“I'd heard budget camping safaris were a downgrade. Not here. Same vehicle, same parks, the food cooked over fire was actually better than some lodge buffets. Lions calling outside the tent at night — that's the memory.”
About This Safari
Same wildlife, half the price. Three parks, public campsites, shared group, real cooking around real fires. Built for travellers under 35 — but anyone can come.
A small-group camping trip designed to make a real Kenyan safari accessible on a real backpacker budget. Public campsites inside or adjacent to the parks. A cook traveling with the group. A guide-driver who's been doing this for years and knows where the wildlife is at any given hour. Same Toyota Landcruiser as our luxury trips — the difference is the camp, not the country.
Six days. Mara, Lake Nakuru and Naivasha. Tents and bedding are provided; you'll help with camp setup and washing up after dinner. The group is mixed but capped at seven travellers — no truck-tour energy.
Highlights
What this trip is built around.
Three parks in six days at less than half the typical price.
Same Mara wildlife as our luxury trips.
Public campsites — wild edges, fire-cooked dinners.
Small group cap of seven, not a converted truck of twenty.
Optional Hell's Gate biking in Naivasha — cycle past zebra and giraffe.
Itinerary
Day by day.
Pickup from your Nairobi hostel or hotel by 8am. Long drive west into the Mara — five hours, with a lunch stop at a Rift Valley overlook.
Arrival at the public campsite near Talek Gate by mid-afternoon. Tent setup as a group, short orientation, then the first afternoon game drive into the reserve.
Accommodation: Public campsite, Talek (tents provided)Meals: BLD
What's Included
Inclusions & exclusions.
Included
- Land transport in a shared Toyota Landcruiser
- Professional guide-driver and trip cook
- All park fees for Mara, Nakuru and Naivasha
- Camping fees, tents, sleeping mats
- All meals on safari (breakfast, packed lunch, hot dinner)
- Drinking water in the vehicle
- Nairobi hotel pickup and drop-off
Not included
- International flights
- Kenya visa ($50 per person)
- Sleeping bag (rent for $30 or bring your own)
- Optional Naivasha boat ($30 per person)
- Optional Hell's Gate biking ($25 per person)
- Optional Maasai village visit ($20 per person, paid direct)
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal travel insurance
Route
Where you'll go.
Route: Nairobi → Maasai Mara → Lake Nakuru → Nairobi
Gallery
A taste of what you'll see.
Good to Know
Frequently asked.
From the Guestbook
What travellers said about this safari
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