In a nutshell
- Less than 4 days in total: the flight is worth it for the Masai Mara, because the road can take most of a day each way.
- 5 days or more, or a tight budget: the road is reasonable, and the journey is part of the trip.
- Amboseli: the road is shorter (about 4 hours); the flight is only useful with very little time.
- Tsavo: you go by road from the coast or by train to Voi; flying is not the usual choice.
Durations and costs found
| Route | By road | By bush plane |
|---|---|---|
| Nairobi - Masai Mara | about 5 to 7 hours, the last two on a bumpy track | about 45 minutes to 1 hour from Wilson |
| Nairobi - Amboseli | about 4 hours | under an hour |
| Mombasa - Tsavo East (Voi gate) | about 2.5 hours | flight not usual |
For the Masai Mara, guides quote about USD 130 to 250 one way per person, and about USD 300 to 450 return, taxes included, depending on the season. This is an order of magnitude: prices are not always published and vary with the season and availability. By road, transport is usually included in the price of an organised safari. See also the travel budget for Kenya.
Comfort and pitfalls of the road
The road is an experience in itself, with Rift Valley scenery and stops in villages, but it is long. The last kilometres before the Mara gates (Sekenani, Talek) are on a gravel track, dusty and bumpy, and you drive them on top of the hours of tarmac from Nairobi. On a three-day trip, this journey can take most of two days of game viewing. A good 4x4 is more comfortable than a minibus. Roads during the rains can be in very poor condition.
Bush plane: what to know
- Flights leave from Wilson airfield, not from JKIA international airport: allow for the trip between the two, by taxi or Uber. See Nairobi airport and the city centre.
- The planes are small and luggage is limited, usually to around fifteen kilos in a soft bag: ask the airline for the exact limit before packing.
- The flight may make several stops on bush airstrips, which adds time. Schedules depend on the weather.
- The airlines named by guides are Safarilink, Air Kenya and Fly540; compare their fares and schedules on their websites or through your agency.
- The flight lets you land a few minutes from camp, which is not the case for every park: check the airstrip closest to your accommodation.
Mixing the two
Many travellers fly out and come back by road (or the other way round) to see the landscape once without losing two days. For a full itinerary, see Kenya in 10 days. To choose between two parks, see Masai Mara or Amboseli. For the coast, the Nairobi-Mombasa SGR train is an alternative to flying.
What to choose
First fix your budget and the number of days: if every game-viewing day counts, fly; if you have time, drive and keep the money for a nicer lodge. In every case, ask the agency what is included (transfers, entry fee, flight) and keep a time margin for delays.
