Intrepid East Africa Highlights: Days 1-3 Masai Mara, Kenya
This post is part of a series about Intrepid East Africa Highlights. Read more here.
Traveling to Masai Mara and Serengeti
I chose to visit Kenya and Tanzania with Intrepid because it’s been on my bucket list for a long time. The safaris are extremely expensive and logistically difficult without a group tour package because of the long travel distances and lack of tourist infrastructure. I narrowed my choices down to Intrepid and G Adventures and ended up with Intrepid because of their price and schedule.
The 10 day East Africa Highlights tour from Intrepid combines a mix of cultural experiences with safaris at a reasonable price, inclusive of everything including park entry fees, almost all meals, and transport. The tour is an Intrepid “Original” style tour which means basic but clean private rooms and tents, shared 4x4 safari trucks, and a group leader who also serves as the main guide for the group.
There is an extended version of this trip called East Africa Safari & Coast with 3 extra unguided days at the end for Zanzibar with flights, accommodations, and a walking tour of Stonetown included as well.
I had a great time with Intrepid and definitely recommend the company as well as this tour package but keep reading to see if this tour is right for you.
If you’re reading this, chances are, you are interested in this Intrepid tour. A little “hack” I found is that all Intrepid tours cost 10-15% less if you pay in Australian dollars vs. US dollars and up to 20-25% less vs. Euros or British Pounds. On the bottom of their page, choose Australia as your country and you can compare the difference. No promo codes or discounts needed! The tours also have some last minute discounts starting 50 days before the tour..
Other Helpful Information
Trip Cost
I paid ~$3800 USD about a month before the tour using the $AUD trick mentioned above. I also paid another $600 USD for the single supplement. There are many add-ons such as the balloon safaris in Masai Mara or Serengeti, elephant cave trek, etc. but all those can be arranged once you meet your group leader. The hot air balloons are quite a bit cheaper if you pay directly, $599 USD for Serengeti or $800 USD if paid to Intrepid ahead of time. It seems like the balloon rides are not hard to secure a few days beforehand and it also gives you a chance to peek at the weather forecast when making your choice as well.
Tipping
I came very prepared when it comes to cash on this trip but most people in the group struggled to make their cash last the duration of the trip. Suggested tips range from $3 USD for the lodging and activities such as the village visits, to about $5 per day for the drivers and group leaders. While I personally felt that our group was a bit overgenerous with the tipping, our drivers and group leader definitely deserved every dollar. I ended up giving out about $300 USD in tips in total.
Cash and ATMs
ATM access is only available in bigger towns and the bank fees are extremely high. To take out $100 USD worth of Kenyan or Tanzanian Shillings, it costs about $8-12 USD in ATM withdraw fees in addition to 3-5% conversion fees charged by the ATM or your bank. We couldn’t rely on credit cards because the network or machine would be out of service on many separate occasions, even in the hotels and lodges. Most street vendors and activities don’t have enough change to break big bills should you decide to buy something so make sure to bring and keep some small bills as well.
Even worse, the exchange rates were terrible between African currencies with a loss of about 20-25% between Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, or South Africa. The trick is to convert to USD at a bank before leaving a country and from USD to the other after arriving. It may be better to just leave your driver and group leader with the rest of your African currency at the end of your the trip since they can make use of it pretty easily.
Baggage Limits
Officially, the Intrepid tour allows 1 large soft bag per person with a weight limit of 20kg but it didn’t seem to be strictly enforced. Both trucks were completely packed with baggage during our trip and some people were on extended trips carrying 2 bags. I personally chose to leave my large suitcase in Nairobi and brought only my smaller 55L duffel bag.
Packing List
Intrepid’s pre-trip documents included a packing list that I found pretty helpful with little things such as plug adapters and mosquito repellents. Definitely take a look.
Visas
The single entry e-visa for Kenya is $50 USD for most countries and $50 USD for Tanzania. The single entry Kenya visa is also valid for a second entry when returning from East African countries such as Uganda or Tanzania. US citizens can only pay for a multiple entry visa for Tanzania for $100 USD. The Kenya e-visa is almost instant whereas the Tanzania e-visa takes about 1-2 weeks and can also be obtained on arrival at the border.
