I realize that now Carsten. I love talking with and getting to know the staff.

In fact, that is one of the best advantages about traveling alone. If my husband or sons were with me, (and they choose not to be as they think they would be bored looking at wildlife ) I wouldn't have gotten to meet so many wonderful people.

So, if there are women reading this who have hesitated to safari on their own, hesitate no longer. You will be well taken care of by your safari company, and you will have the chance to meet so many Africans who would love nothing better than talking with you and learning about your life as you learn about theirs.

The Mara and Kenya is very famous because as a country it has been politically stable over the past 40 years and it is mainly an English speaking country.

This has provided the country with a fantastic launching ground for foreign private and state television companies like the BBC to document and film wildlife. Easy access, stable country, good infrastucture compairing to other countries in the past years. This is why Kenya has become very famous since the TV boom.
You will notice lots of doumentaries are now getting filmed in Botswana, Zambia and South Africa which do not charge crazy fee, the language and political barriers are perhaps better than Kenya.

Kenya has to really take care as they are working themselves out of the market and wildlife world.

I had to pay $ 40 for Koiyaki Lemek Group Ranch Fees in June and for visiting the reserve there was another $40 fee. Though I don’t think you have to pay for just passing through.
I can’t imagine not returning to the Mara, or Tsavo (there’re horrendous fees there as well), but it’ll soon become impossible. Are there really any less expensive countries? I’d understood that Botswana is more expensive. What matters is the total price, not just the park fees. Not that I’m even considering not going to Kenya. I’ll just have to rob a bank or something.

Original von Nyamera
I had to pay $ 40 for Koiyaki Lemek Group Ranch Fees in June and for visiting the reserve there was another $40 fee. Though I don’t think you have to pay for just passing through.
I can’t imagine not returning to the Mara, or Tsavo (there’re horrendous fees there as well), but it’ll soon become impossible. Are there really any less expensive countries? I’d understood that Botswana is more expensive. What matters is the total price, not just the park fees. Not that I’m even considering not going to Kenya. I’ll just have to rob a bank or something.

dear nyamera
in botswana you can have high-end camps for approx. 450USpppd incl. pakrfees. nobody even mentions parkfees at all! of course its included!
these camps can be compared to the governors or other high-end camps in the mara or amboseli. but the kenya camps are labelled "mass tourism" contrary to botswana which is a "luxury" destination!
laikipia and elsa's in meru is even more expensive than some of the faboulous botswana camps!
AND in botswana in these privat comncessions you won't find more than let's say 2 cars of the same camp in one place!
i am really pissed off (sorry to say that but that hits the nail!) by the arrogance of the kenya wildlife service and these so called "conservacies".

I think your English language is quite well expressed Pippa.... you are simply stating what we are all thinking.

Aha! I'll soon have you all in "Backstreet English!"

I would add that it is more than 30 years since I was last in Kenya & to be honest the more I read the less I want to return, the the politics seem a nightmare.