u/asenna987

Hey guys, not self-promoting but I'm partially based in the Maasai Mara where I run a small safari camp near Sekenani Gate, and I see people trying to figure out budgets for their safari trips.

So I wrote this article that might help someone who's planning right now. Some main points:

• Park fees are $200 per person per day in high season ($100 Jan–Jun), paid at the gate, and nobody can discount them. This is the line that surprises many.
• Game drives are priced per vehicle, not per seat. A full day in a Land Cruiser is ~$200-$300 for the whole car, so if you are in a group, it helps a lot in splitting. If someone quotes you "per person," ask.
• Staying just outside the reserve means you only pay park fees on days you actually go in.

Full post here: https://marahilltop.com/blog/masai-mara-safari-cost-breakdown/

Obvious disclosure: the accommodation numbers in there are my own camp's rates since those are the ones I can vouch for, so I'm biased. I tried to be straight about where cheaper options or other areas make more sense.

If you've been recently and your numbers were different, please let me know and I'll correct the post. Prices move here.

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Also AMA if you have questions.

Not promoting - I run a safari lodge in the Maasai Mara, and I've been living in Nairobi on and off as an expat for years.

Almost every guest who comes through lands in Nairobi first, and I keep hearing the same two things: they were worried about safety because of what they read online, and they couldn't find any real information about where to stay (They often only experience the not-so-good parts of Nairobi and it leaves a negative impression on them of the city).

I genuinely think Nairobi is an amazing place to visit / live. And so I made this write-up of what I usually tell people - what the travel advisories actually say if you read them properly, the few simple rules that matter, and which neighborhoods to base yourself in (everyone defaults to Westlands, but Karen or the Karura Forest side is a much nicer first experience of the city).

https://marahilltop.com/blog/is-nairobi-safe-where-to-stay/

Happy to answer any Nairobi or Kenya questions here too.

Hey guys, I run a lodge in the Maasai Mara, and I get this question quite often on WhatsApp:

What's the different areas in Mara mentioned online (Talek vs Sekenani, etc), staying inside vs outside the reserver, how are the roads and all.

So I collected it into one write-up: the three areas everyone actually chooses between (Sekenani, Talek, Oloolaimutia), the park fee math, and where I'd stay on different budgets.

Full disclosure: my lodge is in one of these areas, so I'm biased. I say exactly where in the post, and I also recommend other camps including our competitors, because honestly there's no single right answer.

https://marahilltop.com/blog/where-to-stay-masai-mara-sekenani-talek-oloolaimutia/

Could be useful if you're planning a Mara trip on your own, which I genuinely recommend, it's much more doable than people assume.

Happy to answer questions here too - and give recommendations as well.

Quick update for anyone timing a Mara trip - the migration started moving in yesterday. The first crossings were at the Sand River, where the herds come into Kenya from the Serengeti.

Two things worth knowing if you're planning:

• This is the first of the two big crossings. The famous one, the Mara River (crocodiles, steep banks), comes once the herds push further north. This year it's looking like a couple weeks out, maybe mid-July, but no one can call the exact date - it moves with the rains and the grazing.
• So the next few weeks are shaping up well if you're trying to catch it.

Happy to answer questions on timing if it helps anyone planning.

(I run a lodge in the Mara, so this is from the ground as our guests saw the crossing yesterday)

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A quick writeup here - https://marahilltop.com/blog/maasai-mara-migration-2026-update/