There are third party e-visa websites only that charge 2-3x the official rate so make sure you use the official government websites for Kenya e-visa and Tanzania e-visa.
Vaccinations
You will need a yellow fever vaccination certificate when crossing from Kenya to Tanzania. The shot costs about $250-400 USD in the US through private travel clinics but the best price is usually at your local Costco pharmacy. Other optional vaccinations including rabies, cholera, and typhoid might be helpful as well. If you have plans to travel to Bangkok, the Mahidol University Thai Travel Clinic offers yellow fever shots for only $65 USD and rabies at $8 USD per shot. If you don’t have time, you can also get the yellow fever vaccine at the Tanzania border crossing although it is too late to offer any protection against mosquitoes you might come in contact with on the trip.
Travel Medication
Masai Mara and Serengeti are places where malaria exists so speak with your doctor. I purchased Malarone in Thailand from Thai Travel Clinic for about $5 USD per pill per day but they are significantly cheaper in Kenya in the local pharmacies. The regiment needs to be started 2 days before travel to malaria infected areas and continued until 7 days after leaving. The alternative is using the more common antibiotic Doxycycline but that has stronger side effects and needs to be continued for 30 days after. My travel doctor said that there is about a 3-5% chance of malaria infection and personally the cost and minimal side effects of Malarone is worth it for an extra peace of mind.
Day 1: Meeting My Travel Group for the First Time
Checking In
The group tour starts in Nairobi where we checked into Hotel Boulevard near the city center. I had arrived 3 days earlier to rest, visit the Giraffe Conservation Center, eat some local food, and give myself ample time to prepare for the upcoming trip. Everyone had different flight and travel arrangements so the first day was basically to gather everyone together and leave bright and early the next day.
In terms of the hotel itself, Hotel Boulevard definitely has seen better days as one of the first 5 star hotels with a pool in Nairobi back in the 1970s. The rich and famous would stay here on their way to safaris while the elites of Nairobi would dine and socialize at the restaurant and bar in the hotel. The bed is quite comfortable but the rest of the room is basic and reminds me of Best Western motels, functional but not luxurious by any means. The price seems to be about $50-80 USD per night.
Hotel Boulevard Nairobi
We started our group tour with a 6PM meeting in one of the meeting rooms in the hotel. Our group is incredibly diverse and as our tour group members met each other for the first time, a slim and tall Kenyan man walked into the meeting room and introduced himself as Joseph with a warm smile. We went through all the logistical necessities such as travel and medical insurance, visas, and an overview of the trip. We also went through a few optional add-ons such as the hot air balloon rides that need to be reserved in advance. This is pretty standard across most group tours and shouldn’t really be a surprise to anyone. He then told us that he was a warrior from the Masaai tribe of Kenya and that he would be dressed in traditional tribes clothing with a machete while visiting the local tribes and in Masai Mara.
Our group then went for dinner in the restaurant in the hotel together. This was one of the only a la carte meals we had the whole trip and the pizza and wine I had was actually somewhat decent. There isn’t much within walking distance of the hotel and it seems venturing outside our accommodation is discouraged for most of the trip as well.
Our Tour Group Members
Car 1 (my car)
Pauline - retired teacher from New Zealand, the oldest in our group at 78 years young and calls me Chris all the time
Pieter - avid birder and experienced safari goer from Australia, used to be a sniper in the army before retiring as a veterinarian
Becca - really caring criminal justice worker from Australia, spotted many big cats for us
Dave - cheeky electrician from Australia, partner of Becca who proposed during the Serengeti hot air balloon ride
Me - unofficial USD change distributor and wildlife photographer
Car 2
Irina - animal enthusiast, social justice champion, and encyclopedia of knowledge from Costa Rica
Fraid - retired emergency room doctor, Afghani American with an incredibly interesting background
Karin - lawyer from Germany, when she says something is alright, it means its pretty good!
