Introduction

I've always wanted to explore more of Africa, and I finally got the chance to visit Kenya! While this article is more about my safari experience in the Masai Mara vs. an article about Nairobi, this safari was one of my top 5 travel experiences! It was amazing from start to finish and I’ll lay out how it went.

What you should know
During my research, I felt like there were so many resources on what you need for a safari, etc. However, you don’t need to plan too much! Just keep your mind about the following:
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  • It’s worth asking if your tour agency takes EUR/USD/etc on arrival. Don’t forget to bring your money! Personally, I didn’t want to carry that much cash with me so I elected to pay by card, even if there was a 5% fee. I would confirm with the provider beforehand if they take card!
  • Try to not bring a big suitcase/bag. The Land Cruisers were somewhat small, so although I saw them fit all the bags, it’s worth thinking through what you really need. A small duffel is easier to transport since you can stuff it anywhere unlike a hard shell suitcase. 
  • I recommend bringing binoculars (to see animals far away), sunscreen, a hat, and water (since bottled water costs extra at the camp) since you’ll be out in the van all day. Other than that, you don’t need anything special. 
  • If your tour provider stays at a camp with specific times for electricity, I would recommend bringing a power bank, extra camera batteries, etc. just in case. 

 

Before the trip

I used safaribookings.com to look for safaris. They’re an aggregator, like Expedia. They have a lot of filters where you can specify your dates, budgets, country, type of travel, etc. so it’s easy to find something that works for you!

For each provider and booking, you can “send a quote” to the provider to ask more questions and get a price. I recommend messaging a few providers because for the same trip they might quote you a different price. I would shop around and maybe try to negotiate!

I found the reviews and pictures to be pretty accurate for each provider. Also, one thing to note is that some providers operate under the same umbrella. So that means you’ll get a very similar experience even if they’re two different providers. 

When you officially decide on a provider, they’ll usually have you give them some info, like your passport number. This is normal, since I think the tour agency is required to get this information. In my case, I had to do a bank transfer of a portion of the tour. So my tour was $380 for 3 days, and I paid $50 up front. You’ll pay the rest on the day, which can be paid in Kenyan shillings, USD, or card (but with a 5% fee). 

When you send the deposit they’ll send a “confirmation” letter with your tour itinerary, details, and how much you paid! Then you’re ready to go.

 

Contents

Introduction
Before the Trip
The Safari Itself
On Subsequent Days
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The safari itself

They usually start early in the AM where they’ll pick you up from your accommodation. Therefore, I had a half day to kill in Nairobi. 

To get around, you can just use Bolt or Uber, which is relatively affordable. For my half day, I went to the Giraffe Centre which I highly recommend visiting! It was such a great experience to feed the giraffes and get close to them. For dinner, I went to the carnivore restaurant which was an all you can eat meat spot. Servers with all sorts of meats walk around and ask if you want some. They give you a little flag. If it’s up, it means you want more but if you put the flag down to show them you’re done. They’ll give you some bread and salad beforehand but it’s a trap, just save your appetite for the meat. I usually don’t eat meat but I was really intrigued at the other type of meats. I thought the ostrich and ostrich meatballs were really good! It’s 4800 KES for dinner which was a steal. 
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I specifically called these out because these weren’t listed in the landing page when I booked the tour. Of course, all these things are fine since I booked a budget option. However, if these things matter to you, it’s worth asking the tour provider these questions ahead of time. 

They served us lunch (all the meals are a very basic self service) and gave us some time to rest, and then it was time for our evening game drive. 

I’m going to save some time and just say the experience was AMAZING. My guide, Jony, was the real MVP. Because I was solo traveling he let me sit in the front and knew pretty much everything about every animal. He also seemed to know where the next herd of animals were going to be before all of the other guides. I was able to see all the animals I wanted to see and the animals were so close (for some stops, I could have reached out the window and touched them if I wanted to). 

I did feel like all the guides are equally as knowledgeable so you can’t really go wrong with any provider. Just go with your gut based on the reviews and what you see. 

 

on subsequent days

Since I did a 3 day tour, I only got 1 full day of game drives which I honestly thought was enough. The day starts pretty early after some breakfast, and then you’re off. 

The day was structured where we would drive further and further into the park, with Jony pointing out different animals along the way. We got as far as the Tanzanian border and in the afternoon, we had a picnic lunch which was very nice except for the flies (but you’re in the wild, after all). Then towards mid afternoon you start heading back towards your camp.  

On my last day, after breakfast a different driver and crew took me and some others back to Nairobi. They were even able to drop me off at the airport! Overall it was a 10/10 experience and I would recommend it to anyone! 

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