Nairobi national park this weekend

Comes as a bit of a shocker, doesn't it? Kenya IS an expensive place.

Much more expensive than the UK - if you asked me - and as you are going to find out.

You can try doing the Nairobi National Park on the cheap - but the experience may leave you with a bitter taste in the mouth... so the million dollar question is:

If it didn't go to your liking, would you get another opportunity (may be on this trip or on future ones) to re-visit the park?
If it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I would politely suggest you break the bank and do it "right".

The problem with Kenya is there are distinct classes of service for each category of 'clientelle'; and unfortunately Western standards, expectations, quality-of-services (or whatever else you want to call it) put most foreigners from Europe in the most expensive class of clients; and the consequent cost differential is phenomenal.

If you do want to try it on the cheap, this is how it goes:
(1) Take a "matatu" (mini bus or 9 seater micro bus) from Westlands to town. Take another one from town to Ongata Rongai and ask them to drop you off at the entrance to the national park.

I am open to correction here but I think the more common "matatus" headed to Langata turn off into a side road well before getting to the park entrance so you should avoid them.

(2) Walk the 200 - 500 meters to the actual park gates. The office block is adjacent. There is a Wildlife Service bus that departs from these gates, does a tour of the park, and brings you back. Nothing spectacular.
(3) Once you've purchased your park entry tickets from the office block (which cost an absolute fortune just because you are a foreigner) you can board the bus and join the screaming school kids (and probably other budget travellers) for the ride.

Definitely not my style.

MrGenius

An in-between price option is to hire a private taxi for the morning/day. When I last went to Nairobi National Park we hired a sedan taxi and paid the driver less than USD 50 total for a half day that included an early morning visit to the park and a visit to the David Sheldrick Elephant Center. With this option, there are some down sides: you won't get a nice safari vehicle with raised roof, the roads are a bit uncomfortable in a 2 wheel drive (also, you should call the park to make sure the roads are driveable without a 4x4 with the recent rains), and you don't have an experienced driver/guide. However, a lot of safari is just driving around, asking other cars if they've seen anything, and keeping a sharp eye on the landscape to see what you can spot. When we went with a taxi, we were able to see lions, a cerval cat, and all the major herbivores.

Another option is looking for car hires with drivers. You can probably rent a 4x4 with driver for the day for around $100 ($150 for a nicer vehicle). With this option, you may even get a driver who is familiar with the park and might be able to navigate around better and find more wildlife.

As for having 2 days to yourself, I think it depends on your budget and what you want to see. I always recommend Lake Naivasha (also very easy to do as a budget traveler with buses that can take you there, cheap hippo boat rides, a national park that you can bike through, etc). You could also do an overnight trip to Nakuru National Park, Amboseli national park, or Ol Pejeta (all of which would cost significantly more with high park fees and a need for a car).

Good luck and hope you enjoy your trip!

Is it the Wildlife Service bus that does the Sunday tours mentioned in the 2015 Lonely Planet? (LP also wrote that there was talk of the service being discontinued and that you should check ahead.) Tomorrow is my only Sunday in Kenya/Nairobi, and the budget option will be fine.

And, does the following mean you have to pay for both a bus ticket and a park entrance fee? Not neccessarely a problem, just want to know what "a fortune" means.

(2) Walk the 200 - 500 meters to the actual park gates. The office block is adjacent. There is a Wildlife Service bus that departs from these gates, does a tour of the park, and brings you back. Nothing spectacular.
(3) Once you've purchased your park entry tickets from the office block (which cost an absolute fortune just because you are a foreigner) you can board the bus and join the screaming school kids (and probably other budget travellers) for the ride.

Thank you all for the feedback.

We were lucky enough with the help of local staff here to be able to arrange a private driver/guide with a raised roof to take us to the park for under $130 for the day between five of us! We did of course have to pay the $50 fee on top of that buy certainly a more affordable way of doing it. We had a really enjoyable morning into lunch and had a great experience. Having gone with a private car and driver- I know we got a great price- having seen some the buses go around everyone looked miserable and bored on them as they passed- I definitely felt we had a better and more involved trip.

Thanks for the advice re: the weekend- still trying to decide. I like outdoor activities in particular hiking, although I didnt bring any boots on this trip, I do have trainers that I can use instead. I dont want to go too far from Nairobi for the weekend....as for budget...im not sure how much these things cost...it seems to all come with a bit of a price tag. Im definitely not on a high end budget more budget to mid range, if that offers any clarity! :) thanks

I'd still recommend Naivasha as a weekend trip from Nairobi. It's about an hour and a half to two hours away and has some nice things to do. Carnelly's is a nice place to stay with budget options. You can go on Hippo boat tours on the lake and many of the lodges on the lake have wildlife walking around on the property, where you can also walk (for example, maybe go to Crescent Island and walk around and have lunch at Sanctuary Farm). Also, Hell's Gate in Naivasha is one of my favorite parks in Kenya as you can rent bicycles for about USD 5 and bike through the park (8 km each way from the entrance to the Gorge), seeing giraffes, zebras, antelope, etc. The Gorge at the end of Hell's Gate is also a nice place to hike around and has some really interesting geology. Finally, near Naivasha is Mt. Longonot, where you can hike to the top and walk around the crater rim for beautiful scenery and views.

Another option is going to Mt. Kenya for some day hiking, which is about 3 hours from Nairobi. There are a lot of nice budget places to stay around Nanyuki that can probably help you organize day hikes.

I have several reservations about Naivasha - especially over weekends. I believe I have previously said this: The place used to be peaceful and tranquil. That, along with the scenery and the odd boating trip which contributed to my relaxation, is what used to make me do the 180 km round trip (90 kms each way) to the lake side resorts.

But that is no more. Unless you are a party animal, love noisy nightlife, blaring music (even in camp sites) and can stand rowdy youth (not harmful though - they usually keep to themselves), the lake side may not be what you are after.

However it is a good Base from which to visit Hell's Gate - and even Longonot - if you are keen (and you love a good hike).

Talking of hikes, trekking through the gorge in Hell's Gate can be a truly magnificent experience.

Regards

Mr Genius

I have several reservations about Naivasha - especially over weekends. I believe I have previously said this: The place used to be peaceful and tranquil. That, along with the scenery and the odd boating trip which contributed to my relaxation, is what used to make me do the 180 km round trip (90 kms each way) to the lake side resorts.

But that is no more. Unless you are a party animal, love noisy nightlife, blaring music (even in camp sites) and can stand rowdy youth (not harmful though - they usually keep to themselves), the lake side may not be what you are after.

However it is a good Base from which to visit Hell's Gate - and even Longonot - if you are keen (and you love a good hike).

Talking of hikes, trekking through the gorge in Hell's Gate can be a truly magnificent experience.

Ol Pejeta on the other hand may be further afoot, much more expensive to get to and get into - but definitely worth it. I have fond memories of physically touching a rhino for the first time I'm my life in that place 😊

Regards

Mr Genius

Great thanks Ive decided Naivasha it is- I think it will cure my cabin fever! how easy are the hikes to follow up longonot or hells gate on your own?

The hike up Longonot is very easy to follow on your own; it's just a straight shot up and then a walkway around the rim of the crater. In Hell's Gate, for the park part (where you can rent bikes, if you choose) you can request a guide if you want, but you can also go on your own. The park is well marked with signs and I recommend taking the 8 km path to the Gorge, where you can hike. In the Gorge, you are required to take a guide with you, as there are risks of flash floods. The guides will be waiting at the entrance to the gorge (there is also a separate fee for the gorge and gorge guide, but it isn't that expensive).