A safari is on practically each traveler’s bucket record, and if you happen to’re keen to leap by way of the required hoops to get to Africa, it may be an epic expertise. However I’ve additionally seen firsthand that planning a visit to Africa for a safari will not be for the faint of coronary heart.
Final yr, I traveled to the Masai Mara area of Kenya for a safari as a part of my honeymoon. The Masai Mara is, in my view, the simplest place to plan a safari – and among the best to see probably the most wildlife, too. It’s an incredible place to begin for anybody trying to take a safari journey.
Even so, the planning course of felt a bit overwhelming. Ultimately our journey went off (principally) and not using a hitch. Now I’m right here that will help you do the identical.
When you’re contemplating touring to Africa, advance preparation is essential. Listed below are my safari planning ideas that will help you put collectively a stress-free journey to the Masai Mara this yr or subsequent.
Why the Masai Mara?
I’m tempted to simply let a couple of of my photographs reply the query: Why ought to I plan my safari journey to the Masai Mara in Kenya?
Loads went into the choice to plan my honeymoon within the Masai Mara as an alternative of one of many different standard safari websites in Africa.
The Masai Mara, often known as the Mara, is without doubt one of the hottest safari locations on the planet, and for good cause. It’s a comparatively small space in comparison with the neighboring Serengeti (about 10 instances larger than the Mara) for example, however the animal populations there are thriving.
The Masai Mara is 583 square miles, so it’s not precisely an intimate setting both, however there are an estimated 850-900 lions in that space alone, and the safari guides know precisely find out how to discover them.
The tip consequence: You don’t should drive far to seek out wildlife exercise within the Masai Mara.
You will get proper up shut and private to the animals, too. The wildlife are used to people and are utterly unthreatened by us as a result of they’re protected. Whereas poaching and looking of those animals was an issue, it’s been all however utterly eradicated within the area, in line with our guides.
The Masai persons are strict conservationists with a religious attachment to the land. It’s a fantastically maintained area of Africa, making it probably probably the most fertile wildlife-spotting area on the planet.
And, the entry to this land is wonderful. Each safari clothing store and safari lodge has a fleet of vans just like the one above. These vans are sturdy and might drive virtually all over the place. We logged dozens and dozens of arduous miles day by day.
By arduous miles, I imply arduous miles. The roads are extraordinarily bumpy and we didn’t see a patch of pavement for 5 days whereas we’re there. (Be sure to convey dramamine in case you are liable to automobile illness.) However the drives are value each bump and might take you to some spectacular vistas and wildlife viewing factors.
Another excuse why the Masai Mara is an ideal safari vacation spot are the lodging alternatives. Simply take a look at this Google Maps “accommodations” seek for the complete area.
There are dozens of choices for guests with designs on a Masai Mara journey at all types of value factors.
All through Africa, yow will discover different actually nice safari alternatives, too. Simply to the south of the Masai Mara is the Serengeti in Tanzania, which is a a lot bigger, extra unfold out model of the Mara. When you’re trying to see species of gorilla, a visit to Uganda is perhaps the most suitable choice for you. And if you wish to see South Africa, there are many day journey wildlife excursions from there, too.
However for my cash, if you would like an immersive safari camp expertise with one of the best alternatives to see lions, elephants, giraffes, rhinos, and extra, the Mara is one of the best wager.
Stepping into Africa
When you’re offered on a visit to the Masai Mara, there are some issues it’s essential to know and get performed earlier than you’ll be able to enter Tanzania or Kenya. The Masai Mara is in Kenya, but it surely borders Tanzania and lots of vacationers – together with myself – will mix the 2 international locations right into a single journey in the event that they’re making the lengthy journey to East Africa.
Once I boarded our flights to Tanzania and Kenya, I clutched a folder stuffed with paperwork and data for my spouse and I, and a few of these paperwork got here at no small price.
From required vaccinations, to e-visas, and lingering COVID-19 restrictions, right here’s what it’s essential to know to enter Kenya or Tanzania.
Paperwork Required to Go to Kenya and Tanzania
There are some issues I at all times convey with me on worldwide journeys, like photocopies of my passport and detailed, printed out itineraries of the complete journey. However my folder was a bit of additional plump heading to Africa.
