Masai Mara National Park (Kenya)

Advantages: learning about an amazing culture/stunning scenery/up close with the animals
Disadvantages: food and drink where we were staying was not inclusive so rather expensive

I travelled to the Mara as a part of a seven day safari. I stayed at the Serena lodge for one night and spent two fantastic days here. The beauty of the Maasai Mara is the abundance of wildlife, we went on four game drives and were not disappointed once. Here in the space of two days we marvelled at lions, lion cubs and lionesses (one would have been enough for me - I was thrilled!) we watched them view "their" territory early in the morning and ...
...many other wonderful animals such as a cheetah and her cubs,a leopard, meercats,hyenas, zebras, wilderbeast and many many more. The photographic opportunities were surreal, really stunning shots! We saw the sun set over the Acacia trees as we finished our game drives - a truly african experience. We were taken to the mara river where we saw crocodile and hippo. all this in two days! We were also treated to a visit to one of the local Maasai ... Read review

Advantages: Once in a life time experince. Magic destination. Luxury accomodaton
Disadvantages: Cost,

Key points Medical Issues:- It is strongly recommended to see you GP at least 4 weeks before travel. ( 2 weeks at a push). You will have to be immunised against Yellow Fever ( around £45), along with all the standard immunisations (Hepatitis A, Typhoid, etc) Anti malarial should be taken at all time. The best ones on the market at the moment are called Malarone. They happen to be the most expensive (around £70 for a 2 week holiday) but there the ...
...peak time in our summer time. In kenya however it is their winter and the coldest time of thew year. It is still very warm during the day. In the Mara however besure to take warm clothes as in the early mornings and at night, it can get very cold. What to expect:- You can plausibly say that after a few days in the Mara you will see the Hunters Big 5 ( African Elephant, Water Buffalo, Lion, Leopard and Rhino). Not to mention Maasai giraffes, Impala, ... Read review

Advantages: Once in a lifetime
Disadvantages: No hot water !

I am not your typical Ciao reviewer, as the really long winded reviews bore me a little. So I find it easier just to tell you how it is with a few helpful pointers. I had planned a safari into my travels in 1998, but hadn't booked anything until we actually got into Nairobi. A bit of a scary place if you arrive with a backpack on and have no idea where you are going. Anyway we booked into a hotel and went for a wonder around the city. You must be ...
...on getting mobbed by touts trying to sell you their safaris, obviously on a commission. All you have to do is use your instinctives and go for one that you feel comfortable with. We were very picky and finally chose to go with this guy called Charlie who showed us a brochure and lead us into the tour operators office. The operatour was very helpful and gave us all the information that we required and offered us the right safari for our budget. Now ... Read review

Advantages: Stunning scenery, amazing wildlife, holiday of a lifetime
Disadvantages: cold mornings and evenings, very early mornings, unsafe food and water

...our trip was a the Masai Mara national park. We rose early every morning (you are must likely to see animals at dusk and sunrise)and set out in our safari van. Our guide was friendly, cheerful and extremely informative. He knew where to go to find the best wildlife and also knew how close we could get - one time he had to make a quick get-a-way from a herd of angry male elephant. It is so crucial that you feel 100% secure when you are out there, ...
...video camera or even tape recorder to secure that the stunning scenery, wildlife and sounds are captured indelibly. Another tip is take warm clothing - Kenya may be extremely hot in the middle of the day, but at night and early morning it can get very chilly! This really is a holiday of a lifetime. Once you see this kind of scenery once, you'll be hooked. I promise you. ... Read review

Advantages: An experience of a life time
Disadvantages: Long times spent bumping on unmade roads, getting covered in dust, so be prepared

As part of a recent Safari holiday in Kenya, six of us travelled with Somak Holidays for two and a half days at The Mara Simba Lodge. Its well bumping down all those Kenyan dirt tracks for hours to get to the Mara. The Simba Lodge is a recently built lodge on the edge of The Mara, it sits in among the trees created from local materials along the edge of the river bank. The communal areas are all open sided and overlook the river where crocodile ...
...the bar each night with a couple of musicians playing. Rooms were great, very clean and spacious, food, wine and service were also to be recommended. We went on two game drives each day, and our wonderful driver found us all the Big Five managing to jostle us in to good positions for wonderful photos. The most exciting time we had was on a sunrise hot air balloon safari,leaving our lodge at 5.15am to join up with the balloon and crew at Keekorok. ... Read review

Advantages: Fabulous views ,lots of wildlife, rewarding
Disadvantages: Hard work, primitive, fairly expensive

...Mt Kenya national park is less famous than the Masai Mara or Kilimanjaro but has everything the adventurous spirit could want. The mountain itself is the main draw for most people but the park itself has plenty of wildlife and is much less crowded than the big game parks. The climb up and back takes 5-6 days and is pretty strenuous. Most nights there are huts to stay in but camping is necessary on some routes. Listening at night in your tent to a herd of buffalo grazing a few metres away is an unforgettable experience ! It is more or less compulsory to take a guide and porter - you won't want to cook your own food or put up your tent anyway. Amateur climbers can reach Lenana point, just short of 5,000 metres.... Read review

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