The Mara has some of the most beautiful scenery in the world and visiting this Park should be on your bucket list. I have visited the Mara and a few other National parks in Kenya and the one thing that can make your trip truly miserable is forgetting something crucial.
In this post, I have prepared a list that you can use to prepare for your safari in the Mara.
Masai Mara Packing List
1. Loose fitting clothes
Kenya is hot and at times humid and you will need to wear comfortable clothes that are not too warm or too tight. A normal day will range around in the 75° F / 24°C so dress appropriately for this kind of weather.
Try to choose neutral colours that are not too bright since you are easily going to be spotted by animals and scare them away when out on game drives.
2. Sweater
The evenings tend to be around 62°F / 17°C in the mara and at some times of the year, it may be colder. Carry a sweater with you to ensure that you do not catch a cold on such chilly nights.
3. Sneakers/hiking boots
There will be a lot of thorns and rocks in the Masai Mara and if you’re going to be walking in the bush you are likely to expose your feet to a lot of these. To ensure that your feet stay comfortable during your entire stay at the mara, ensure that you carry a good pair of hiking boots or sneakers that are completely covered up and if possible waterproof.
4. Your phone
This may probably go without saying but you need to carry your phone with you all for taking impromptu pictures and staying connected to the outside world. you may assume that you have come to get away from it all but you never know when you might need to make a quick phone call or be in an emergency that requires you to make a call.
Your hotel or comp may have wi-fi and this will allow you to connect with the outside world. you’ll be spending some time in the mara and also traveling to other parts of the country you may want to buy a sim card once you arrive in Kenya to allow you to communicate and make calls directly from your phone. the Safaricom network is the best for this and will serve you well. they have really good coverage and the network quality is also good. when you buy the sim card make sure that you top up the line with about $10 of airtime.
5. Laptop
Depending on the size of laptop you have you may want to leave this at home but if you have extra space and the need to use a larger device during your stay at the mara, it may be useful to carry. over and above the weight limits in the airports you’ll also need to worry about keeping your device safe especially when you’re going to be out on game drives since you may not want to carry it with you in the tour van. my advice would be for you to leave it at home and carry something like an ipad instead.
6. Sunscreen
The sun in the Masai mara is really hot and you will need to protect yourself from the harmful rays by carrying and using good sunscreen during your excursions in the game park. Make sure you carry enough since you may need to apply it several times in a day especially if your skin is very sensitive.
7. Binoculars
carrying a pair of binoculars when going to the masai mara may seem very ‘touristy’ but these will be very useful during your game drives. Owner number locations you may spot an animal especially some of the predators but they will be too far away to observe them in detail. since 2010 and not allowed to get out of the designated paths you may have spotted and I know but it may be too far for you too photograph or view closely and a pair of binoculars will be very useful in this occasion.
Here is an affordable pair that I found on Amazon. It has an adaptor for your smartphone and a carrying case.
8. Socks that absorb sweat
With all the time that you’re going to be spending outside your feet will get sweaty and a good pair of socks will help you stay comfortable even in such times.
9. Sunglasses
It normally gets really bright outside especially from noon to around 3pm. a good pair of sunglasses will help protect your eyes from the sun’s rays and the make you look really cool too.
10. Water bottle
carry an empty water bottle with you and we feel it when going out for game drives. Your tour van may have water in there but it’s best to come prepared just in case they don’t have the water or you may not like the way it tastes.
11. Mosquito Repellent
The masai mara has mosquitoes and you’ll need to come prepared for these. it is important to check with your hotel whether they have treated mosquito nets in the beds. however, on top of this, you will need to have mosquito repellent for when you will be outside especially in the evening.
12. Ointment(insect bite relief)
even with repellent you are going to get bitten by mosquitoes once in a while and if you’re not used to it it’s going to leave a bump that will feel rather itchy. This is where an ointment will come in handy in relieving the itch and reducing the rash.
13. Swimwear
if your hotel has a swimming pool, a swimsuit will come in handy.
14. Sandals / Flipflops
These will be very useful especially when your in your room. Some of the rooms have complimentary flip-flops but it’s good to carry your own just in case they don’t.
15. Deodorant & other toiletries
You hotel me have soap, toothpaste and shampoo but it may be a good idea to carry your own toiletries. These include deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, skin lotion,
16. Comb
This may be one of the things that may be easily forgotten and will come in handy especially if your hair is messy.
Items you are likely to forget on your Packing list
First, I would like to begin with the items that you are more likely to forget to pack with you when coming to The Maasai Mara
1. Chargers for your laptop phone iPad and camera.
This is one of the items that you are most likely to forget when packing and you will be extremely miserable if your camera goes out after one day of taking photos.
One of the great ways that I saw recently is to put all your chargers onto one extension cable. Pack the chargers when fixed into the cable and do not remove them from there for the entirety of your vacation. When you need to charge your stuff, you can just take out the head of the extension cable from your bag and plug it to the wall and charge all your devices at once.
This will help you charge multiple devices if you only have one socket. It will help you also not to forget your charger in a hotel room after you’ve checked out
2. Safety bag or lockable suitcase
with all the gadgets you will be carrying, it’s important to ensure that your stuff is safe especially when you’re out on safari and have left your things either in the hotel room or in safekeeping. The one thing you may need to consider in your list is a safety bag that you will use to carry your expensive gear. Here is one I found on Amazon
3. Travel Adapter
Kenya uses 220 volts in its power outlets and the outlets are the square British type. If you live in the USA or in a country that uses different power outlets from the ones in Kenya, you will definitely need a travel adaptor. these are extremely useful in ensuring that your devices are sufficiently charged and that they are not destroyed by using a power that your devices are not adapted for.
I would advise you not to come and buy the adaptor here in Kenya because it may be either too expensive or the quality of the adaptor may be poor. plan ahead and buy one at Wal-Mart or you can buy this one that I found online.
4. Extra Memory cards for your camera
If you are anything like me, you will take lots of pictures and anything you see around you will fascinate you enough to take about a dozen photos of it. this means that your memory card space will start running out really soon after you arrived and you will start trying to figure out which photos you need to delete which ones you need to keep. Internet at the Mara is not very reliable and you may not depend on uploading your photos. Your best bet is to have extra memory cards so that you won’t have to use any footage or photos that you take because you ran out of space.
Things you should not carry with you:
Plastic carrying bags
Plastic carrying bags are banned in kenya and you will be required to surrender them at the airport when you arrive period its therefore advisable not to carry any since it may leave you things in a mess if they are confiscated. These include any zip lock bags that are made of plastic.
Very Short Skirts and shorts when going to the towns
This is not so much a rule as it is a piece of advice, people in Kenya are conservative and may not take kindly to very revealing clothing. This is especially the case when you are buying curios in the towns and exploring public places.
Conclusion,
The Maasai Mara is a beautiful place. Ensure you make the most of your trip by packing appropriately and not forgetting anything crucial.
I hope this article has been of use to you and that your trip will have been made better as a result.
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