So you have just decided that you would like to go on an African Safari and have settled on the Masai Mara in Kenya. One of the questions you will have after this is, “should I take a taxi from Nairobi to the Masai Mara? “
You should not take a conventional taxi to the Masai Mara from Nairobi. It would be too expensive and the taxi would be ill-suited for the terrain you will find on your way to the Mara. Instead, you should take a Tour Van run by a registered tour operator. These four-wheel-drive vans are better suited for this rough and bumpy journey and have detachable roofs for wildlife viewing. In addition to this, tour vans owned by a well run tour operator have drivers who double up as Tour guides. You, therefore, get the advantage of gaining a deep understanding of the the places you will be driving through on your way to the Mara. In this article, I will explain why you should not travel to the Maasai Mara using a Taxi and the more appropriate means of getting there.
Are there taxis from Nairobi to Maasai Mara?
Theoretically, you can find a conventional taxi that would be willing to take you from Nairobi to the Maasai Mara. for the right price, an ordinary town taxi driver in Nairobi would agree to take the journey. As an example, I went to the Uber website checked if this was a possible route and here is the result
This means you can actually book an Uber from Nairobi to the Maasai Mara. However, just because you can take a taxi to the Mara does not mean that you should. There are a number of challenges with this transport option:
Why Taxis are not a good idea when going to the Maasai Mara
A taxi to the Mara would be really expensive
You are likely to spend upwards of $200 to get to the Mara from Nairobi by Taxi. This amount is enough to book a flight to the Mara. The reason for the high cost is the fact the driver would need to factor in the cost of driving to the Mara with you and then driving back empty. They would also need to factor in the cost of wear and tear in the vehicle since they would be driving in really rough terrain
An ordinary taxi is not appropriate for the drive to the Mara
With most taxis being saloons, the drive to the Mara would be a treacherous one after you pass the Half Way Mark at the town of Narok. The road from Narok to the park is infamous for being really bad and an ordinary taxi would have a difficult time on that route.
Inexperienced Driver
Most ordinary taxi drivers in Yu are only familiar with the City and are not very knowledgeable with the rest of the country. This would make the journey unremarkable since both you and the driver would be strangers to the roads you will be using and the people you will be encountering.
Risk of Accident
The driver’s inexperience on the Nairobi to Narok road could put you at risk of getting into an accident in one of the many black spots (risky sections) of the road that have been responsible for many traffic accidents on the road to Narok.
Service level uncertainty
If you go by taxi to the Masai Mara, you will most likely be using a vehicle that you just met. This means that you do not have a level of certainty about the kind of experience you will have on your drive. You may use the Rating system on Uber to give you a feel for what kind of person the driver is but these are based out of 20-minute interactions by city passengers. With most Taxi drivers in Kenya being self-employed, they do not report to any person and if you have a bad experience, you will have no means of recourse.
No Detachable Roof
There are very few taxis in Nairobi that have detachable roofs that can be used for viewing Animals at the park. This means that the taxi that you take from Nairobi to the Mara will not be appropriate for going on game drives.
The best way of getting to the Maasai Mara by Road
The best way of getting to the Mara by road is by using a tour van owned by a registered tours-and-travel company in Kenya. They run fleets of vehicles that are dedicated for tourist travel and have experienced drivers that double up as tour guides along your journey.
This option is cheaper than using a taxi with the cost per person being around $80 per person per day. If you will be using the van as a group, your costs usually go lower and the van can carry as many as 8 passengers comfortably. This means that your cost of travel will be significantly lower if you are travelling as a group.
In addition to this, since most tour operators depend on good ratings from their current clients to get future business, they will have high service standards and strive to keep a good reputation. This means that they will hire well-experienced drivers who know their trade well and are also experienced with helping tourists find their way.
How to book a tour van to transport you from Nairobi to the Mara
Find a list of Good operators
You will want to talk to hotel staff to provide recommendations of tour operators that can take you to the Mara. They usually have good connections and will provide you with a list of potential candidates that you can look up. One of the tour operators that have a lot of vehicles is Pollman’s Tours & Safaris. I have no association with them but I
Look them up
When looking for a good tour operator to drive you to the Mara, you will first need to look them up online and find their reviews from other tourists that have used their service. Also, check if they are members of the Kenya Association of Tour Operators
Make sure they own the vehicles
Make sure to ask whether they own the vehicles that you will be using. Sometimes, tour operators act like agents and source for a different operator to take you to the Mara. This usually results in a worse experience and sometimes, higher fees than what you would pay when dealing directly with the tour operator that owns the vehicle.
I have written a lot of articles that can help you get ready for the Mara by answering questions about the Mara. Look around the blog and let me know on the comments section below if there are any articles you would like me to write.
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