Perth to Mauritius to Nairobi is the shortest and fastest route. Mauritius Airlines from Perth 7.5 hour flight, 2 hour layover in Mauritius where I had to go through the rigamarole of immigration and customs and security and get a Boarding pass because they do not have a Transit procedure, only one counter, very slow and annoying. Next Kenya Airways to Nairobi 3 hour flight, the trip was booked through Kenya Airways. Both airlines were good no complaints.

Arrived in Nairobi at 2240, long queue at Immigration, they have a seperate queue for UN personnel and later I saw that the UN has its own little town within Nairobi with their own red vehicle number plates. This is the biggest UN base in Africa. After picking up my luggage I withdrew some cash from an Absa bank ATM where there is a 6.5% markup, a very poor exchange rate and an ATM fee, can’t get ripped off any more thoroughly. I was told later the cheapest way is to bring US$ and go to a Money changer of which there are many, do not change money at the banks they are a rip-off.

Next to the Safaricom Shop which is just outside the Airport exit on the right where I bought a SIM card with 8GB data plus minutes and SMS, cost Ksh 1,100 started working immediately, the staff are fast and efficient. It was pouring with rain, Uber to my hotel in the city area was Ksh 1,400. There is a Toll road that will cost 300 and if you ask the driver to use it which is recommended during the day due to the traffic, you will have to pay the Toll charges. At midnight the roads were deserted.

When I checked into the hotel the Booking.com price was in US$, they used an Absa portabe ATM and it would only let me pay in Australian dollars not US$ using their conversion rate which was about 20% more than the going rate so I said I will pay the official Mastercard rate as shown on their website and I will pay in KSh, remember this or you will get ripped-off again. You will also get charged a 3% bank fee on top of you bill, this is standard in Kenya. I only had a day in Nairobi before I went on a Safari to the Masai Mara.

I booked a private 3 day Safari to the Masai Mara National Park through Balu Travel (Morris Mutiso). I found him through Safari Bookings, a very useful website. Cost of the 2 night 3 day tour included a private Safari Van and a driver and accommodation at the Sarova Mara Game Camp, a luxury tent resort inside the National Park. Cost US$850 plus 3% bank fee of  US$25.50. You have to pay 50% at the time of booking. I also went on a tour of the Masai Village US$20 and I gave the Driver a US$30 tip which I was told later was double the normal tip hahaha. I would rather give directly to someone than to Charitable organisations where 80% of donations are swallowed up by the Administration. The driver also did not tell me he had 4 children and one of them had Downs syndrome, one of the many stories I have heard over the years, told to boost the tip.

Day 1 starts with a pickup at 0700 and then a 5 hour drive from Nairobi to the National Park stopping once at the Rift Valley Lookout / Souvenir shop and another Souvenir shop stop later. They both have clean toilets. Check-in and lunch then a rest and out at 1500 for a drive around the park, we saw many deer and a few lions. There are usually about 7-8 vehicles roaming around and once one of the drivers spots the lions or anything else interesting he radios all the others and everyone heads to that spot. It started to rain and we saw some sorry looking drenched lions, headed back at 1800.

Day 2 – Masai Mara NP – Breakfast and left at 0730 and returned at 1645, the earlier you leave the more chance you will have of seeing animals. As the day gets hotter they disappear into the bush and come out again when it is cooler. The camp gave us a packed lunch.

Day 3 – left at 0800 and a short drive to a Masai village, they did a welcoming dance and showed me the inside of their guest house and invited me to stay the night free of charge. They also made a fire using a stick. After that to their souvenir shops to spend some money, which I did not, they wanted KSh 2000 for a fridge magnet and came down to 500, the same thing is available in Nairobi for 150 hahaha. Stopped at the same two places on the way back.

The advertisements for Masai Mara National Park Safaris will tell you that you are going to see the Big FIVE ie. Lion, Elephant, Hippo, Rhino and Leopard but there was no sign of any Rhino or Leopards. I do not think there are any in this park or we would have seen them.

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