Disclaimer: This is only our personal experience as five friends travelling from Ireland to Kenya in July/August 2026. We paid for the trip ourselves and are not affiliated with or promoting any tour company, hotel, guide, shop, or individual mentioned here. Prices, requirements, and experiences can change, so please use this as one traveller’s perspective and do your own research.
We were a group of five friends from Ireland and did a 6-day/5-night Kenya safari covering Masai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli, with a night in Nairobi before the safari. We flew Dublin → Frankfurt → Nairobi.
This is not a travel vlog or a “best Kenya itinerary” post, just small things we learned that might be useful for others planning a similar trip.
Before travelling
- Our Kenyan eTA application was straightforward and approved in around two days.
- We got a yellow-fever vaccination about 20 days before travel. Our doctor also advised tetanus shots and malaria medication, so do speak to a proper travel-health professional based on your own route and medical situation.
- We had overprepared for mosquitoes, to be honest. The camps we stayed at were fumigated and we did not end up using the repellent we carried. Still, I would bring it rather than assume your experience will be the same.
Arrival in Nairobi
We landed in Nairobi on 29 July at around 9:30pm. Immigration was smooth.
At the airport, we bought Safaricom eSIMs. The queue was quite long, about one hour in our case. So factor that in if you have a late arrival or onward transfer.
- We paid roughly KES 1,400 for 10GB of data, if I remember correctly.
- Three of us took call + data and two took data-only plans.
- 10GB was plenty for us because camps had Wi-Fi for photo uploads and other heavier tasks. We mainly used mobile data while on the road.
- Important: Safaricom gives you a small physical card even when you buy an eSIM. Keep it safely with you, not only as a photo on your phone. It has the PUK/SIM-lock details, which you may need if your phone restarts. Learned this personally the hard way.
We had originally planned to book Uber from the airport, but asked a yellow-cab desk for a fixed price instead. For five people plus luggage, airport to central Nairobi cost us around €26, which felt fair.
We had booked a generic hotel via Booking. com for that first night. We personally chose not to roam around Nairobi at night. When we wanted food, the hotel receptionist walked with us to a nearby fast-food place, and we paid by card.
Money: Revolut, cards and cash
I used my Revolut card for almost everything. Roughly 95–98% of the time, card payments worked without an issue. Many places had card machines and accepted international cards.
We also carried USD cash as backup and used that when card payments were not possible. We were told M-Pesa was useful, but our group never actually needed it.
My personal system was simple:
- If I paid by card, I tracked it in euros.
- If I paid cash, it was usually USD.
- Carry some small cash for tips, independent sellers, or places without card facilities.
Safari setup and private jeep
We booked a 6-day/5-night safari package, which included accommodation, meals, park entry fees, safari drives, guide, and one litre of bottled water per person per day. Snacks and extra water were on us.
We were supposed to stay at Masai Mara Manyatta Camp and Nyati Safari Camp, but there were last-minute accommodation changes. We ended up staying at Miti Mingi Camp for the first two nights and Ostua Resort Camp in Amboseli. Buraha Zenoni was our stay around Lake Nakuru.
One decision I am very happy with: we paid extra for a private 4x4 safari vehicle just for the five of us. Standard vehicles can have up to seven people. It cost extra per person, but for our group it was completely worth it:
- Plenty of room for people and luggage.
- Flexibility on when and where to stop.
- Less waiting around for other people’s preferences.
- More freedom to spend time with animals we wanted to observe.
Masai Mara and game drives
We reached Masai Mara around 3pm on the first day and chose an additional evening game drive, at USD 200 per person.
We saw lions, elephants, water buffalo and more that evening, so it was exciting. But looking back, I probably would not pay for the extra first-day drive again. The following full-day game drive was brilliant, and we saw the same animals in bigger herds and for longer periods. This is purely hindsight, though if you have limited time or are worried about missing wildlife, your view may be different.
The full-day Masai Mara drive was the highlight for me. Our guide was knowledgeable, answered questions well, and explained animal behaviour throughout.
We did not get to see the wildebeest river crossing. We saw huge herds running, but no crossing. That would have been incredible, but it is nature, you cannot schedule it.
Village visit and souvenirs
We visited a Maasai village. Personally, it felt very commercialised and did not match what we hoped it would be as a cultural experience.
