The reference shelf
Know before
you book.
Park-fee cliffs, flight benchmarks, single-supplement rules per operator, and the photographic-hide directory. All figures gathered June 2026.
Park & conservancy fees
Reserve camps charge the fee every night, drives or not. The DIY gate-edge camp pays only on actual safari days.
| Where | Fee | Terms |
|---|---|---|
| Masai Mara National Reserve | $100/day → $200/day | per adult, 12-hr ticket — doubles on 1 Jul 2026 |
| Naboisho / Mara North / Olare Motorogi / Lemek | $130/night | conservancy fee, per person |
| Kalama (Samburu) | $160/night | conservancy fee, per person |
| Sera (Saruni Rhino) | $175/night | conservancy fee, per person |
| Ol Kinyei | bundled | inside Porini package prices |
The 1 July cliff is the single most important fact in this dataset: reserve fees double and Porini's 2-night base jumps $2,007 → $3,422. June is the window.
Flight & transfer benchmarks
Return fares unless marked. Porini and Kicheche quotes bundle flights; Saruni and DIY don't.
| Leg | Cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Nairobi ↔ Mara (return) | $440 | Saruni rate sheet |
| Nairobi ↔ Samburu (return) | $465 | Saruni rate sheet |
| Wilson ↔ Ol Seki (return) | $485 | implied by Kicheche live quote |
| Wilson ↔ Mara (return) | $200–400 | Kicheche rack estimate |
| Nairobi airport transfer | $70/vehicle each way | max 4 pax |
| Olkiombo ↔ Naboisho | $70 pp each way | min 2 pax — solo pays 2 seats |
| Nairobi ↔ Talek by road (DIY) | $230 one-way / $450 return | ≤5 pax; +$50 from Naivasha/Nakuru |
| Olkiombo airstrip ↔ Talek | $90 one-way / $160 return | DIY camp transfer |
| Flying Doctors cover | $25/person | mandatory on Saruni bookings |
Single-supplement rules
The trap in solo pricing — every operator does it differently.
| Operator | Rule | Numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Porini / Gamewatchers | flat per package | $356 (Apr–Jun) / $389 (Jul); waived Jan 3–May 31 & Nov 1–Dec 15 |
| Kicheche | per night (confirmed by camp) | $165–185/night by camp |
| Saruni Basecamp | publishes single-occupancy rates | no supplement at all in low season (group-wide) |
| Budget tour op | per night | $30/night |
| DIY (Booking.com) | room priced per unit | no supplement — you just pay the room |
Saruni money terms
Drives the Tracker countdowns. Booked late June from mid-June? You're already inside the 100% window.
| Cancelling… | Retained |
|---|---|
| 91+ days before check-in | 0% |
| 45–90 days | 20% |
| 30–44 days | 50% |
| inside 30 days | 100% |
Deposit 20% to confirm · balance due 45 days before check-in.
Hide directory
Sunken photographic hides — ground-level, eye-to-eye. The reason Samburu is on this shortlist.
Saruni Samburu sunken hide — Kalama Conservancy
Elephant-proof, waterhole, ground level, day & night sessions, up to 8 pax, bean bags provided. On-site at Saruni Samburu; Basecamp Samburu guests get access — terms/charge TBC with reservations.
Hide Photography Kenya
Near the Amboseli road — independent hide outfit.
Shompole Wilderness hide
South Rift — the famous one; book far ahead.
Ol Pejeta hides
Laikipia — pairs with a rhino-focused leg.
Operator contacts
Who actually answered, June 2026.
| Operator | Contact | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Saruni Basecamp | reservations@sarunibasecamp.com · +254 796 222 555 | availability tight late June — ask early |
| Porini / Gamewatchers | India-based consultant (Bangalore) | quoted stay-4-pay-3 at tented-camp rate |
| Kicheche | camp reservations | confirmed per-night supplement + vehicle quotes |
| DIY camp | Booking.com listing | free-cancellation rates; drives booked at camp |
Everything above is catalog data from live quotes and rack sheets, kept verbatim in the seed files — when an operator updates rates, the engine and this page move together.