Hi:

Has anyone been to Wilson airport in the last couple of weeks? I am planning to buy bottles of water in Johannesburg as I typically drink 3-3.5 liters of water a day.

Is there a security check at Wilson airport when departing for the Masai Mara? I'd prefer not to have to put my water in checked luggage before leaving Johannesburg but if I have to I will.

Thanks in advance

Sounds like "bringing coals to Newcastle."

Why in the world do you have to bring all that water to Kenya. Having sufficient on the 4/hr flight JNB/NBO I understand, if they allow you to bring large bottles on board. But, once in Kenya you can get as much bottled water as you need.

Lodge/Camps all provide bottled water in bathrooms for brushing teeth. For the rest of the time, the higher end properties provide enough water during meals, game drives, whenever to drown yourself and it's free. At mid-priced or budget properties, you'll probably have to pay for the water at reasonable prices... so there's plenty available.

That said, at Wilson they weigh your bags, including carryon, which if it looks obviously heavy, and if overweight you'll be charged a fee.

Sure hope you're good at taking potty breaks in the bush, as with all that water especially with bumping around the roads... East Africa isn't SA, so the roads are terrible, especially in the game parks. They're not paved as if in Kruger.

We were just at Wilson. There was no security check and we didn't see them checking, weighing or measuring anyone's baggage or enforcing rules about carry-ons. They sell water in the gift shop and provide small bottles on the Safarilink planes. And, as Sandi said, there was plenty of bottled water in the camps and game drive vehicles.

crosscheck -

Whom did you fly out of Wilson? Air Kenya or Safarilink?

While Wilson is not as strict or rather... nit-picky as at many international airports, I've never seen bags not weighed and passengers having to go thru a metal detector.

Even if taking a charter, you have to pass thru a metal detector and these flights are even stricter with weight.

Do tell!

We flew on Safarilink. Maybe we slipped through the cracks because we were transferring from a flight from Ambeseli, but we never saw a metal detector or a scale, just a representative with a clipboard and a passenger list.

I was at Wilsons in January flying Safarilink … definitely had hand luggage weighed and went through security plus x-rays. Not sure that would apply if transiting though. Wouldn't bother taking all that bottled water, bottled water is available everywhere in Kenya.

theres plenty of bottled water in Kenya, really no need to carry water to Kenya

crosscheck -

As there are no weighing machines out in the Mara, Amboseli, Samburu, etc. the only place that weighing and security takes place are at Wilson. If you flew to Amboseli, then the initial weighing/security were done at that time. If you drove, but flew to Wilson for onward to the Mara, then you were airside and NO, weighing/security is not done.

Otherwise, when checking in at Air Kenya or Safarilink, bags are weighted and paxs pass thru metal/x-ray detectors.

Sandy, We did drive to Amboseli, then flew from Amboseli to the Mara via Wilson. It is possible that they took our luggage and screened it before putting it on the second flight.

For a 1L of water at Wilson the cost is 160 Kenyan Shillings and the camp we stayed at charged 200 for a 1L. We paid over $27 USD just for water for two days in the camp. We got .5 L of water free each day. Wilson in fact, DOES have security that you must go through if you are coming from the "outside" Jomo Kenyatta or lodging. It consists of a metal detector and they in fact DID take water away from passengers.

Lack of water was an issue departing Jomo Kenyatta for Johanesburg but was otherwise fine if you don't mind spending a lot of money on locally bottled water.

Kits
May I ask which camp you stayed and paid for water? Was it Mara bush camp?

Regarding security at Wilson:

- we fley Safarilink and we had to pay for excess luggage at their building - we were able to "negotiate" the amount
- at the airport we went through metal detector and got our hand luggage checked.
- Plenty of water available for little money at the shop at the airport.
- Safarilink provides water onboard.

@spassvogel
We leave for the Mara in a few weeks and will be taking my carry on camera backpack weighing around 16kgs(36lb) and first heading out to Sosian camp/Loisaba with Safarilink, can you tell me how much was the excess fee and/or what was your negotiation ;-) ?
Our check in luggage will be around 2 x 15kg (2 x33lb)

Cheers
Marc

africaddict … I paid US$25 dollars for my excess luggage using Safarilink in January. Remember the total allowance includes your carry on camera plus your bag for the hold. I reduced the weight of my camera bag from 15kg to around 7.5kg but along with my checked bag was way over the allowance. No negotiating worked for me! But you're travelling with your wife so you may be able to shift the load between you.

Thanks Hilary

$25-50 would be OK with me, not too much more I hope?

Just another thought, I'll also be wearing a camera vest and packing that up with lenses & bodies (before I board that Safarilink flight) taking away some of that 16kg pack weight to reduce my excess. All perfectly legal.;-)

Yep, that's what I did. Boy was I hot! (didn't have a camera vest, used a coat which I'd specially adapted to take camera gear in some safety)