Maasai Mara -September/October, advice needed

Thorn Tree forumCountry forumsAfricaKenya
Enter custom title (optional)
This topic is locked
Last reply was
1.8k
…
Send as an e-mail
Send as an e-mail
barrera
barrera

Hoping for some helpful advice - the more you read about safari operators in Kenya, the more confusing it gets!

My wife and I are looking to do a 4-day, 3-night safari in the Maasai Mara in late September or early October (3-day, 2-night if this is not possible), starting from Nairobi.

I'd like to go with an operator which offers the follows:

  • majority of the safari in Maasai Mara National Reserve itself, so too much time isn't wasted travelling to and from sites
  • convenient to witness the migration
  • opportunities to see smaller scale wildlife as well (i.e. not just the masses of herds of the migration, more intimate viewing if that's the right word!)
  • opportunity for walking safari, and/or night drive
  • fly-in preferable
  • reasonable cost

I'm not sure if all of these are compatible! However, if anyone knows of operators which offer the majority of this, that you would recommend as giving quality service, I'd be very grateful for the advice.

Regarding the apparent contradiction between wanting to see the migration, and wanting to see more isolated wildlife, I have this strange fear that the migration would just be a mass of animals moving, whereas on a previous safari in Tanzania, we got to see small groups of elephants, lions, baboons etc just interacting on their own - is this fear well-founded, or am I just nuts?!

Thanks for any help you can give.

View last reply
Report
1
matt22
matt22

Check out this site for a list of tour operators running short trips into the maasai:

http://www.adventuresearch.co.uk</a>

You should get plenty of opportunities to see smaller groups of non-migrating animals on any of the maasai trips - there are plenty of animals that don't migrate, or even if they do, not in large numbers.

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report
2
retiree
retiree

You can choose a Lodge and then just fly in there from Nairobi and the lodge will take you out on safari in their vehicles.
Our favorite, not cheap, is Mara Intrepids, a tented luxury camp which is on the Talek River away from most of the minibus type safaris and in easy driving distance from the Mara River where the migration crosses.
Any travel agent in Kenya can book this for you. We have used Lets Go Travel.
There are no night drives in any of the National parks in Kenya so you will have to go to a private park like Sweetwaters to do a night drive.You can drive there or fly from Nairobi or the Mara.

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report
3
ken2007
ken2007

Check this link. Hoping with all the testimonies you will be satisfied. All the best.

http://www.allseasonssafaris.com/kenyasafaris/recommedations.html

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report
4
gillythegreat
gillythegreat

My wife and I have a 9 day/8 night tour booked in late August/early September ex Nairobi incorporating the western and eastern Masai Mara,Lake Nakuru with www.kimbla-mantana.com. At this point I will not be able to do the safari then and will have to reschedule it to a later date. Perhaps there is an opening there for you.
I got to know them after extensive research and through a friend of a friend. Although I have no on safari experience with them yet I have a good feel about them. They seem to be able to tailor one's needs at no great extra cost.
Their prices seem reasonable and I am dealing with Allan there.
Good luck.
Contact me if you need any further help

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report
5
alwaysonthego
alwaysonthego

I don't think you have unreasonable expectations. I know that it is not possible to do night drives in the masai mara but if you are staying just outside the reserve (like at Mara Sopa) then you could. But to be honest there is probably no great benefit and after a long day in the safari vehicle you will be happy to be enjoying a g&t or be tucked up in bed.

I can recommend wildebeest travels (you can google them but i think their site is www.wildebeesttravels.com). I went on safari with them. Although I did a driving safari I am sure that they also arrange fly in packages because a guy joined our group on day two (we picked him up from an airstrip). We stayed at a great camp, but we also had the option to stay at a number of different lodges (I just didn't have the budget for it).

These guys definately do walking safaris. We spent a night at a real Masai village with a family. It was great and probably one of the best and most unique experiences of my life. It is not often that you get to share a fire and goat stew with such interesting people. Good luck!

Copy and paste the url below to share the link.
Permalink to this post
Report

This topic has been locked by a moderator.

Pro tip
Lonely Planet
trusted partner