I don't know of a website that lists charter costs, but I can tell you that a charter from Nanyuki to Laikipia will be more than $200 but less than $1000. That probably doesn't help, does it?

To give you some idea, when I inquired about charter costs 2 years ago from Nanyuki to Il Ngwesi (near Lewa), it was somewhere around $250 per plane one way if I recall correctly. I'm sure the cost has gone up since then and in addition to that, you would need to add the cost of the scheduled flight from Nairobi to Nanyuki. Last year, I chartered from Dar Es Salaam to Selous (in Tanzania) for $700+ one way, but this is a greater distance than from Nanyuki to any of the Laikipia camps. A tour operator should be able to tell you the exact charter cost.

You can find the cost of scheduled flights on www.safarilink.co.ke, www.airkenya.biz, and www.tropicairkenya.com.

If I had to choose only one destination in addition to the Mara, I'd go to Meru and spend 3 nights at Elsa's Kopje.

Thank you Patty, that certainly cleared up my questions about Charters! If not Elsas, then more time in Mara! Thank you and I will post more itineraries as I recieve them. Now I have to go back and change all of them! CC

Sandi I also wanted to thank you for the quick lesson in Kenya geography. I could not tell from a map where everything was in relation. So the "tribeca" now makes sense to me.Meru - Samburu - Mara.(where is Laipaiki in all of that?) I feel sure I will change my plans submitted and go for it. I could use down time in addition to game time - thank you again.ChaCheetah
Will post my new itinerary soon!

Cha -

Tribeca is a neighborhood in NYC, meaning "triangle below canal [street]" A trifecta has something to do with horseracing, but don't ask me what. I'm not a betting gal.

Laikipia is an area of former private ranches, many of which have in recent years been opened as lovely camps/lodges; where visitors are made to feel more as house guests than tourists. The area is north and a bit west of Nanyuki. Nanyuki is west of Mt. Kenya.

Laikipia is the area north of Mt Kenya, west of Samburu, and east of the rift valley.

http://www.laikipia.org/map-of-laikipia.htm

Since it's not a park or reserve, you might have a harder time locating it on a map, but if you look here http://www.kenyalogy.com/eng/mapake/gmappae.html it's basically the area that's surrounded by Samburu, Mt Kenya, the Aberdares, Lakes Baringo/Bogoria.

Sandi and Patty, I am humbled by your knowledge! I guess I could buy a book but its so much more fun learning from real people who have actually been to these places.
So now when I talk to operators, I will have a map in my head as they run everything by me in one sentence. THX> CC