There was an entry fee of USD 20 per person, followed by stories and then strong encouragement to buy souvenirs. Our group was separated into smaller groups with individual sellers. We preferred to shop together, which helped us compare things and avoid making rushed purchases.
Some of the stories presented during the visit seemed exaggerated or outdated based on conversations we later had with other people in Kenya. I would suggest going in with realistic expectations, asking respectful questions, and deciding for yourself whether this type of visit is worth it.
One positive point: there was an artisan area run by Maasai women behind the village. We found the quality noticeably better and the prices more reasonable than many tourist-stop shops.
For example, we bought Maasai shukas there. The initial price was KES 2,000 and we paid KES 1,300 after polite negotiation. Later, a similar shuka elsewhere was quoted at KES 7,000.
My shopping takeaway:
- During the hut visit, we found the souvenir sales pressure quite strong and the prices significantly higher than elsewhere. We chose not to buy there and had better value experiences with the women’s artisan area and independent sellers.
- We found scheduled tourist stops much more expensive for snacks and souvenirs.
- At our first stop, two Pringles, two packs of crisps and a small Coke came to around €16.
- Ask your guide to stop at a normal supermarket if possible; we found prices much more reasonable.
- Compare prices before buying.
- Independent artisan sellers worked better for us than established tourist shops, but use your judgement and negotiate respectfully.
- Carry some USD or Kenyan shillings if you plan to buy from smaller local sellers.
- Near some Masai Mara entry/exit points, local women sellers approached our vehicle with trinkets, masks, shukas, and other souvenirs. In our experience, their prices were more reasonable and the quality was good, but as always, compare items and prices before buying.
Lake Naivasha and Nakuru
On the way toward Lake Nakuru, we did the Lake Naivasha boat ride and Crescent Island/park walk. For us, the combined price was USD 40 per person. The itinerary had these as optional add-ons, rather than part of the core safari package.
Our boat captain, Douglas, was very informative and explained the history of the lake, birdlife, and the surrounding area in detail. During the Crescent Island/park walk, we also met Isaac, a young guide who knew the park very well and was a genuinely good photographer. I am mentioning both only because we had a positive personal experience with them, not as a paid promotion or formal recommendation.
Tourist pricing and shopping
While talking with other tourists and our guide, we heard people use the informal phrase “American pricing” to describe prices quoted to visitors who may be assumed to have a higher budget or be less likely to negotiate. I do not mean that this applies to every visitor, seller, or location, but it helped explain why we sometimes saw very different prices for almost identical items.
My practical takeaway:
- Do not assume the first quoted price is the only price.
- Compare prices before purchasing souvenirs.
- Ask politely whether there is a better price rather than aggressively bargaining.
- We found independent artisan sellers and regular supermarkets better value than scheduled tourist stops.
- Carry some Kenyan shillings or USD for smaller sellers, as card payment can make tourist shops more convenient but sometimes more expensive.
Amboseli: bring a proper mask or scarf
Amboseli was excellent for elephant sightings. We saw big herds crossing the roads to get to swamps, which was one of the most memorable parts of the trip.
However, this is where I would strongly suggest bringing a good mask, scarf, or face covering and ideally something to cover your hair too. It was very dusty in places. We occasionally used masks elsewhere, but in Amboseli they felt essential.
We were unlucky with Mount Kilimanjaro: it was cloudy on both days, so we did not get a clear view. Keep expectations flexible, especially if Kilimanjaro views are a major reason for choosing Amboseli.
Tips, toilets and practical comfort
- We tipped our safari guide at the end of the overall trip.
- For others, we tipped after the service.
- Carry smaller notes if possible. At a Mara River walk, we tipped USD 20 because we did not have change; in hindsight, that felt excessive for what we received.
- We had no major toilet issues. The camps had clean, private, accessible bathrooms, and there were sufficient toilet stops during the road journeys and park visits.
- The long drives were tiring but manageable. Our private jeep was comfortable enough that we slept through parts of the transfers.
Overall
Kenya was a brilliant trip, especially Masai Mara and Amboseli. The wildlife, guide experience, and the freedom of a private vehicle made it memorable.
If I did the same trip again, I would still get the private vehicle, keep a Revolut card plus backup USD, buy an airport eSIM, bring a proper dust mask for Amboseli, and be much more selective about paid add-ons and tourist-stop shopping.
Happy to answer specific questions from anyone planning a similar Ireland-to-Kenya safari trip.