Right here’s a working record of what each individual must enter each Tanzania and Kenya:
- Well being surveillance kind (COVID-19-related)
- E-Visa (~$100)
- Passport (with six months of validity left)
- Yellow Fever vaccination card
- COVID-19 vaccination card (CDC playing cards have been accepted in each international locations)
First issues first: Make certain your passport has six months of validity previous your arrival date in Africa. Kenya and Tanzania each require vacationers to have six months of passport validity to enter the nation.
About one month earlier than our journey, my spouse found hers was not eligible, so we had to do an Urgent Travel Passport renewal. It was irritating, however utterly doable.
The COVID-19 well being varieties can be found on every nation’s U.S. Embassy web site. You could find the most recent restrictions and varieties on Kenya’s COVID-19 U.S. Embassy site and Tanzania’s COVID-19 U.S. Embassy site.
Totally vaccinated vacationers don’t want to check earlier than getting into Tanzania or Kenya.
Along with the COVID-19 necessities, each U.S. traveler to Kenya and Tanzania wants an e-visa that you could full earlier than your journey. Fortunately, these e-visas are very simple to fill out on-line and printing out your e-visas forward of your journey will prevent precious time on the airport upon arrival.
You’ll have to enter a bunch of details about your journey and take a headshot of your self for the e-visa, as properly.
You possibly can fill out these varieties at Kenya’s e-visa website and Tanzania’s e-visa website.
We’re all used to COVID-19 restrictions, visas, and passports, however the trickiest entry restriction for Tanzania and Kenya is the Yellow Fever vaccine requirement.
The Yellow Fever vaccine is fairly extensively obtainable in the USA, but it surely’s not a reasonable shot. With out insurance coverage, the Yellow Fever vaccine can price anyplace from $200 to $400. And you must have that yellow vaccination card so as to enter both nation.
My recommendation? Schedule a go to with a journey medication physician. My spouse and I went to an appointment collectively and the physician advised us all the really helpful vaccinations for the area and was in a position to administer our Yellow Fever vaccine and provides us our proof, all in a half-hour’s work.
Different Issues You’ll Want within the Masai Mara
Along with the necessary pictures, our physician additionally really helpful we take a Malaria medicine. Malaria continues to be comparatively prevalent in East Africa. The mosquito stays the deadliest animal on the continent of Africa yr after yr.
Malaria collection differ. Ours was a capsule that we began taking a couple of days earlier than the journey and continued taking day by day by way of about two weeks after the journey.
Relying by yourself vaccination historical past, the physician may let you know to re-up on another vaccinations earlier than heading to Tanzania and Kenya, too. I, for example, additionally bought the Typhoid Fever vaccine through the go to to cowl my bases.
Once more, I’d suggest reserving an appointment to handle these items. Our physician laid out all the things in clear phrases to us, together with what we would have liked, what we should always have, and what we might elect to get by way of vaccinations for Africa.
The way to Get There
In relation to planning a safari to the Masai Mara, one of the best place to fly to earlier than you join onto a bush flight is Nairobi Worldwide Airport (NBO).
NBO is an especially well-connected African hub the place practically each main airline flies. Whether or not you favor SkyTeam companions like Air France and KLM to Star Alliance companions like SWISS, Lufthansa, and Turkish or OneWorld companions like Qatar Airways, and different favorites like Emirates, you’ll be capable to discover a connecting itinerary to NBO, no drawback.
Moreover, NBO is a hub for Kenya Airways, which has a fairly sturdy route community all through Africa, Europe, Asia, and even to New York (JFK).
For our journey to Africa, we flew Qatar Airways from Chicago (ORD) by way of Doha (DOH) to Zanzibar (ZNZ). After a couple of days there, we grabbed a fast Kenya Airways flight from ZNZ to NBO.
We even bought a glimpse of Mt. Kilimanjaro alongside the way in which!
Past Nairobi, you too can fly to Dar es Salaam (DAR) in Tanzania, which has some connectivity to the Serengeti and the Masai Mara. Similar goes for Mombasa (MOI) in Kenya.
However far and away, probably the most handy choice is to begin your journey with a flight to NBO.
Flying to the Bush
It’s attainable to drive to the Kenyan bush, but it surely’s not suggested. It’s a number of the roughest bodily terrain on the planet. The roads are hardly roads. From all the things we learn, it’s actually a idiot’s errand. Your greatest wager for attending to the Masai Mara is to fly in on one of some airways that supply service to the area.
