Masai Mara & lake Nakuru Kenya

[zyijia]

Hi all,

i'm new to this forum. just came back from a trip to the safaris in kenya and realised no one's posted on the safaris yet. i've been a great big leech reading the advice from this forum for a long time, now it's time to contribute some.

a must have for the safari is a zoom lense. 200mm isn't nearly far enough. at least 250 or 300mm to get good shots of the animals far away.

also a wide angle would be pretty useful because the sunsets and scenery are stunning. wide angle would really help capture those.

lastly the night shots are amazing because there isn't a light source for a 100km(apart from the hotel). so the sky is pitch black. means the stars are out. the whole sky is sparkling. don't forget a tripod.

the best areas to get shots are at masai mara. this is the larger of the 2 safaris in kenya. basically home to all 5 of the big 5(lions, elephants, black rhinos, hippos and leopards) but i didn't get a chance to see leopards there. this place is so huge i haven't seen my fill after 3 full days drive inside it.

but then i headed over to lake nakuru. about 1/4 the size of masai mara. but this place has lots of bird. during migration season, the whole lake is full of flamingos. i was also fortunate enough to see the white rhinos there.

hope to learn more from you guys. i would probably be heading back to kenya again next May or june so anyone who wants to come along would be very welcome.

 

[ziploc]

Also, remember to bring a face mask plus some wet towels to wipe your gears. The safari is extremely dusty. I was there in year 2000 climbing Kimimanjaro and going safari.

 

[victorlee10]

Hi there, I'm thnking of going to safari too. So far am thinking of booking just the safari package and buying the air ticket separately. Can share which agency you use and which park you went to? How much did you spend in total?

 

[roamfree]

Hi there, I'm thnking of going to safari too. So far am thinking of booking just the safari package and buying the air ticket separately. Can share which agency you use and which park you went to? How much did you spend in total?

If you like DIY, you can easily buy your air tickets to Nairobi and then get a safari package on the spot, especially if you are going during the peak season. There are groups going all the time, just a matter of choosing one which suits your needs and budget. If there are more of you, lagi better. just book your own tour and set off whenever you want. I like DIY and budget, so I just arrived, waited 2 days, then set off on a 3 days budget safari tour with a pair of Danish girls. Cos I latched onto their tour, I was able to bargain for a cheaper price. 90 usd per day. It was supposed to be 100 usd per day. Includes sleeping in a tent, all meals and national park entrance fees. If you go to the National Park in Nairobi, you don't even need to book. You can easily just go there for the day yourself. Just that you probably won't get to spot the lions or cheetahs like in Masai Mara.

 

[ziploc]

And please remember not to point your camera at the locals. They are very superstitious in believing that their souls will be captured by the camera and would get very angry if you take their pics, especially the Masai. I was warned by my tour operator that a Masai thrown his spear at tourist who happily clicking away, and the spear pierced thru the metal roof of his jeep. Of course at tourists spots, there are Masai "professional models" that would be happy to pose for you for some money (it was 1USD 10 years ago when I was there).

 

[zyijia]

Hey victor,

my suggestion is to fly to nairobi first and get the package there. it's cheaper. cheapest way to nairobi jomo kenyatta airport is a transit from sg->bkk->nai.

but be warned the flight from bkk to kenya is kenya airways. one of the top ten most dangerous airlines. haha. another route is sg->doha->nai. qatar airways. about $1.2k to $1.5k more ex, depending on season. it's always cheaper to go with friends (tipping and transport costs are shared)

ok. when you get there there are a couple of agencies that i can recommend. i'll pm them to you separately because i cannot remember the agency contact, only the person's handphone number.

kenya has 2 main nature reserves. masai mara and lake nakuru. both are very beautiful places. just wiki them to find out more. one thing i missed which you may wish to explore is the Serengeti in tanzania. it's actually just across a river from masai mara. so it's another reserve worth exploring.

with regard to the "professional models" ziploc mentioned. they're next to masai mara. it's 15usd to enter the village to take photos and stuff now. that's still quite ok. but when they invite you into their homes(part of the tour of the village) remember DO NOT BUY FROM THEM!!! their good are bloody expensive. and they'll wear it on you so it's very hard to say no in the situation. but stick to your wallet and say NO. because they charge about 10 times the market rate of the street vendors and souvenir shops(which can also be brought down by at least 50%)

oh, and i spent about $450 usd for my 4D3N in the 2 locations. masai mara i stayed at the Mara sopa(4 star) and lake nakuru i stay at sarova lions hill(5 star). but there were 16 of us. so it was cheaper. including tips and all to the guide(who was the driver and the porter and the mini bodyguard) about 500usd. air tickets i cannot remember because sia and kenya airlines gave us subsidized rates for our project.

 

[nemesis32]

Hi Zyijia

Sounds like you have a good time. If i am not wrong the Masai Mara-Serengeti annual migration is around Sept so you may want to plan your trip next year around that time. I would love to join you if i have the time next year. Please share with us some of the wonderful photos that you have taken during the trip. Cheers!