How to get to Maasai mara
How to get to Maasai mara : Most safari adventures to Masai Mara national reserve start off in Nairobi with flight at Jomo Kenyatta International airport, from this point its up to you as a tourist to decide to use an adventurous road trip or a domestic flight to get to Maasai Mara national reserve. Using road transport is an adventurous retreat on which you should be ready to deal with a few bump roads along the way whilst air transfer is the easy and quickest way to get to the reserve, domestic flights are operated from Wilson Airport to several airstrips serving the reserve.
Deciding on the best transport option to use to get to Maasai Mara national reserve is normally hard, good news is this article will provides information to help you decided the best way to get to Masai Mara national reserve, it highlights on the following topics
- By air
- By road
- Access gates to Masai Mara national reserve
- Entry fees to Maasai Mara national reserve
GETTING TO MASAI MARA BY AIR
International air travel
While getting to Masai Mara national reserve the recommended port of entry is Jomo Kenyatta International airport (NBO) in Nairobi, this airport serves as East Africa’s biggest hub with many convenient flight options available. Flight companies operating flights at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport include KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Air France, British Airways, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Kenya Airways, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways and Swiss all operating from a multitude of major airports around the world. There are also many regional flight options to neighboring countries and Southern African destinations available.
Domestic air travel
For tourists interested in flying to Masai Mara national reserve (Masai Mara fly-in safari), the favored route is by flying from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport on a short flight of between 45 and 60 minutes. In Maasai Mara national reserve there are several airstrips in and around Masai Mara handling flights into to and from the reserve.
The airstrip to fly to depends on where you are to stay during your Masai Safari, domestic and chartered flights to Masai Mara are operated by airlines such as SafariLink, AirKenya, among others. On arrival at the airport situated near your accommodation, a safari vehicle will be waiting to drive you to your safari lodge and along the way you will be able to spot several animals.
To get to Masai Mara national reserve by air, it is also possible to fly from Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania, there are also direct flights from the Kenyan Coast (Mombasa and Diani) and other national parks in Kenya such as Amboseli national park, Samburu national reserve, Tsavo East and West national park among others.
Major airstrips in Masai Mara national reserve include
- Keekorok airstrip
- Serena airstrip
- Musiara airstrip
- Mara North airstrip
- Ol Kiombo airstrip
GETTING TO MASAI MARA BY ROAD
Masai Mara drive-in safaris
Using road, the most common used way to get travel to Masai Mara national reserve is by booking guided drive-in safaris, these Kenya safaris start from Nairobi and allows you as a tourist to include several other destinations in Kenya on top of Masai Mara.
Extended classic Kenya safari itineraries usually include overstays in parks like Amboseli national park, Lake Nakuru national park among others.
Masai Mara self-drive safaris
Masai Mara self-drive safaris are not highly recommended because of the uncertainties which comes with it, however on these safaris THE Masai Mara is accessible when traveling by rental vehicle. A 4X4 vehicle is required to access all roads in Kenya and in Masai Mara national reserve.
Note: Careful planning is necessary when driving yourself , as Focus East Africa Tours we do not offer assistance to self driving tourists.
MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE GATES
Once you reach Masai Mara national reserve, there are several entry gates which are used to get into the reserve. As a tourist it is important to take correct gate into the reserve so as to save time while getting to your accommodation facility.
The five main gates leading into and out of Masai Mara national reserve are
- Sand River gate
- Talek gate
- Sekanani gate
- Musiara Gate
- Oloololo Gate.
Musiara Gate and Oloololo Gate are situated a bit further away taking an additional 30 minutes to reach in comparison to other gates of the reserve, all Masai Mara gates open at 06:00 am in the morning and close at 06:00 pm in the evening.
Masai Mara National Reserve Entry Fees
All visitors to Masai Mara national reserve are required to pay fees
International Tourists (Non-residents ) aged 12 years and above pay USD 80 per person per 24 hours, visitors staying at an accommodation inside the reserve pay USD 70 per person per 24 hours.
Children aged between 3 and 11 years pay USD 45 for those staying outside the reserve and USD 40 for those staying outside the reserve per 24 hours.
Children younger than 3 years are not required to pay park fees.
Note: when confirming you Masai Mara safari with Focus East Africa Tours, all park fees are included in your safari package.
Mara conservancies’ entry and conservation fees
Staying is one of the conservancies of Masai Mara, the rates differ from the Masai Mara national reserve. Mara conservancies rates range from US$ 80 and US$ 120 per person per day.
For instance, Olare Motorogi Conservancy charges US$ 100 per person per day.
Also when booking a safari and stay at staying at one of the Masai Conservancies, the rates are included in the safari packages.
Note: all the above rates and conditions are subject to change without notice.