Sandy - retired nurse from Canada who went on quite a few medical aid trips to provide care to underserved communities around the world
Tall Molly - public safety officer from Australia, friend of the other Molly and deliverer of dry Aussie humor
Other Molly - nurse from Australia, friend of the other Molly and another deliverer of dry Aussie humor
About Our Group Leader Joseph and the Maasai People
I had read about Joseph in the reviews on Intrepid’s site and he’s every bit as interesting as a tribesman and as a group leader. He grew up in a large Masaai family of 78 siblings where his father has 10 wives. His father has thousands of cattle, numerous buildings, and a very sharp machete to protect himself. From when he was a child, he learned to wield a machete and helped his family herd cattle. He was one of the few in his family to attend school and went onto attend university in Nairobi, eventually becoming a safari truck driver and then a tour guide. He has been through warrior hood development where groups of teens would live out in the wilderness to fend themselves, practice spearing and defending against animals, and ends with circumcision and a big celebration. He has killed a lion while defending himself and a family member although it is very rare these days for anyone to do so.
Strength and resilience is built into every aspect of the Maasai culture. Joseph told us that Masaai people do not cry because when they are babies, their mothers would cut slits on their cheeks when they cry and that pain from the salty tears would teach them to be tough. During their circumcision, they also cannot express any pain or else they would shame their family. There is no space for emotions and feelings in the Maasai culture as marriages and family are bound by the need to herd more cattle and produce more food. The traditional bridal dowery is 3 cattle and a sheep and by having more wives and more kids, the husband can have more manpower to graze more cattle and gain even more wealth.
Family seems to be an interesting concept for the Maasai. Joseph mentioned that he doesn’t know his father too well, and it makes sense that with almost 80 kids it’s hard to give individual attention. The brothers will all try to help each other out when needed, and if a brother earns more, he is expected to share and take care of the rest of the family as well. Likewise, if a brother does not have enough dowery, his brothers would pool together resources to help out.
The Maasai are also known to be amazing runners and jumpers who had to cover the vast distances of the grassy homeland and they are closely related to the Kalenjin people who are the undisputed champions of marathon running. The Maasai tribal dances often involve men jumping and whoever jumps higher is deemed more attractive for the ladies.
Times are changing for the Maasai and people of Kenya. The traditional homeland of the Maasai people have been turned into Masaai Mara or subdivided amongst the community following the passing of their new constitution. Many landowners near Masaai Mara collectively lease their land together to conservancies for lodges to operate within. It is no longer possible to be semi-nomadic and graze thousands cattle where there are fertile grounds because most land are private and fenced off. More kids are attending schools because it provides them with better opportunities. The days of having 10 wives are numbered as well because there are more opportunities for women and traditional ways of living no longer bring enough income to support such large families.
Day 2: Helen, Masaai Widows, and the Tepesua Village
We had breakfast bright and early, with our departure time at 7 AM to beat the traffic. The breakfast consisted of pretty standard hotel offerings such as bacon, sausage, egg, toast, juice, and coffee. Waking up early is another theme to get used to on this trip because mornings are for safari drives. Our travel time is about 5 hours to the Tepesua Village, about an hour in Nairobi traffic exiting the city, another hour on dirt roads while the main highway is being upgraded, and then on rural paved roads with huge potholes and chunks of roads missing.
The Safari Trucks
We saw our rides for the first time in the morning. The safari “Jeeps” are actually Toyota Land Cruiser trucks modified into covered safari vehicles. There’s an outfitter based in Kenya that imports the Land Cruiser chassis and then installs the seats and reworks the body to create the passenger compartment in the back. I thought we would be riding in open air vehicles but these were actually much better fitted for the long trips over land because of the insane amount of dust, mud, and rain. The roof pops open to allow for open air viewing without stepping out of the vehicle. Our group was 13 guests in total so we split into 2 cars, with 6 in mine and 7 in the other for the remainder of the trip.
Joseph, our Intrepid group leader, in traditional Masaai attire in front of our safari trucks
Beckie - Kenya’s First Safari Truck Driver
Beckie Kieha was our driver for the Kenya portion of the trip and she has an incredible story herself. I sat in the front seat for the first day and we chatted the entire way. She told me she was a single mother of 3, one of whom she adopted because both parents who were her friends passed away from AIDS. She has been driving with Intrepid for 10 years despite the gender discrimination she faced early on in her career. It has been a childhood dream come true to drive trucks for a living. Her job with Intrepid allowed her to put both kids through school and secure jobs for them in Nairobi. Her specialty is actually driving the large overland trucks that carry 20+ passengers, the ones that Intrepid runs from Kenya and Tanzania through Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, all the way to South Africa.