Airways that service the Masai Mara embrace Safarilink, Air Kenya, or Mombasa Air Safari. Safarilink and Air Kenya function out of Nairobi-Wilson Airport (WIL) which isn’t to be confused with Nairobi Worldwide Airport (NBO). Mombasa Air Safari operates out of Mombasa in japanese Kenya.
With a purpose to fly to the Mara from Nairobi, you must get a automobile service or taxi between NBO and WIL. A one-way automobile service booked by way of Kenya Airways (our inbound flight operator from ZNZ to NBO) price us solely about $30, however the drive took near an hour. Nairobi has a number of the worst automobile visitors on the planet, so construct in a multiple-hour connection if you happen to’re altering airports.
One of the simplest ways to guide these airways is instantly by way of their web site. However if you wish to get a way of their approximate schedules first, you’ll be able to seek for flights to the Masai Mara on Google Flights – though the main points could be deceptive.
This desk, from Safarilink’s web site, offers you a way at how regularly they function flights from Wilson (WIL) to the Masai Mara.
These flights, whereas repeatedly operated, aren’t your typical point-to-point flights. In virtually each case, these planes are making a couple of stops on their option to the ultimate vacation spot, even when the fare is offered as a “nonstop” flight. Safarilink hundreds and flies these planes primarily based on how many individuals are flying which routes.
Additionally, Nairobi-Wilson will not be your typical airport. Every airline has it’s personal “terminal” like this one we used for Safarilink.
It’s trendy and good on the within, that includes a present store, an upstairs lounge for paying prospects, and a snack bar within the again proper of the picture above. However, attending to this terminal was a visit. Each automobile goes by way of the gates of the airport into what I can solely describe as an entire free-for-all, with vehicles and persons are zig-zagging each which approach.
As soon as inside, nonetheless, Safarilink made all the things fairly clean. We checked in with brokers behind the counter and so they whisked our baggage away for our flight.
Let’s discuss baggage. On our option to Africa, flying Qatar Airways Enterprise Class, we got basically zero restrictions about how a lot we might or couldn’t convey. That isn’t the case on these tiny Cessna planes into the Masai Mara. The luggage restrictions are extraordinarily strict, so you must pour over your fare phrases and circumstances earlier than you board.
We expertly packed our suitcases to satisfy very particular weight restrictions. Probably the most distinctive restriction: You aren’t allowed to have any hard-sided suitcases onboard Safarilink and different bush flights. That gave the impression to be the norm for all of the airways servicing the Masai Mara. Arduous suitcases are tougher to pack into the underbellies of the tiny planes.
With a baggage weight restrict of 33 kilos (or 15 kgs) per individual, I needed to buy an additional heavy bag every approach that would weigh as much as 50 kilos. We stored the opposite one shut sufficient to 33 that the agent allow us to slide with only one additional bought bag.
From the terminal window, we might see our airplane able to depart. As you’ll be able to see, it isn’t fairly the 787 we arrived to Africa on.
When it was time to fly, we lined up outdoors of the airplane to board, advised a baggage handler which baggage have been ours, and he gave us a thumbs up that we might get on the airplane. We have been assigned seats in row two. Apparently row one is for the pilots.
It was a cool vantage level of a flight and one thing like I’ve by no means skilled. The flight took about 45 minutes from “gate” to “gate”. We even noticed some elephants from above as we have been descending.
The airplane goes by the runway very low earlier than the touchdown as there isn’t any air visitors management to examine the landings. Every thing is visible for the pilots. After touchdown on the filth strip, we have been within the Mara. It was a really cool expertise, general.
The Musiara Airstrip was the place our safari lodge advised us to fly for a free pickup. It was a sleepy little airstrip and possibly my favourite airport on the planet.
The “terminal” was three linked benches beneath a solar shade. No Precedence Move lounge or Hudson Information stand in sight.
Curiously, on our approach again to Nairobi after the journey, Safarilink put us on a Dehavilland Sprint-8 dual-propeller airplane, which was a lot larger than our inbound plane. With 20 rows of seats and devoted flight attendants, the way in which again was a a lot completely different flight expertise.
Checking in from the Masai Mara consisted of our information dashing our paperwork as much as the flight attendant, who checked us off the manifest and allowed us to board. She advised us which row to sit down in after we bought on.
