For any first-time visitor to Africa, what to expect on safari & whether it’s worth my time and money to take this trip are the first thoughts that cross anyone’s mind. It can be an overwhelming journey as Africa has too much to offer & with so many national parks & conservancies like Masai Mara, Amboseli, Tsavo and so on, it isn’t easy to pin down one. Below are what you can expect in the famous national parks & conservancies
We have a team of Experienced Curators that can help you plan your trip better. We do not believe in one-size-fits-it all but curate an experience basis one’s need. You can reach out to us by briefing us a little about your needs through help me plan, and we will reach out to you within 24 hours. In the meantime, you can always gain more insights on African Safari.
Slightly larger than the Asian elephants, African elephants can be easily distinguished with their big-flappy ears and big tusks. These magnificent creatures are spread across the savannah and keep moving across the territory. Amboseli National Park is the home ground for these giants, where one can easily spot them at the watering holes. You can catch a glimpse of their herds in the backdrop of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Amboseli. Tsavo East & Tsavo West, also house a few of the giant tuskers. Read more about the big tuskers here.
The experience can be enhanced multifold when one can share it with their loved ones. Having younger kids in no way can be a reason to say no to Africa; rather, it could be a good age for them to develop interest & learn more about the wild and their ecosystem. The thought of long game drives with young kids might bring in many questions for young parents. Be assured that plentiful camps are offering the nanny service (on request) to ensure that your kid’s after breakfast nap is undisrupted or to enjoy a perfect sundowner or a romantic bush dinner for adults.
A few conservancies like Ol Pejeta Conservancy are quieter & more relaxing where the younger ones can engage in activities like Young Ranger Programme. Or, if your kid is athletic enough, they can join the rangers on Run with Ranger for a 5 km circuit. It could be once in a lifetime experience for them while you can relax & enjoy the calmness of nature. Write to us and there is much more that we can put together to offer a wholesome experience for your family.
With the endless savannah spread across Kenya’s geography, Mombasa lies on the southern coast along the Indian ocean. Being a coral island, one can enjoy the white sand beaches dotted along the coastline. The famous beaches like Nyali Beach, Bamburi Beach, Shanzu beach, English Point in the north to Tiwi Beach & Diani beach in the south are some of the notable beaches to mix up your African safari with some soaking in the sun at the beach.
Mombasa, being a shoreline & biggest port in East Africa, is a cultural melting pot with mixed ethnicities & races from Asia, the Middle East, Portugal, and the UK, influencing the architecture and cuisine in the city. Mombasa has some of the most luxurious beach resorts to have most of one’s vacation. Tip: What better place can be than Mombasa to enjoy some afro beats at a beach party?
When Kenya comes to one’s mind, it’s always Masai Mara. As you browse through our website, the country has many national parks, conservancies, and beaches. Being in a foreign land could be a bit intimidating and that is why we offer end to end service, including transits across. If you are looking for budget options, you can travel by road, or if you have the constraint of time and expect more leisure while you are vacationing, you can opt for air transit.
Masai Mara national park can be a bit crowded during the peak season, with nearly 100 vehicles or more at one sighting. Neighboring conservancies offer abundant wildlife with a limited number of vehicles in these private conservancies like Naibosho, Ol Motorogi, Ol Kinyei, Lemek. However, you would still want to come to Mara to witness the wildebeest river crossing.
Other than that, there are less populated conservancies gaining traction over the last few years, like Ol Pejeta Conservancy, which is situated far from Masai Mara. Still, one can plan to relax after spending enough time in Mara & witness the last two white rhinos, Najin & Fatu, left on the face of the Earth. Laikipia County has a lot of other smaller conservancies like Loisaba, Mugie, Lewa, Suyian Range, offering some of the most luxurious camps in the wild.
The best time to be in Mara is from June to October. The tourism peak starts with the wildebeest migration from mid-July till Sept. Major things to look out for in terms of temperature, rainfall, game viewing & thus price getting affected during the year.
Best weather (pleasant temperature & low precipitation): July
Wettest month: April
Low budget: April-May
Best wildlife viewing: July-Oct
Our recommended time (Pleasant temperatures, low precipitation, best wildlife ,thereby high budget): Jul-Sept
The wildebeest movement is an endless cycle that circles year-round between Serengeti, Tanzania & Masai Mara, Kenya. The primary attraction of this movement is the Mara River crossing which usually happens during August & September. But it’s nature & wild, so the best time to expect this spectacle would span from June till October.