Joseph, our group leader, with Beckie, our driver
Her nickname is Mama Overland and it really showed in how she took care of us. She made sure our water bottles were always filled and that we got the best views of the animals at every turn. She’s big champion of Intrepid and sang the Jambo Bwana song to welcome us on the safari trip when we got to camp. She also drove the newer truck out of the two in Kenya and secured us the better truck and more experienced driver when we crossed into Tanzania and swapped for Tanzania registered drivers and trucks.
Great Rift Valley Viewpoint and Supermarket Stop
Great Rift Valley viewpoint from Kenya
We had a quick bathroom break at a rest stop on the way. While there wasn’t too much to see, it is part of rift from the tectonic plates going all the way from Djibouti and Ethiopia down to Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. There are a bunch of gift shops and the shop owners are mostly friendly with no pressure to buy.
We also made a stop in Narok at the supermarket to pick up snacks and any other necessities for the trip. We were also asked to purchase water bottles to refill for the trip. The water bottle felt quite unnecessary because all the hotels and camps have small bottled water in the rooms. We could have reused one of those instead of buying a bottle just to refill for this tour. Both safari trucks carried water and we can ask for extra water during any rest stop.
Outside the supermarket, we were swarmed by vendors selling everything from bracelets to hats to paintings. They were pretty aggressive and definitely guilt tripped us when they brought up that their babies need food and they have a family to support. These were very experienced sales professionals and knew every trick in the book to get tourist money. On one hand, it doesn’t cost much for visitors to buy a little bit of something, but on the other hand it does add up and our luggage space is limited. Many of the goods aren’t quality either so it feels like a trap unfortunately.
Helen Nkuraiya and the Tepesua Village Visit
As part of the positive community impact that Intrepid champions in their tours, we visited a village started by a Kenyan woman named Helen Nkuraiya for widows in the Maasai community. The Tepesua Village provides shelter for widows and provides them with textile and bead work so they can make their own living. Most of the widows were victims of child marriages and genital mutilation. Without formal education, they have very few employment opportunities in the area.
Women are traditionally married off as young teenagers, with the dowery paid to their parents as compensation for raising the girls. The girls often undergo female genital mutilation which leaves many prone to lifelong infections, some say to bring strength or resilience through pain while others think its to control their desires. The husbands could be 60 or 70 years old at the time of marriage, and pass away much earlier than the wives. The widows do not have inheritance rights and end up in the care of either the late husband’s brothers or back with her original family. In the case of Helen, she was remarried by her family when her first husband passed away for more cows until she ran away and a catholic nun rescued her, giving her a chance at completing her education.
We had a warrior’s welcome with some jumping and chanting as we entered the Tepesua Eco Camp side of the village. This area seems to be constructed for western comfort and the toilets and restaurant areas were nicely furnished. Our lunch here consisted of stewed lamb, chickpeas, and some grains. The older teens in the village who spoke English are responsible for hospitality while a few widows were cooks.
We then entered the living village portion. The men in our tour group were greeted by the warriors and lead into the village first, and then the women in the group were welcomed by the women in the village. The kids in the village then come to pay their respects to the visitors and we acknowledge their greeting with a pat on their head.
The village consisted of a quite a few mud huts enclosed by a tall circular fence made of tree branches and straw. The huts were built with wood and then encased in a mixture of mud and cow dung while the roof is made of smaller sticks bundled together and waterproofed with dry cow dung and grass. There’s an inner compartment of the hut with the fire pit in the center that serves as a stove and heater and beds on both sides. The outer compartment a small seating area on the floor and an enclave for additional storage. We were told they sometimes keep baby goats or cows indoors to protect them from predators and the rain.
We asked why they weren’t provided with more modern style accommodation and the answer was that many of the rescued widows preferred the traditional style homes. They understood how to build and repair them. Even though a wood burning fire inside the hut is known to cause cancer, the women preferred it because the smoke kept bugs away and is easier to cook when it rains outside. Gas stoves were not an option because it is logistically very costly to bring gas canisters in from the city so most villages rely on wood fires.
