Last September we went on safari in South Africa (Kings Camp in Timbavati and Leopard Hills in Sabi Sands) and had a wonderful time. We were thinking about going back there next year but my husband just asked about Kenya instead.

The thing is, he cannot stomach those tiny propellor airplanes. Is there a way to do a Kenyan safari without taking those puddle-jumper aircraft? If so, what are the recommended reserves/lodges?

We previously looked into Botswana and ruled it out because it seemed like we'd need to take a small plane to any of the camps we liked the looks of.

I'm going to pick up a Kenya guidebook this weekend but we'd love your input. Thanks!

Andrea

PS - How is Kenya Air?

Kenya Airways is fine - I've used it a few times.

A company like Audley, Rainbow Tours or Cox & Kings can probably organise a tailor-made drive safari from Nairobi. The Masai Mara is a 4-5 hour drive from Nairobi and the roads are rough.

If Kenya isn't so good, consider Tanzania, where you can fly direct to Kilimanjaro International Airport for Ngorongoro the Serengeti, and other Northern Circuit reserves, but you will have to specify that you want to drive back to the airport as well.

A couple of things:

It is possible to drive from Nairobi to many of the Kenyan camps. I haven't done it, but it's apparently reasonable in some cases -- others on this board have knowledge and can supply info.

It is also possible to fly to some camps on large, 50-seat propellor planes. As Londonres mentioned, this is on Kenya Airways (though not all of their flights are on the larger planes). I flew to Governor's in the Mara on one of these a/c.

I understand your husband's discomfort, and there are very definitely ways to reduce the severity. First/foremost, when in the air, look outside the airplane at a single, distant place -- a hilltop, or even a spot on the horizon. That will help motion sickness a lot. Additionally, many people are helped enormously by over-the-counter motion sickness meds such as Bonine.

In June last year, the bookings in the Masai Mara were really thin (political problems in Kenya) that the scheduled flights were running pretty sporadically. Yet - I do believe my flight was still a larger plane in comparison to the charter flights that camp-hop in the delta in Bots.

You can certainly do an "all drive" safari, but know that some distances are very long often on terrible roads. Depending on which parks/reserves you wish to visit, the long drives can be broken up with stops in-between Point-A and Point-B.

As an idea, drive times some destinations:
Nairobi/Amboseli - 4-4.5/hrs
Nairobi/Masai Mara - 5-6/hrs
Nairobi/Samburu - 6/hrs
Nairobi/Mt. Kenya/Nanyuki - 2-2.5/hrs
Mt. Kenya/Samburu - 3/hrs
Samburu/Lk Nakuru - 5-6/hrs
Nairobi/Lake Nakuru - 2-2.5/hrs
Nairobi/Samburu - 6/hrs

You can combine drive/fly using the latter for the longest distances only. Rarely are these in real small 4-6/seaters, more like 19/seaters and often from the Mara especially peak season with more visitors, even 42-50/seaters. But they're all prop planes.

Just a point of clarification, Air Kenya (not to be confused with Kenya Airways) is the carrier that flies to the parks. I believe the aircraft used are based on demand. When we flew from the Mara in off season, it was more like a 20 passenger aircraft.

Our safaris in Kenya have been mostly all-drive so it's doable but the road conditions aren't great so you need to plan your itinerary carefully so that you aren't trying to cover too much ground. To give you an idea, the Mara, Samburu and Tsavo are all about 5-6 hours drive from Nairobi (in different directions).

As mentioned, the Tanzania northern circuit can be done as an all-drive. The southern circuit is usually done as a fly-in but can be done as an all-drive with careful planning.

If you drive, you can keep the same driver for the entire trip and enjoy your own private safari.

The recommended reserves and lodges would not change much whether flying or driving. If driving, you may need to add an extra park in between 2 destinations because they are too far apart for a one day transport.

I've flown Kenya Air numerous times and would again without hesitation.

After the Timbavati and Leoperd Hills - Kenya is going to be a very different experience. Much more touristy and all your game viewing is done in National Parks (mostly!) which means loads of vehicles and some pretty un-ethical behaviour around sightings... nothing like Timbavati where they have limited vehicles at sightings. Get ready for 20 vehicles in some cases.

The Serengeti on the other hand is bigger and wilder... and once you get away from South and Central areas you leave the crowds behind. Driving is very possible and recommended but distances are long and in long wheel base cruisers which can be rather jarring after 5 hours.

After Kings Camp and Leoperd Hills you should consider Mbalageti in the Serengeti and splash out for Crater Lodge at Ngorongoro.

The time of year will determine the best place to stay in the Serengeti depending on the migration.

Get an agent who has experience of East and Southern Africa as the Lodges and experience in East Africa is very different to that of South Africa. The Crater is pretty shocking in terms of vehicle numbers... its total mayhem and really heartbreaking to see animals hounded like that. It is still breathtaking though when you drive up onto the rim and start winding your way down.

All I can stress again is get an agent who knows (and has been too)both destinations and can match your expectations.

The cultural aspect of East Africa is fascinating as well. Try and avoid the standard village tour though on the tourist route if you can!

Enjoy...

Thanks everyone for your replies! This is great info and you've all given me quite a bit to research. I'm looking at camps now and mapping out distances and we'll see which options looks do-able (Kenya or Tanzania).

If the drives are too long, we can always revert back to our original South Africa plan.

Misty, thanks for explaining how many more safari vehicles we may see within the parks. What I loved about Timbavati was the lack of vehicles. We hardly saw anyone else while we were there! I thought Sabi Sands was crowded, but it sounds like that's nothing compared to some other areas.

I'll definitely be doing some more research. Thanks!

Andrea

Try the private concessions - there is great little camp (5 tents) called Leleshwa adjacent to the Masai Mara - its also owner run and managed which is rather fantastic. You can go into the reserve and then traverse in the concession away from the crowds - like Sabi and Kruger there no fences.

In Tanzania have a look at the Asilia Lodges up North in the Serengeti. I also found Kusini Camp in the Western Corridor to be away from the masses!

We are doing a 4-week self-drive through Kenya and Tanzania this August. We are starting in Nairobi and originally had planned to drive to the Mara from there. The company that we are renting the 4x4 from didn't like this idea - they felt that the route between Nairobi and the park wasn't particularly safe for us to drive unaccompanied. As a result, we are flying from Nairobi to Serian and picking up our vehicle there. I must admit that the only part of the trip that I am not looking forward to is that flight on a small plane from Nairobi to the Mara. At least I get it over with on the first day! Robin

Hello Andrea,
I’d just like to add that a road trip is actually the “normal” way to do a safari in Kenya. The only problem I can see are the many hours spent on the road, and it’s a problem you can reduce by spending more nights in fewer places. As I’m not driving myself and the vehicle isn’t mine, there really isn’t any physical or psychological discomfort at all (except when having to return to Nairobi for the flight home). You wont see the real Kenya (whatever that is), but you’ll certainly getter a more realistic view of the country than if being air lifted into safari la-la land. That said, I haven’t had any problems with Air Kenya either, as long as I remember to take a seasickness pill. There is another reason not to fly (the elephant sitting on the keyboard), but I’d feel like (be) a hypocrite mentioning it while planning a long-haul flight.