All national parks are open during the rainy season. Due to the low tourism, not all resorts are operational during that time, but one can enjoy the exclusiveness of these national parks during the rainy season. Do not expect too much in terms of game drives as the animals stay in hiding, and some parts of the national parks might get inaccessible due to heavy rains.
This trip agenda must be to relax & enjoy the rains in vast plains with low budget accommodations as the prices drop drastically during the low tourist season. The wild is still in these landscapes & you can get your moment capturing a lion shaking off after a good soak in the rain. It’s the time to slow down yourself & the wild to recoup.
The African safari is the most outstanding experience. There is always a low season in tourism when one can expect to travel on a low budget but must compromise on wildlife viewing expectations. In case you must experience a decent wildlife viewing, we suggest you travel during June, the onset of tourism season. It’s your sheer luck that wildebeest might arrive early in the Mara, and you can have the front seat of game drives with minimal safari vehicles & decently priced accommodation during that time. And to top it all, the weather is the most significant advantage too as it’s cold weather in Kenya.
Quick tip: Book flights at least two to three months in advance. More the merrier as your private safari vehicle cost split across.
We reserve all the accommodations, transits and more as soon as you confirm booking with us. The guests must pay 20% of the total amount at the time of confirming the booking. The remaining 80% is to be paid off 7 days before the arrival date. All transactions are to be processed through our website via a secured payment gateway.
We accept payments via credit/debit cards and bank transfers. All advance payments are to be completed through digital mode & transactions will be processed in USD$. We can accept payments via cash but that will be treated on case-to-case basis.
All transactions made on our website are two-way secured and PCI compliant.
We have a smooth cancellation process by writing to us at
info@scarfacepride.com. Note that there is a free cancellation 45 days before the arrival date with no cancellation charges*.
However, in the peak season (Jun-Oct), the cancellation charges are applicable on case-to-case basis due to the booking well in advance. Reach out to your respective experience partner/travel consultant to gain more insights on the charges involved during the peak season.
*Card processing fee is non-refundable.
**Any cancellations post 45 days of arrival dates would be chargeable & explained in the refund section.
We offer full refund back to the original account used during advance payment. Other cancellation & refund post 45 days of arrival date.
*Card processing fee is non-refundable.
The cancellation & refund for date change charges are applicable basis below timelines basis the arrival dates:
*Card processing fee is non-refundable.
With the ever-changing travel policies across the globe, we are much more agile & adaptable to such amendment requests. The reasons could be many, for instance, government travel policy change due to spread of Covid (home country or travel destination) or if you or one of your travel partners contracted covid, we are most likely to discuss these parameters as close as 72 hours prior to your departure.
Note that these will be treated on a case-to-case basis. Reach out to your experience partner/travel consultant, and we will try our level best to get most of your money refunded into the credit voucher. Please note that it is at the discretion of Scarface Pride & the accommodation partners to confirm the offering.
Unless you are travelling from visa exempted country, you must apply for the visa. A tourist visa for Kenya is a quick process with under 15 mins to finish the process & obtain a visa within 48 hours without making any trips to the embassy or visa centres. That will come as a relief for many. Nearly 160 countries are eligible to apply for eVisa for tourism in Kenya on the official website link https://evisa.go.ke/
The essential requirement for a tourist visa application is a passport valid for at least 6 months, a return flight ticket, a travel itinerary, and a hotel booking (with full names of guests mentioned in the document). The visa is valid for 90 days with a single entry. The visa fee is $50 +nominal service fee & card handling charges.
The external affairs have made a provision for travelers looking forward to visiting multiple countries through the East African Tourist Visa . This is only restricted to Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda under one visa.
The essential requirement for a tourist visa application is a passport valid for at least 6 months, a return flight ticket, a travel itinerary, and a hotel booking (with full names of guests mentioned in the document). The visa is valid for 90 days. The visa fee is $100 +nominal service fee & card handling charges.
Sadly, there is no combined visa for Tanzania & Kenya. One must apply for two separate visas to travel between the two countries. Plan your trip to finish one country & exit to apply for a single entry visa, which is cost-effective. Or else, if you want to be a nomad than multiple entry visa is your calling.