Right here’s one final take a look at the Musiara Airstrip parking zone and terminal as my spouse gave a remaining look on the Mara.
The way to Discover a Safari Lodge
When it comes time to seek for a safari lodge within the Masai Mara, I’d begin with two assets.
- The Masai Mara’s listings of accommodations
- After which for extra particulars about these properties: Google Hotels
Google Lodges is nice useful resource to start narrowing your search due to its filters. You possibly can filter for issues like “all-inclusive obtainable”, “pool”, by star score, and far, way more.
Utilizing Google Lodges, you may get your record of potential properties right down to a manageable degree very quickly.
When you’re trying to make use of factors and miles to guide, take your search outcomes to these particular loyalty web sites. There aren’t many western lodge chains (apart from Fairmont) with safari lodges within the Masai Mara, however lots of the safari lodges you’ll discover are bookable by way of journey portals the place you can use your hard-earned factors.
We used the Capital One travel portal to guide the Neptune Mara Rianta Luxury Camp. We paid for our keep by way of the portal as we have been making an attempt to hit a spending bonus on the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card on the time, which earned us 10x factors on the keep. We additionally bought $300 back onto my credit card statement thanks to the Venture X’s annual travel credit, too.
Right here’s what the itemizing seems to be like for Neptune on the Capital One Journey Portal for a one-week’s keep in October 2023.
As you’ll be able to see, camps like these aren’t low cost. Every week at Neptune will price you greater than $5,000 or a half one million Capital One factors. However practically all the things is included in that fee, which might prevent lots of complications if you happen to select to go that route.
Ought to You E book An All-Inclusive Safari Camp?
Reserving an all-inclusive safari camp is the easiest way to go about reserving a safari, in my view.
There are only a few, if any, foods and drinks choices outdoors of those resorts as a result of the Masai Mara is an especially wild place! The native individuals, the Masai, are a really conventional neighborhood, that means foods and drinks service is completed virtually solely on the resorts. Subsequently, the resorts can cost exorbitant quantities to friends not staying on all-inclusive charges.
Whenever you guide an all-inclusive fare, you don’t should sweat hour-to-hour about feeding your self. The resort takes care of all of it.
You can too guide all-inclusive lodge charges that embrace your inbound and outbound bush flights and your recreation drives, too. In our case, at Neptune, the speed we booked by way of Capital One didn’t embrace our recreation drives, which have been $75 per day plus the payment to enter the parks. (Extra on that later.)
General, the all-inclusive charges are the most suitable choice for many vacationers, except you’re extraordinarily assured in your capability to get across the African bush and feed your self.
Neptune Mara Rianta Luxurious Camp
There’s no scarcity of epic safari lodges on this area. You’ll see many of those camps marketed on the edges of the opposite automobiles while you drive across the Masai on recreation drives. Governor’s Camp and Little Governor’s Camp, for instance, is without doubt one of the fanciest (and priciest) choices for vacationers. Angama Mara is one other higher-end choice.
The camp we selected after weeks of looking and pouring by way of opinions was the Neptune Mara Rianta Luxurious Camp. The primary assessment on TripAdvisor began with “We cried after we left.” I used to be offered.
Neptune Mara Rianta Luxurious Camp is located proper on the Mara River on the northern finish of the Masai Mara. You possibly can hear the hippos (safely down a steep, 30-foot embankment) oinking and grunting all day and all evening. The resort truly offers you earplugs for this precise cause, however my spouse and I delighted in listening to their hilarious symphonies.
Neptune has 20 tents on the property, each going through the river. In the midst of the tents is a big fundamental lodge tent, that includes a spa, a lounge space, a bar, and a eating room. There’s a swimming pool within the again between the principle tent and the river, too.
We spent hours in the principle tent studying and stress-free throughout our journey. The service was extraordinarily immediate. I used to be provided drinks or tea the second my butt hit any of the couches or chairs.
The workers on the resort would additionally come discover us within the night hours earlier than dinner to ask us what our plans have been for the following day, which gave us a couple of hours after every day’s recreation drives to unwind and take into consideration our plan for the following morning.
The eating room was lovely. The tent partitions can be rolled up every morning for breakfast, which put your proper among the many tree tops overlooking the river.