Intrepid provided the village with solar powered lights in the village and each of huts. They are also one of the only tour companies to consistently visit the village to provide them with a stable source of income. The village had widows young and old helping with bead making and other crafts. They sell everything they produce with the proceeds going directly to the woman who made the items. Some of the younger children of the widows are still with their mothers, while older ones are attending school nearby, and a few are now completing their college education and becoming doctors and teachers.
Our visit here lasted about 2 hours with lunch and it was a short drive to our camp where we stayed the next 2 nights.
Resian Mara Camp
Our first camp of the trip, Resian Mara Camp, is pretty basic and seems to go for around $80-100 USD a night on their official website. While there is running hot water and private bathrooms, the floor was cement with uneven paving stones that made the floor in the tent a minor tripping hazard. I had hot water issues my first night and didn’t want to make the trek all the way to reception to get help with the hot water. They fixed the issue the next day when I mentioned it. The bed was clean and comfortable. Masai Mara was a bit cold and rainy the 2 nights we were here and the thick blankets definitely did their trick. The tent also has its own lights and electrical plugs for charging your cameras and phones.
The camp had electric fences around the perimeter so we could freely walk the camp around as we pleased and there was almost too much space in between the communal areas of the camp and the tents. It was a good 5 minute walk from my tent to the main dining hall or reception. The only place with internet was the communal dining area so everyone gathered there at the end of the day to use internet.
Dinner was buffet style with stewed lamb, grilled fish, African spinach, rice, and bread. Wine and beer were also available for purchase and a glass was only $5 USD. Breakfast was a very simple egg, ham, toast, butter, and tea. I think of these meals as sustenance rather than culinary adventures because they’re probably meant to be filling, easy to prepare on a budget, and fitting for most dietary restrictions.
Overall, this camp did the job of giving us a place to sleep but it is nothing spectacular to write home about. It almost felt like they could have converted the tents into cabins for a bit more comfort.
Day 3: Masai Mara National Park Safari
We started bright and early and left camp by 7:30 AM so we can enter around 8 AM. The park entry fee is $200 USD per person per day during high season and it seems to count for the day until 6 PM. For the few in our group who opted for the Kenyan hot air balloon ride, the pick up for the Masai Mara hot air balloon is 4 AM and ends around 8 AM so we arrive just in time to pick up them up. Joseph advised us to do the Tanzanian one because it is a slightly better experience but costs a bit more as well. A few in our group did both balloon experiences and did not seem to regret it.
The entry procedures took about 15 minutes at the entrance and we were allowed to hop off the car to use the toilets. As with the rest of the trip, many locals swarmed us with trinkets, hats, and it became quite uncomfortable that we resorted to hiding inside our safari trucks.
As soon as we entered the park, wildlife was everywhere. We saw some jackals playing in the grass, herds of zebras, many giraffes, and tons of wildebeests. As a first time African safari visitor, I was in awe with the density of the animals in this park. Nowhere else in the world have I see so much wildlife roaming around freely.
The unpaved roads in the park are quite rough and full of potholes and rocks. With the rain the night before, many parts of the roads turned into muddy puddles that were slippery, even for the off-road 4x4 trucks we have. It seemed like every truck was looking for big cats. Lions are the most abundant, cheetahs a bit more elusive, and leopards the hardest to find.
Joseph was on his phone constantly calling park rangers and other safari guides to see whether any spotting have been confirmed. It seems like there are many different information channels the guides use. Most of the parks rangers are Maasai and seem to only help Maasai guides - a few of the lion spotting were from rangers who Joseph spoke to on the phone. All the safari vehicles in the park are equipped with radios and there is constant chatter, sometimes to broadcast animal spotting, other times to ask for help. When we see safari trucks racing down the road, usually it's a sign something is happening as well. Often times Joseph would roll the window down and ask other trucks passing by what they have seen.
Mid-morning we finally got our first big cat. All the safari trucks in the area rushed to the leopard sighting that there must have been at least 40 trucks congregated in that area alone. We barely had a glimpse of the leopard until it ran into the bushes. After that, we saw a pride of lions with its cubs feasting on a warthog, a serval hunting, and a male lion in watching prey on a hill, all before lunch time.
