Avoid the Hidden Pitfalls of Maasai Mara: Save Money & Enjoy Safely!
Unreasonably low prices for Kenya travel are starting to appear, and there are various complaints on [Red Book R]. Little Nanzi will share with everyone the huge pitfalls of unreasonable quotes from 10 years of experience in Kenya 🇰🇪 travel (at the risk of being attacked):
Tactic 1⃣️ Staying at a very remote hotel [Sky R], which is cheap but has no scenery and average facilities. The key issue is that it wastes too much time every day going in and out! [Frustrated R]
Be sure to verify the hotel location with the travel agency: Is the hotel within the national reserve gate?
If outside the national reserve gate, how far is it by car? Entering the gate requires queuing. You can’t enter before dawn and must leave before dark. It usually takes an hour and a half to drive from the farthest gate on the east side to the Mara River on the west side of the reserve. If you’re there to see the river crossing, this time is completely wasted.
Little Nanzi strongly recommends staying inside the reserve (private or national, where you can wake up to the view of the savannah (as shown in Figure 3) and save time on the road to see more animals). This is especially important for photographers who like to capture the golden hours of light in the morning and evening!
[Movie R][Instant Camera R]
Tactic 2⃣️ Only including one entrance ticket [Coupon R] and then asking tourists to pay extra or give up the trip at the gate [Angry R]
Make sure to ask clearly before booking and require the contract to specify whether the itinerary quote includes the national reserve [Fire R] entrance fee for each day [Fire R]?
How many times specifically? The ticket for Masai Mara is priced per day, and you usually need to stay for more than one day. Little Nanzi recommends staying at least 3 nights, requiring at least 3 tickets.
Tactic 3⃣️ Replacing the core area of the national reserve with a private reserve! [Poo R]
An important distinction is: In the core area of the national reserve, visitors are strictly prohibited from getting out of the vehicle, and the safari vehicles cannot leave the main roads.
You should check if your vehicle has entered the national reserve gate.
If your itinerary is always within a private reserve, you do not need to pay for the national reserve entrance fee, only the private reserve entrance fee. The price for the Masai Mara National Reserve in 2025 is $200 per person during peak season and $100 per person during the off-peak season. The private reserve, regardless of the season, costs $80-100 per person.
This price difference is the additional profit. It also saves a lot on fuel.
Tactic 4⃣️ Does the itinerary quote include all local taxes? [Explosion R]
It’s said that some tours even ask tourists to pay additional taxes upon arrival at Masai Mara. This is a bit too much. Local Kenyan travel agencies typically provide quotes that include taxes. Be sure to read the contract carefully 👀
@Captain Tuber @Travel Tuber
