These were ranging from 25-30k per night. Now this might sound very high at first, but if you look at “Jungle Lodge” rates in Karnataka for parks like Kabini, they charge 20k per night. So this was not that far off. We finally went with Keekorok @ 30k per night, because it had good reviews, a swimming pool and a Hippo pool in its backyard. The rates included stay, food, safari permits, safari vehicle, guide/ driver. Our Indian travel agency was ” Take a Break”. They were good but relied heavily on info from their local partners in Africa. So, I suggest you book directly through booking.com or an African agency to make it more cost effective.
http://sunafricahotels.com/kookorok-lodge/
#Tip 4 – Choice of Safari Vehicle
There are Vans and there are 4*4 Rovers. These are your options for safaris. The former costs a lot lesser than the latter. Both the vans and the rovers have a convertible roof to see wildlife. Rovers are available in 2 types – open and closed. So for serious photographers, an open rover will make sense. But for us a van was just right. It went everywhere and showed us everything. A 4*4 would have been a waste for us observers.
The other factor here is the number of people per jeep/van. The bigger the group the lower the cost per person of course. We took the van just for the 2 of us. It was to pick us up from Nairobi Airport, drive us to Masai Mara, do the safaris each day and bring us back to Nairobi. This makes the guide/driver very very important!
Please make sure you insist on an experienced guide/driver. During our trip we saw 56 diff lions, 8 cheetahs, 1 leopard, several hyenas, jackals, hippos, zebras, elephants, wildebeest etc.. all thanks to that guy. So, get a good “silver grade” guide if possible.
We drove to the river one day, in the van, and saw the great migration in full swing as well! But one needs to be very very patient at the river. It might take hours before the herds decide to cross. So, do not expect a sure shot sighting.
Watch this video of our rare sighting:
#Rule 5- Transport within the country
Going from Nairobi to Mara can be done either by road or by plane. There are small 12 seater and 20 seater planes that go back and forth. These planes leave from the Wilson Airport, which is a 30min drive from the main Jomo Kenyatta Nairobi International Airport.
Website to book- http://www.flysafarilink.com/en
Cost- Roughly $400 per person return
Luggage: 15kgs per person (including hand baggage)
We had planned to go by road which takes 7-8 hours one way. So, our budget included the entire cost of the van for 2 people for 5 nights and 6 days. However, last minute we had to switch to a flight because of some security concerns in Kenya, as we were landing a day after their General elections!! That set us back by another $850 total. The van reached Mara and waited for us. So, we had to pay for the van as originally agreed.
In hindsight, it was an expensive but very thrilling option. The plane ride is quite an experience. The view from top is unmatched and reaching Mara in 40 mins versus 8 hours is a great trade-off. We landed on an airstrip which was in the middle of the reserve. Zebras, wildebeest and buffaloes were there to greet us at the Keekorok airstrip. A memorable journey indeed.
Other Things to note:
- The plug point is like that in the UK. So carry an adapter/converter
- Tipping norms are- $1-5 to waiters/porters and $5-10 for drivers each day
- Conversion rate for Kenya is $1= 100 shillings. Tanzania is $1= 2200 shillings
- Jambo means Hello. Asante means thank you
- Carry binoculars because the vast expanse demands it
- USD is accepted in most places and so are cards
- The park is open from 6:30am to 6:30pm
- Vans and Jeeps communicate through radio for sightings. So chances are very good
- Mineral Water is expensive to buy in the resorts. Try to carry your own.
Keekorok Lodge, Masai Mara
Accomodation
We absolutely loved this property. It was bang in the middle of the reserve and had no fences. Animals were all around the premises and we could see them grazing outside our room. We stayed in Room 1244 which is a chalet. They have standard rooms, chalets and suites(2nos). Our room was away from the main lobby and restaurant but closer to the wilderness. So walking to the room without an escort after dark was not permitted.
The room was spacious and had a huge balcony overlooking the park. We had an electric kettle in the room, locker in the cupboard and also a hair dryer in the bathroom (for those who want these things). There was an adjoining room to ours and I must say that the walls are very thin. So you must be aware of this one little issue with the accommodation.
Premises
Keekorok has a swimming pool for its guests which comes in handy between safaris. And another for its resident hippos 😀 Yes! There is a natural hippo pool behind the resort which houses over 50 of them. You can hear them grunting all day long. It’s such a WOW factor for the property. They even have a hippo bar facing this pool where you can have beer while the hippos wrestle. At dusk they all step out to graze around the property.
The resort is brimming with birds and is surrounded by big old trees. We saw bushbabies jumping around at the wee hours of the morning right outside our room. They have a spa as well, but sadly when we were there the staff was on leave.
There is a gift shop too but it is a bit expensive like all hotel gift shops. I would recommend you buy from the Keekorok airstrip or the Nairobi airport rather than here.
Watch the video of these 1 day old cubs here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76THkQskzeM
Food & Service
Since this property is owned by an Indian, it offers a great variety to its guests. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian spreads are extensive. We thoroughly enjoyed the breakfast here. All other meals were really good too. To have chhola bhatura in Masai Mara is priceless 🙂 But they have English, Italian and Chinese cuisines too. Am told that Keekorok has the best food quality in all of Masai Mara.
Having said that, the dining area can get a bit noisy. Meals are not the most private or serene affair. Especially if there are big groups staying at the lodge.
The staff here is very very fun loving and always smiling. They really make your day. We were surprised by a goodbye cake on our last night here which I thought was very sweet.
My Verdict: Overall I think Keekorok is the right choice for first time travelers to Masai Mara. It is also very well suited for families.
My rating: 4.5/5 because we got everything we wanted from our stay. The only slight issue was the absence of hot water in the shower.
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