Kenya Safari | Awareness Post shared by a friend
A lot of us keep contemplating an African trip, and most of the times it seems way beyond our budgets. So we keep postponing it for later. It took me 4 years of yes / no / later to finally go for the Mara migration in August 2015. Unfortunately I was not on Safarist then so did the trip myself and it cost be 2200 USD for a 4x4 all to myself and a very decent stay for a 5 night / 6 day safari ex-Nairobi. I then went to Serengeti, Tanzania next year through a sharing trip on Safarist and it cost me 1500 USD only.
The trick is to negotiate and plan the travel well. Know the market. As my friend says "Picking a ground handler in Kenya who has good working relationships with nice camps is always important and is the first step (and often a difficult one given there are thousands of ground handlers in the region), and once that is in place, it is relatively easy to find a lodge/camp/hotel with fantastic hosts and great wildlife guides within your budget. For example, it is possible to do a 1 week bespoke safari (guided safaris are a different ballgame) to the wildlife capital of Kenya- Masai Mara, in well under 2000$ per person all the while using top notch 5-star luxury camps. Some examples are Sanctuary Olonana, Mara Intrepids, Tipilikwani Mara Camp, etc.
The key is to travel at the right time, to the right camp, and in the right location within the park. November-December, and April-June are periods of the year when it is possible to make full use of green season rates while still barely compromising on the wildlife experience you will have". Also monsoon is shifting in the Mara so often crossings start in June itself.
As of yesterday a deal from the uber luxurious Sanctuary Olonana was for US$ 1,800 for a 5 night/6 day flying safari with everything you can think of included in the price, valid between November 1st and December 20th this year.
So plan, bargain and go :)