The meals was additionally distinctive. That is no buffet-style all-inclusive. Every four-course meal with limitless drinks was unbelievable, and we by no means had the identical factor twice in our 4-night keep.
When you opted for a recreation drive that bought again round lunchtime, they might serve you at tables proper alongside the river. Hippos and different wildlife have been seen from the desk at lunch.
The rooms have been linked to the principle tent by a protracted, sweeping bridge that took you onto a strolling path. Our tent occurred to be the closest to the principle space, so our stroll was solely a few minute lengthy. A number of instances we noticed tiny monkeys swinging from the bushes as we walked to the tent.
The tents aren’t rustic as they sound – you’re not sleeping on the bottom Neptune. I’d describe it as glamping on steroids.
Every tent comes with its personal riverfront deck with a seating space outdoors the place you’ll be able to sit and eat, journal, or calm down.
The tents have tons of pure gentle due to very massive home windows that may be rolled up or down. Each reservation is assigned a butler while you examine in, and that individual handles rolling up and down your home windows and turning your mattress down and cleansing your tent day by day. They even heat your mattress up for you with a bag of scorching water throughout dinner.
The nights get chilly within the bush given it’s at a fairly excessive elevation, so these touches have been wonderful.
This is only one half of the tent. The opposite half had a wardrobe, a rest room room, a double sink, and a full stone bathe, too. I didn’t {photograph} that a part of the tent, however I can let you know it was a nicer toilet than 90% of the brick and mortar accommodations I’ve stayed in.
However the single greatest a part of the Neptune Mara Rianta Luxurious Camp was our information, Daniel. Daniel is the top information at Neptune and taught us a lot in our 4 days. We spent most likely three-quarters of our time within the Masai Mara with Daniel, who’s a local Masai and grew up within the area. He was humorous, good, and had an unbelievable eye for wildlife. Inside 5 minutes of choosing us up from the airport, Daniel discovered us some giraffe.
Daniel was extraordinary, and from speaking to the opposite friends, there have been no slouches among the many guides at Neptune.
I can’t suggest Neptune Mara Rianta Luxurious Camp sufficient. It was an ideal safari lodge expertise. Phrase is that camps like Governor’s are actually above and past, but it surely’s arduous to think about one other property doing it higher than Neptune did.
Sport Drives 101: What to Carry and Count on
Let’s get to the enjoyable half! You’ve performed all of the arduous work, you’ve bought all of the pictures, and now you get to begin daydreaming in regards to the recreation drives. It’s the rationale you needed to guide this loopy journey to start with.
Sport drives are excursions into the bush, normally in an open-sided automobile, for the aim of viewing wildlife. Right here are some things I want I knew earlier than my first recreation drives this fall.
Pack a pair of binoculars. That is embarrassing to confess, however I forgot to convey binoculars. On a safari. I do know.
You don’t want an epic pair of monster binoculars to convey alongside. A pair of pocket binoculars will suffice. The guides usually get you so shut that you simply don’t want binoculars in any respect, and fortunately ours was type sufficient to share his with us day by day, however it will have been good to have our personal.
Carry loads of money earlier than heading into the Masai Mara. One other factor I didn’t know earlier than attending to the Mara was that every park has a cash-only entry payment. At one park entrance, we have been in a position to pay utilizing a bank card as a result of the sky was clear that day (severely), however many of the park entrances for the sport drives required money fee for park entry.
Most often, that was a $75 per individual payment, so it’s essential to have sufficient money for that. ATMs are scarce within the bush. We have been advised we might go to 1 if we would have liked, however it will be a protracted, bumpy drive to get there.
U.S. {dollars} are extensively accepted within the Masai Mara, so that you don’t want an excessive amount of native forex, however it’s best to have loads of money for the park entrances and for tipping your information and the resort workers.
As is clear from these photographs, there aren’t lots of Wells Fargos and even comfort shops within the space. Having money is essential while you’re that removed from a developed metropolis.
It’s each the allure and the downside of the Mara. Be sure to’re ready to your journey earlier than you get in your bush flights.
Backside Line
A safari in Africa is actually a once-in-a-lifetime expertise. However planning and getting ready for a safari journey could be tough.
My very own journey to the Masai Mara area of Kenya final yr taught me quite a bit about what it takes to journey to East Africa. Though the method can appear daunting, its not arduous to cowl your bases for an Africa journey if you happen to take the fitting steps.
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