Joseph tried to look for a more unique picnic spot for us under one of the many acacia trees but because of the rain, the usual spots were muddy. We ended up going to a rest stop in the park and ate packed lunches prepared by Resian Camp that consisted of a piece of chicken, tomato sandwich, fruit, cake, chips, yogurt, and some fruit juice. Everyone was hungry at that point so we didn’t mind the dry chicken or bland sandwich. We just needed some sustenance and the carb heavy diet definitely helped. The fun part was the giant storks that were waiting to forage and steal food from us.
After lunch, we visited the nearby Maras River where the hippos and crocodiles await. We narrowly missed the Great Migration even though it was October because of climate change and shifting weather patterns. The animals that would have crossed to Tanzania during this time are confused as to where they should be because there is plenty of green grass on the Kenyan side of the ecosystem. Many left Kenya early and are already on the Tanzanian side as well.
Masai Mara and Serengeti wildebeest migration pattern
We stopped by the invisible border separating Masai Mara, Kenya with Serengeti, Tanzania. There are roads connecting Masai Mara with Serengeti but because of the broken diplomatic relationship between Kenya and Tanzania, border crossings in the park have not been. In addition, Tanzania registered safari trucks are not allowed inside Masai Mara and vice versa for Kenya registered trucks in Serengeti. It is very unfortunate because the border crossing as I have learned adds about 2 days worth of unnecessary travel and a lot of extra cost for travelers that get bundled into the tour package.
Our Intrepid tour group with our drivers and group leader
After a quick visit to the border, we continue back into Masai Mara for our game drives. By afternoon, most big cats are already resting and relaxing so there isn’t as much to see anymore. Because of conservation, many of the animals such as zebras and gazelles actually prefer to be grazing midday near the roads because the roads are heavily trafficked during the day. This makes herd spotting much easier for us visitors.
As we headed to the hills, we also saw the massive herds of wildebeests that would have been crossing the river around this time of year. All the black dots in the distance are wildebeests.
Herds of wildebeests in the distance
As we moved through the park, we were tipped off by another driver that there’s a small pride of lions hanging out nearby so we raced over to have a look. There were about 6 cats just laying in the grass and enjoying their time hanging around the many safari trucks that gathered to watch them. They were as comfortable watching us as we were watching them. Lions are actually not aggressive towards humans and only attack when threatened. Hippos are much more likely to attack and kill humans.
The official etiquette for safari vehicles is to spend maximum 5 minutes at each animal gathering and with at most 5 other trucks but that rule is rarely followed. Joseph told us that because of the high prices clients pay and the expectations of tips, most guides push the rules and limitations and it creates a subpar viewing experience for everyone involved. We encountered too many safari vehicles chasing the same thing and we were fortunate to get early alerts of sightings to beat the crowds. As we were leaving, we saw at least 15 other trucks racing to this area.
The interesting thing about big cats is that they seem to behave just like household cats. They have their favorite trees and enjoy hills where they have a view of everything below. A few of these spots have been added to Google Maps as well and there definitely is a pattern of places they hang out at. I had a decent 4G connection the entire time in Masai Mara and it was interesting seeing where we were on the map chasing animals in circles.
leopard in the top left and impala center right
We encountered another leopard, this time with its prey hoisted up the tree. This seems like common leopard behavior and a ranger was guarding the leopard so the safari trucks wouldn’t get closer and endanger everyone. We couldn’t get close enough to actually see the leopard or the impala with our naked eyes but with the help of zoom on my camera, I caught a small glimpse. Sometimes it takes a bit of imagination as well. Leopards like to ambush and if we get too close, they might jump off to attack and protect their dinner.
As we drove away, a woman in our car spotted some lions in the distance relaxing. At this point, it was late afternoon and definitely nap time for the cats. Rain was also coming in the distance and it was time for us to exit the park and head back to camp. We had an unusually good sighting of around 15 lions, 2 leopards, a serval, a few jackals, and numerous birds.
Rain in the distance in Masai Mara
Dinner was served a bit earlier as we have a very early morning the next day. We gave our bittersweet thanks to our drivers who will be leaving us at the border crossing the next day.