Kenya Visa: https://evisa.go.ke/
Single Entry: $50 + service fee & card handling charges (valid for 3 months)
Multiple Entry: $100 + service fee & card handling charges (valid for 3 to 12 months)
Tanzania Visa*: https://eservices.immigration.go.tz/visa/
Single Entry/ordinary Visa: $50 + service fee & card handling charges (valid for 3 months)
Multiple Entry: $100 + service fee & card handling charges (valid for 3 to 12 months)
*Note that for Tanzania tourism visa, nationals of USA must apply for multiple entry visa & not ordinary single-entry visa due to the bilateral agreement between two countries.
To know more about the guidelines for Tanzania Visa, please follow the link
Travelling abroad calls for mandatory travel insurance. It is advisable to screen through all the terms & conditions while opting for one that best suits your travel plan & based on your health requirements. Medical emergencies can be a bitter experience when in a foreign country.
The impact of Covid has subdued over the period, and the travel requirements are much more relaxed than before. As per the latest update (as of May 2022), all fully vaccinated travellers are exempted from taking the RT-PCR test before travelling.
Travelers who have recovered from an active COVID-19 infection or received convalescent plasma in the preceding 90 days will be required to provide a letter from a recognized medical practitioner showing that the person may have recovered from an active infection in the preceding 90 days.
All eligible unvaccinated travelers arriving at any port of entry into Kenya must have a valid COVID-19 negative PCR test certificate conducted within 72 hours before departure, regardless of the route of entry. Children below the age of five (5) years are exempt from this requirement.
In addition, unvaccinated travelers arriving at any point of entry shall be subjected to a rapid antigen test at their own cost of 30 USD. Any person who tests positive on antigen RDT will be subjected to a PCR test at their own further cost of 50 USD and self-isolation. Travelers below five (5) years are exempt from this testing requirement.
There will be no paper verification of COVID-19 test results and vaccination certificates upon arrival in Kenya. Airlines should ensure that all travelers have uploaded both documents into global haven before boarding via www.globalhaven.org.
For additional information & the latest updates, please follow the link
Kenya is one African country that falls under the list of countries at risk of Yellow Fever vaccination. It might not be a requirement to fly in Kenya, but your home country might ask for it when you arrive back. It is also recommended to take a shot of YF vaccination well before time, so you minimize the chances of contracting the same.
It’s recommended to check with your doctor before travel & they will prescribe basis the latest recommended dosage.
The African national parks are full of wildlife & minimal civilization. Malaria mosquitoes are so uncommon, so it is advisable to check with your doctor before travelling. Possibly, there is a course of medicine spread from 7 – 20 days (*indicatory). Make sure you consult well before time so you are all ready to travel.
You can opt for a group safari where you are doing your game drives with other guests from a camp. There is a pre-planned schedule to keep it convenient for a group.
If you are an early riser, you are for some amazing savannah views at sunrise. The typical day includes game drives & guided bush walks, but one can enjoy bush walks around the river depending on your camp location. You start in the morning with some light snacks and head out to the conservancy. It is the best time to enjoy early morning wildlife activities as they clock well with nature. The game drive ends late morning, arriving back to the camp/lodge late morning for breakfast.
Guests can relax & keep it easy for midday as the animals are sheltering themselves too from the scorching sun. Post lunch, you can head out again for your second game drive, which lasts until the evening before the conservancy closes in time with sunset. You can have some good spots to enjoy the sunsets in the savannah.
We offer the option of the private game drive option, where you can make up your schedule and stay in the conservancy till it closes. It is most recommended as it does not require you to align your plan with the other group & can also be gone for the whole day if all that you have in mind is to be amidst nature & wildlife.
If the camp/lodge location allows, one can opt for night safaris too. Put out your requirement with your experience consultant & we will curate the itinerary fitting best your needs.
Lions are nocturnal & generally hunt at night. They usually sleep for up to 20 hours a day. Also, pertaining to their big manes, lions avoid staying out in the sun and generally rest the whole day long under the shade. So, the best time to spot a male lion is early morning before the sun shines brightly over savannah plains. We suggest starting your morning safari as early as possible to maximize your probability of spotting those beautiful royal manes.
