For travelers wishing to visit Maasai Mara from the United Arab Emirates, the journey is surprisingly easy with good planning. You can start your safari from the modern skylines at Abu Dhabi or Dubai and land in the magical plains of Maasai Mara within a few flying hours to experience the diverse wildlife species including, lions, leopards, elephants and most importantly the great wildebeest migration.

However, the journey is not that straightforward, you need to understand a few sequence sirports, flights and transfers to the final destination to make your planning easy.

1. Starting the Safari in the UAE

From the UAE, you can start your safari from Abu Dhabi, Zayed International Airport or Dubai International Airport. However, Dubai-Nairobi flights are the most popular. The whole journey takes about five hours. According to Emirates website, they are currently operating 21 trips per week.

Other flight alternatives along this connection include; Kenya Airways, Qatar Air, Ethiopian Airlines, and Turkish Airlines all which have varying schedules, routing and departure dates. The most ideal flight for a safari traveler is the one that lands you in Nairobi within the least time possible to allow sufficient time for connection to the next flight to Maasai Mara.

2. Arrival at Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport

The International flight from UAE lands you at the Nairobi’s main International gateway, Jomo Kenyatta. Upon arrival, the visitor undergo the required immigration processes, collects their baggage and clear their customs. At this point the visitor needs their eTAs and passports ready all which should have been confirmed by traveler before the international flight.

3. Transfer from JKIA to Wilson Airport.

Your International flights from UAE land in JKIA but the fly in Safari to Maasai Mara begins at Wilson Airport. It is important for clients to note that, JKIA and Wilson Airport are two separate airports and a distance away, so you need a road transfer to connect the two.

Ensure that you have sufficient time between the two flights to cater for the traffic, collect your luggage or any flight delay. Some visitors avoid the rush by spending the first night in Nairobi to fly to Maasai Mara the next morning, although with a suitable arrangement you can still access Maasai Mara the same day. A professional safari operator will help you cordinate the itinerary timings for a practical safari.

4. Flight from Wilson Airport to Maasai Mara

At Wilson Airport the whole safari experience changes, you will board a smaller aircraft from either Safarilink or AirKenya Express and head west to the famous Maasai Mara grasslands. Both airlines have daily departures although it is important to check on their schedules and departure times to know which one best suits your safari itinerary.

5. Arrival at an Airstrip in Maasai Mara.

First thing you need to know is that Maasai Mara has no common airstrip. Instead it has several it has a diverse network of airstrips across the ecosystem. Depending on your place of stay, you may land at Musiara, Keekorok, Mara Serena, Ol Kiombo, Kichwa Tembo, Mara North among other bush airstrips. The airstrip to land should be guided by the location of your accommodation to save time and minimize unnecessary drives to your camp/lodge.

6. Meeting Your Guide/Hotel Vehicle

There is no large terminal at Maasai Mara. Here the procedures are simple, you land, connect with your safari guide or hotel vehicle , transfer your luggage to the waiting vehicle and proceed to the camp/hotel. For many travelers, the excitement begins here. From here you will enjoy a game viewing experience to your camp/lodge before checking in for lunch and refreshment.

7. Experiencing the Maasai Mara Safari

For the next few days you will enjoy the diverse attractions at Maasai Mara including the Maasai Mara spectacular landscapes, wildlife such as lions, leopards, hyenas, hippos, bird species and if lucky the great migration.

Generally the UAE-Maasai Mara Safari takes the following sequence

Dubai/Abu Dhabi → Nairobi international flight → JKIA → immigration and baggage → transfer to Wilson Airport → safari flight → Maasai Mara airstrip → safari vehicle → camp → game drives.

All you need is a professional safari operator for a perfect coordination of the flights, transfers and accommodations arrangements.