Full moon at the Resian Mara Camp
Day 4: Crossing Masai Marai and Maras Triangle into Tanzania through Isibania-Siari Border Crossing
The beginning of the longest travel day in this tour started at 5:30 AM where we headed to the park to enter right at 6 AM when it opens. The interesting and unfortunate part of this itinerary going through the border crossing near Lake Victoria is that we have to pay another $200 per day in park fee for the second day at Masai Mara even though we enter the park at 6 AM and leave by 8 AM. It is the closest road to the border crossing on the East side and avoids an extra 3-5 hours of travel if going around the park instead of through it. The total travel time including the border crossing was about 11 hours to reach our Lake Victoria hotel, and about 5 hours to the border crossing. Our Kenyan drivers also have to return to Nairobi so it is another 6-8 hours back for them.
The fortunate part is that early morning means more animal sightings. It was a mad dash through the park and stopping only to see animals and nothing else. We were fortunate to come across a cheetah on the side of the road as the hot air balloons started taking off in the distance as well as a pack of hyenas scavenging over a carcass. Unfortunately, there were park rangers nearby so we couldn’t get close enough to investigate what they were eating.
We crossed the Maras River one last time and entered the Maras Triangle, one of the private conservancies outside Masai Mara. Although the Maras Triangle didn’t have much wildlife, many luxury camps and hotels were in this area because it is quiet and remote. There is a road access fee to cross here and we stopped outside briefly for the bathroom when Joseph took care of the payment and paperwork. As we waited, we saw a baboon in the tree as well as some hippos and crocodiles in the water nearby.
After the Maras Conservancy, the roads get progressively worse. To call them roads is a bit of a stretch since they are basically unmaintained dirt that happens to have cars traversing on them. There were also large trucks carrying all sorts of cargo sharing dirt roads with sheep and cattle. We were going very slowly through this area and what could have been a 20 minute drive on paved road took about an hour.
There were quite a few beggars in the border town and some of them were very aggressive and reached inside the safari truck to ask for money. We ended up shutting all the windows as we drove through the town. The Kenya side is very run down while the Tanzania side is much better.
dirt roads outside Isibania
We reached the border crossing at around 10:30 AM and completed the crossing around 12 PM. All the paperwork is completed inside the same building, with one half providing the exit stamp for Kenya and the other half checking the entry visa for Tanzania. Another officer stood guard at the door to check everyone’s yellow fever vaccine as well as logging the tour company and group leader for each visitor. Joseph had other documentation to process and his papers didn’t finish for another half hour after all of us got through customs. There was also a currency exchange at the crossing but the exchange rates not amazing. A handful of other safari trucks also arrived around the same time and crossed with us, but overall this route seems sparsely used due to the long travel time, high cost of park and conservancy fees, and bad road conditions. We weren’t allowed any photos in the customs and border control area unfortunately.
Closing Thoughts - Days 1-3
Even though the travel days were long, the safari in Masai Mara was amazing and so was the cultural aspect of the Masaai village visit and the company of our own Masaai warrior and group leader Joseph. I really enjoyed everyone on the tour, especially those in my car. It was a great choice for a solo trip but I do think families and couples may want something a bit more relaxing, private, and less intensive.
If I were to only visit Masai Mara and wanted something a bit more comfortable, there are flights from Wilson Airport in Nairobi to one of the few airstrips near Masai Mara that cuts the travel time down to an hour. There are also many other camps in the Masai Mara area that are a bit nicer and only marginally more expensive to stay in. With the group size Intrepid operates at, it’s probably logistically very challenging to arrange flights and book more upmarket accommodations though.
Out of the first 3 days, we spent only 1.5 days actually sightseeing - 2 hours at the Maasai village with Helen, a full day on the Masai Mara safari, and another 2 hours of game drive while traveling to the border. The next 2 days, day 4-5, would be an entire 2 days of driving to Lake Victoria and then to Serengeti camp on very bumpy roads with minimal wildlife viewing. A much less intense way of reaching Serengeti would be to fly back to Nairobi, cross into Tanzania flying into Arusha, and then to an airstrip inside Serengeti, something that would take the better part of a day instead of almost 2 full days. There doesn’t seem to be any easy way to combine Masai Mara and Serengeti, and the wiser choice might be to pick one to focus on instead of visiting both in one trip.
This post is part of a series about Intrepid East Africa Highlights. Read more here.