African vast lands flourish with the wildlife. The big five are termed in such a way as these are the most difficult to hunt on foot. These are – lion, rhino, leopard, elephant & buffalo. You can easily spot four out of five, making rhinos comparatively tricky due to their depleting population as they fall under critically endangered species. These creatures are secured in cordoned-off areas to avoid hunting & poaching. It is difficult to spot them alone in Mara, but you never know if it’s your lucky day. However, you have a fair chance to spot them in national parks around the Great Rift Valley like Lake Nakuru, Lake Naivasha.
The safari experience is relatively safe if you follow the guidelines set out by the reserve authorities & follow the instruction given by your safari guide. These wild animals are used to being tourist vehicles around & your guide is well aware of their behaviour, so it is always advisable to not make any bizarre requests which might interrupt & intervene with the wild nature.
The famous Wildebeest Migration is a process of nature where wildebeest goes circling Serengeti National Park & Masai Mara National Park round the year, every year. The most iconic spectacle of this is the Mara River crossing. The wildebeest come in millions from Tanzania to Kenya during June and stay till October. There is no way you would miss these huge herds scattered around the Mara plains.
As for the river crossing, it’s a stroke of sheer luck & to be in the right place at the right time. Sometimes these herds might reach the riverbank & stay there for days or even weeks without leaping in. Or they make their journey late in the night where no camera shutters could capture it. But there is a fair chance to witness this magical moment in Jul-Oct, but no one can promise the nature of the wild.
For all those enthusiastic souls, we recommend opting for a private safari where your game drives are not time-bound. You can stay out in the conservancy if it stays open. If you want to do the photographic safaris, we recommend helping with your requirement well in advance to get specialized guides & vehicles help to offer the best experience. Also, plan it well with your private guide, as they will help curate your day much better, making all requisite arrangements for the day.
The night safaris are not allowed in the national reserve. But don’t lose hope as there are few neighbouring conservancies where it is possible to do night safaris. You will have good wildlife sightings in those conservancies but maybe not the wildebeest migration. Also, these conservancies lie on the periphery of the national reserve so that you can visit the Masai Mara National Park too.
Tipping is not mandatory, but it is customary. It is a way of admiring people’s service & helps boost their confidence. The tips can vary from $10/day for an individual to $30/day (min) for a group of 3-4 people. You can tip your guide at the end of the day. In case of a pre-arranged tour, you can even tip at the end of the trip.
The amount given is the minimum one should offer as a tip. You can always tip more if your guide has proven himself above & par at serving you.
The camps offer a set menu decided by the chefs. Many travelers around the globe visit Kenya, so you can expect global cuisine and not just the local food. The breakfast is a buffet spread. Occasionally, you can also make special requests & chef might tweak the meals for you.
If you have any dietary restrictions like gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, halal, or any allergies, please inform your booking partner well in advance to arrange for those special requests.
One can enjoy the undisrupted views over the savannah plains on a hot-air balloon ride. The beauty of such rides is to enjoy the aerial views & these vast plains proliferating with wildlife are an unmatched beauty. The rising sun on the horizon jazz up this landscape. The pilots are quite efficient & they bring down the balloons relatively low compared to other places to have an up-close view of the wild below & their trails behind. Make your call, but it’s one of the recommended things-to-do.
English and Swahili are the official languages used in Kenya. It is a multilingual country with over 50 languages spoken across the region. Swahili, also known as Kiswahili, originates from the Bantu language & is used across in over seven different dialects.
The indigenous ethnic tribe of Masai speaks Maa language, whereas most of the tribals can speak Swahili too.
The very basic to start with is a “Hello/Hi”, which translates to “Jambo!”. Get used to this phrase as Kenyans do greet everyone around & it might come in handy when you stop by to say hello to fellow safari guides & travelers in Mara. Below are a few other quick phrases:
Soft luggage is the most suitable to use while travelling in domestic flights. Since most flights have limited luggage space, squeezing hard top luggage boxes is not ideal in these spaces. The weight limit is 15 kgs for most domestic flights. It is always advisable to travel light, they say.
Kenyan cuisine is not readily available across the globe, even the cities with mixed ethnicities or cultures (barring African countries). As a keen traveler, cuisine is the most delectable way to explore more about the place, culture & habits. Here is the list of a few dishes to try when in Kenya:
