My husband and I are two shakes away from booking the following through Gamewatchers for our trip in September: 2 nights at Mara Porini and 3 nights at Mara Intrepids. Are these good choices and are they both different enough from each other that we won't feel silly uprooting ourselves from one to the other over the course of 6 days? We're also looking into getting a price quote for an additional night at Mara Explorer, but don't know if our budget can swing that.

This is the only true safari experience we'll have on this trip. We're also planning to visit Vic Falls with a possible whitewater or canoe trip, and Rwanda to head into the Parc Nat. des Vulcans.

Thanks for any insight! This has been the hardest trip to plan, I can't seem to get my head around it. And every decision seems so huge.

Hello Tanietta

I would definetely not think of moving from Mara Intrepids to Mara Explorer. Both are relatively close together so the move doesn't offer anything else (other game or landscape) than hussle.
So that I would forget immediately.

Regarding Mara Porini and Intrepids: Here you have two different areas and two different camps and feels: 1 a large camp and the inimacy of the Porini camp means two different experiences: The reserve with the opportunity to witness a crossing (if you are lucky) and the conservancy which also offers the cats incl. a cheetah mom with cubs plus plains game.

When staying in the conservancy and you want to witness a crossing you have to pay the conservancy fee PLUS the reserve fee.

Staying in the reserve you pay only the reserve fee.

Have a look at the attached map of all (or almost all) camps and their location:

http://www.go-safari.com/Masai%20Mar...a2007Nov20.jpg

As you are travelling in Sep means high time for the wildebeest/zebra migration I assume you are keen on watching a crossing.

Taking that into consideration staying 3 nights at each camp makes sense IMO.

But the move from Intrepids to Explorer doesn't make sense to me at all.

The choice is yours........

Happy Planning!

SV

hi

SV just saved me a lot of finger-work on the keyboard
as i agree to all the suggestions and conclusions by SV.
i even wanted to post the same map...

just want to add:
maybe it's better to reverse the order: moving from the bigger to the more intinate (Porini)

2 different locations mean you have more specific local knowledge of guides e.g.concerning non-moving "targets" (such as a Hyena den, a Leopard with a prey on a tree, an active Hornbill nest or Honey-mooning Lions)

conservancy also means possibility of game-walks and night game-drives (long ago they used to have night safaris in Intrepids but i think it's not allowed inside parks anymore)

aby

aby
Glad you support my idea.

And you are perfectly right regarding the walks and night drives. In the reserve it's not allowed - thanks god - and as far as understood KWS is getting stricter in view to vehicles leaving the tracks!

SV

opma - besides never answering the OP questions, you're self-promoting which is not allowed on Fodor's - read the Rules/Regulations. Your replies will be removed by the Fodor's monitor.

SV - perfect response. Agree, there's no need to move from Intrepid's to Explorer. These are sister camps and a 5-10/min drive apart. Explorer is smaller, but Intrepid's won't disappoint. And, good to have a camp inside the Reserve and another outside.

Thank you so much (esp. SV) for your informative responses, and for putting my mind at ease...so Mara Explorer is out, and they don't have availability anyway.

However, from what the representative at Gamewatchers is telling me, I think they're trying to switch my time at Mara Porini to Porini Lion Camp (likely due to availability). Would we be sacrificing anything by staying here rather than Mara Porini? Porini Lion Camp is also a conservancy, right?

Lion Camp is closer to the actual reserve, with 10/tents. Mara Camp is a bit farther out, with only 6/tents why they may not have space. If the price is the same and you want the Porini Camps... go with what's available. Believe Lion is actually closer to river "crossing points"

I for one have never cared how far I drive or where I go, whether I see lots of game or just an amazing lone leopard (posing and saying "take my picture") with not another soul around for miles.

You're in Africa. Take off your watch and her show you what she has to offer when and where.

We are going to both of the Porini camps near the Mara next year during the migration. Look forward to getting your trip report.

So, I'm confused! There is a conservancy fee - that is for the Mara Traingle? And then there is a reserve fee - that is for the whole Masai Mara Reserve? Is the triangle a part of the reserve or completely separate? So if I visit the Triangle, I pay the conservancy fee? If I visit the reserve, I play the reserve fee? What if I go to both?

I will be camping on a self-drive basis in the Mara Triangle in August 2009, so I know I will be paying the conservancy fee. I assume I will pay the fee (for 6 days) when I arrive at Oloololo Gate and enter the Triangle. I would also like to travel outside of the Triangle to the east side of the Mara River (I am camping in the Triangle the whole time, so I would just be crossing over to the east side of the Mara River for several hours on a couple of days). Will this involve another fee - the reserve fee? Do I pay every time I cross back and forth between the two - I don't see any gates between the two, so who collects the fees or keeps track of the fact that I am going back and forth?
Robin

Hi Robin

I have never done such a crossing in between the conservancy/reserve on my own but I know you either have to pay the reserve fee at the KWS station close to Nairobi NP entrance (or was it close to the orphanage - which is close to each other anyway; I only witnessed our guide doing this in advance prior to our reserve visit) or at the gate.
We have only experienced once being checked by KWS within the reserve when we had to produce our reserve ticket.

The reserve fee of 60$pppd ist for 24 hours and is to be paid in addition to the conservancy fee.
So practically if one is staying in one of the conservancies and NOT entering the reserve one pays 40 or 60$pppd only. But as soon as one enters the reserve - which during migration might be for some days - the reserve fee of 60$pppd must be paid.
That's the reason some camps outside the reserve within a conservancy charges let's say 75$ or even 80$pppd but only driving into the reserve once within 3 or 4 days at the camp. So kind of mix calculation.
Most visitors won't realise that because it's not openly published.
The "worst" case would be staying in a camp in one of the conservancies and visitng the crossing points daily mounting up to 120/140$pppd

Maybe you discuss your issue with KWS directly
http://www.kws.go.ke/

Happy Planning!

SV

The Triangle, on the west is part of the Reserve = 1/fee @ $60/day/person. Only if you are in the areas north of the Triangle/Reserve... the private group ranch lands are you on the conservancies = additional fee @ $varies depending on the conservancy.

Within the Triangle/Reserve, no bush walks or night game drives. On the conservancies you can do walks and night drives.

Ah, now I have it! Thanks! Robin

Robin

The "triangle" is defined by the Mara river, Olololo Escarpment (Eastern border of Mara) and the TZ border (as the southern 'base'of the triangle)
like sandi wrote it is <i>on the west is part of the Reserve</i>

aby

thanks everyone for all your help! We booked both the Porini Lion camp and Mara Intrepids. I'll be posting a trip report when we get back--